I have found that grandkids can be very entertaining. I don’t remember my own kids being so funny. Maybe grandkids are more interesting because I don’t have to live with them and raise them.
My granddaughter was joined by a brother when she was almost 2 years old. I was raised with a brother 2 years younger than me so I have an idea about how much of a pest a younger brother can be. However, these 2 kids love each other dearly. Then, when my granddaughter was 6 1/2 and grandson #1 was 4 1/2, they got a cousin, grandson #2. As of right now, it’s just the three grandkids. They are special blessings.
When my granddaughter was only 3, she told her dad, “Not too tight. Just one tight!” when he buckled her into her car seat. I can understand her feelings. My son-in-law would make sure the straps were very tight and snug on the kids in the interest of safety. I’m glad he was so conscientious.
Grandpa liked to have the kids play “the quiet and the loud” game in the car when they were little. Mostly it was the quiet game. Now they stay quiet with technology.
My granddaughter has always liked to take care of and protect her little brother. The kids had just started a new preschool when she was 3 years old and her brother was about 22 months old. She told her mother that a kid ran into her brother on the playground. She said, “I’m going to tell the kid tomorrow not to run into my brother.”
My granddaughter has always liked to sing. Her version of “I’m in the Lord’s Army” included Spiderman, Superman, and Indiana Jones.
As anyone with a younger brother knows, they can be annoying. On one drive home, my daughter heard this simultaneously from the back seat. Her son was saying, “Poop, poop, poop, poop, poop!” Her daughter was yelling, “MOM!!! HE WON’T STOP SAYING POOP! IT’S A BAD WORD!”
When the granddaughter was told she was going to stay 3 nights at my house, she asked how many lunches she would spend here. It’s important to have all the facts.
One year at Christmas, Grandpa and I took the two older grandkids to look at Christmas lights. While we were driving around the grandkids were being silly. The granddaughter got tired of the silliness and asked her brother to stop. He wouldn’t. So, she told him that she was going to tell Santa that he was naughty. The grandson didn’t really cry, but it was obvious he was very upset. He said, “I’m not naughty. I’m _____!” He was really worried that Santa wouldn’t leave him any presents. Leave it to big sisters.
My granddaughter is also very creative. She invented chocolate salad in her kitchen when she was little. My daughter has taken chocolate salad to work for a food day.
My sweet granddaughter is also very thoughtful. One year for Valentine’s Day she wanted to get two sets of Valentines for school. She didn’t think the boys would like to get princess Valentines.
She told her mother that she wanted to be a teacher when she grows up. Her mother said, “Did you know Grandma was a teacher for a long time?” She replied, “Yes, but she’s tired now so she’s not any more.” That’s true. I did retire because I was tired.
My granddaughter will also tell it like it is. One day at the mall, she told her mom in a really loud voice, “Mom, you’ve been drinking all day!” It was only iced tea, but not sure the others at the mall knew that.
One day my son-in-law told his kids right after breakfast that they wouldn’t get a snack or lunch until the playroom and their bedrooms were clean. His daughter’s response, “But we’ll starve without any food!” A little later the kids were reminded that they had to clean their rooms before eating. The daughter’s reply, “But we will die if we don’t eat.” My son-in-law said, “Actually you can go 21 days without food.” The daughter said, “Then we’ll die!” I assure you that both kids are alive and well, and have not missed any meals.
I also love the different perspectives each child can have about something like fireworks. The granddaughter said, “You know, it’s just a chemical reaction!” Grandson #1 exclaimed, “WOW! That looks just like a cheeseburger!” (He told someone when he was little that his name was cheeseburger.)
It was a clear sign that the granddaughter is growing up when you listen to her trying to get the dog to come back in the house. “We are not staying out here all night. You have to come in. Get here now! Why aren’t you listening to me? I’m talking to you!” Sounds like something she might have heard her parents say.
Next time, I’ll have more from grandson #1.
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