Grandparents

Grandparents are a wonderful thing.  My kids think the sun rises and sets on their grandparents.  Any time the phone rings, and they get a hold of it before we do, you can tell who’s on the other end of the line.  If the first words out of my son’s mouth are “Can I come to your house,” you know it’s one of his grandparents.

I don’t know about Tamara’s mother, but mine has lost all ability to say “No,” when it comes to her grandkids.  Her backbone has definitely softened since I was a kid.  It doesn’t matter if she’s recovering from a surgery or just got back off a 14-hour plane ride.  If those babies want to come to her house, then we need to bring them.

I’m happy that the kids enjoy spending time with our parents, but sometimes it makes you wonder about how good a job you’re doing with them.  A Friday or so ago, Griffin and Gage stayed with my mom and dad.  When I went to pick them up on Saturday, they cried as if I were dragging them back to shackle them to the grinding mill in our dungeon.  Finally, my son blurted out, “I want to live here.”  I was taken aback for a moment before I asked him, “You want to live with Mammy and Pa?  You don’t want to live with Mommy and Daddy anymore?”

My son, ever the diplomat and quick thinker replied, “You can move in too.”

That made me feel a little better.  He didn’t want to sever ties completely with us, just spend more time with his grandparents.

I remember how I loved to stay with my grandparents when I was a little kid.  We only lived three houses away from them, but it was great fun to pack my little suitcase and go down to Grandma’s house for the night.  We’d eat snacks and play cards or dominoes.  If it was early evening, we’d all sit out under the walnut tree in the swing and watch the bats fly around the yard. 

I loved getting to take a bath in Grandma’s tub while the gas heater kept the bathroom nice and toasty.  Then, grandma would pull the hide-away bed out of the sofa and I’d lie down for the night, listening to Grandpa snore loud enough to shake Grandma’s bell collection.

I think the time that my kids get to spend with their grandparents has a large effect on their attitudes and outlook on life.  The unconditional love they receive reaffirms their self-worth and builds their confidence.  I don’t think our kids would be the same if it wasn’t for the time they spent with our parents.  And I’m thankful for that.

We also get to hear the funny stories where our kids are just being themselves.  Like how Griffin wanted to stay up and watch a movie so they could eat popcorn and cucumbers, and how Gage won’t sleep anywhere, except in the floor of Mom and Dad’s walk-in closet.

Yeah, Grandparents are great.