On the grandmother front - have to share
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I'm off this week, and asked my dear dil if she needed any help ... she is due ANY DAY NOW, and I know she works from home alternate Mondays. She said yes, so I trekked to my granddaughter's (my son and dil's) house today. (Good thing I did. DIL was working from home, and hit a computer glitch, so she spent two hours on the phone with her IT support getting that worked out, which would have been difficult with my granddaughter around.)
So, we did all the things a 3 year old does. Went for a walk, played on the swings, read some books, sort of played a game (she's not into rules in any big way yet, so Chutes and Ladders is not yet her thing).
This is a very bright little girl, with an amazing vocabulary and verbal skills. And, her parents buy her lots of "learning" things, so when I got there she was doing a numbers thing, taking number stickers and putting them on a chart. She is a little bit spoiled (only child, cute as can be, and all that), and has the habit of saying "you do it for me". I know I'm a grandma and I'm supposed to spoil her, but my response is usually "no, I don't want to do it - if you want to do it you have to do it yourself". (I'm not really big on spoiling.) So, we worked on the numbers, and she'd get cutesy and silly and hold a number sticker in her hand and say "I can't find it, grandma, you find it", and I'd point to the first number and we'd count from 1 to whatever sticker she had in her hand. Anyhow, she quickly learned that I am not going to do it for her - we go through this little bit every time I visit, and she is very good humored about it.
The day went on, she had her lunch and was silly with her food, and I told her that food isn't for playing, and she giggled and stopped playing with her food, and so on.
Then, after about 4 hours, out of the blue, comes "I like you, grandma, you're very sweet." Well ... holding back the gulp in my throat, I said "I like you too, you're sweet and silly".
Just a little while before she said that I was remembering why I was so glad when my children started school full time and got to the age of reason. Three year olds take a lot of hands-on time, don't they? Especially when they have just decided to stop taking naps. My granddaughter reminded me why I enjoyed my children before they were "reasonable". (Though I have to say, "sweet" is not a word I'd ever use in describing myself.)
Oh, and when I say "any day now", this little boy is, in theory, due December 11th, but he is big, my dil is very big, and the doctor says he will be born at least two weeks before the theoretical due date. Her doctor is watching her very carefully to be sure the baby doesn't get too big. My dil is at the point where she can't wait, so watch out for a post announcing my grandson any day now. Brooke was born on Black Friday 3 years ago, and we are all wondering if my dil will make it past Thanksgiving.
Wouldn't it be something if this little guys was born on his sister's birthday? We all know that "o.k., i'm done being pregnant, get this baby out of me feeling". I hope he comes soon!
What your grand daughter said is so cute and sweet. Three years olds are so cute, innocent and fun. However, I used to wonder why they called them the "terrible twos" when I thought the "terrible threes" would have been more correct.
Sounds like a good time, Ginny. I would tend to agree on the sweet thing, LOL, that would not be a word I would have used to describe you either, but as they say out of the mouths of babes.. I bet it melted your heart.
I hope that the rest of DIL's pregnancy is uneventful and that the baby makes his debut really soon..
Oh Ginny, I got tears in my eyes reading your post, I can SO relate! Sounds like you had an outstanding day with her. I am almost envious. I don't see much of Madison these days (they moved, Jules has her involved in tons of activities, they are involved @ church, etc.) But I did see her for a while 2 weekends ago when Jules, Jen & Mads were going to a wedding, and honestly, even at *almost 8*, she wore me out! LOL
Go ahead and let her think you are sweet - that may be the only time someone calls you *sweet*! ROFL  Just kidding, of course.
I wish you had some pics of your day with her to share with us.
I'm so happy for you, that you got to spend this time with her. Be sure to let us know as soon as her baby brother arrives!
You're right, Bobbie, she will probably be the only person who calls me sweet. I have lots of good qualities, but that is not one I would ever connect with me.
She isn't really badly spoiled, but she knows just how cute she is and how much she is adored by her parents, and she does take advantage of it. No tantrums, but an excess of cutsiness and "I can't do it - you do it for me" kind of thing, or turning into cooked spaghetti when it is time to get her clothes off and get ready for bed, or giving you that "out of the corner of her eye" smile when she knows she is doing something she really shouldn't be doing - that kind of thing. She really does prefer to do most things for herself, as much as she physically can, and is generally a very happy and good-natured child. I do think, though, that when the new baby comes she is going to have issues about sharing her parents' time - which is normal, of course, but my son refuses to admit that it may be an issue for her. Ah well, live and learn.
Sounds like they all be in for some reality shock, huh? I remember thinking I was done nursing Emily, and then she still seemed fussy, so I laid down to nurse some more and Sarah just threw a fit, because she'd already had enough of me paying so much attention to Emily. It all works out eventually. You should see the two of them now. It's like Emily saves up all her thoughts, until Sarah comes home and then her cup runneth over and she can't stop talking.
I bet she is really so cute and sweet. How nice of you to help out your DIL, especially since she had to be on the phone for 2 hours.
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