God's Greatest Gift

There's a scene in the movie Hook when Peter can't fly. He’s told to think happy thoughts. He tries and tries and tries to fly but he can't seem to get off the ground. Then Tinker Bell tells him to think about the  happiest thing that ever happened to him and he thought about the birth of his son. Off he flew, growing as he rose high in the sky. Now years ago while I was still young I would have said that, too. But now that I’m older I’d have to say that my happy thought involves my Grandson. Just ask any Mom mom or Pop pop and they’ll tell you that the best thing you will ever hear is when your grandchild says, ”Mom mom, I love you.”

O my God! Your heart swells. Your day has been made. Four little words full of the most sincere and innocent love. The greatest gift that God could give you. All your troubles just fall away. This little human thinks that you are “da bomb". What else could you ask for? They hang on your every word and tell you they will love you forever. They also tell you that you’re old. But that’salright because “Mom mom, I love you”. Even if you've never met them and huge differences separate you, they still love you and talk about wanting to meet you. And your heart swells…”Pop pop, I love you.”

I have 4 darlings that I call my grandbabies. Three live far away and one is around the corner. I love them all the same. I'd die for them; I’d fight for their future. On a light note, I also love to spoil the one around the corner. You know sugar him up, wind him up and send him home…a mother’s revenge 😉! I'd do the same with the others that live far away if I could…my daughter should be glad…lol. I wish I could give all the world but for now all I have is a lot of love! I hope when I say, “I love you, too" it means as much to them as it does to me!

Who could’ve thought that I'd be so lucky to receive one of God's gifts! All I had to do was get old! 

Trump card - Santa

This is truly my favorite time of year.  Christmas is coming and little people are gearing up for the big haul under the tree on Christmas morning. I love the looks and reactions to this wonderful time each year. I also like that I can use the big guy - Santa as a disciplinary tool.  Ah yes when the child is not behaving there is nothing like a call from Santa to mom or mom mom to get that child jumping.  Unfortunately Santa is also the reason that they are getting more and more rambunctious with each passing day.

My lil man is visiting us today. I love when he comes to visit. Just warms my whole existence. My son had asked me what to do about his not listening to them - you know I told them to pull out the Santa card. They have tried but it hasn't been working so I showed them how to do it.  When lil man was not listening to his mom I picked up the phone and walked up the hall with it at my ear and let him overhear me talking to Santa.  LOL, you should have seen him jump.  Then he ran up to me saying "Let me talk to him" to which I replied into the phone,"I know you are real busy..." To which lil man says,"Yeah that's right he has to do the toys thing!"  TOO FUNNY!

"Not Me"

I walked into the Walgreens the other day and they were delivering Christmas trees.  Did I miss Halloween? Did I sleep too long and it passed us by? OMG! Every year they start gearing up for Christmas earlier and earlier.  by the time the real holiday gets here we are all sick of it.  Now this year I get to spoil my 'Lil Man who will be 4 (what a great age for Christmas). Of course I am already looking for holiday bargains and gifts to contribute to that spoilage.

Yes I said spoil.  I love it.  This is my time of real revenge on my son who was the original messy Marvin.  It was not beyond him to make a mess and try to hide it.  Sometimes I wouldn't find these messes until they had dried or changed color making them indistinguishable. Now 'Lil Man is very capable of much the same.  He has already made fast friends with "not me" and drops his name on any occasion that he deems necessary.  "Not Me" was a very close friend of my son...not sure if this is the same one - could be his son - but he sure is a bad.  Does all kinds of things that 'lil man gets in trouble for.  It seems to me that there may be many of these kids - "Not Me" because I have dealt with him as a teacher as well with many ages of children.  Hmmm really makes me wonder what he will do next, this "Not Me".

Where does time go?

As I watch my grandson grow I become more and more: the proud grandparent.  He is the joy of our lives and the object of so many smiles...Every time he is with us he says something that makes us laugh because of the unbelievable maturity of the word s leaving his mouth.  The kids were here to visit a few days ago.  I had decided that it was time for me and my grandson's mom to have some girl time so we went to get our nails done together...We had a grand old time talking and getting to know each other in a way other than Mom and daughter-in-law and getting our nails done.

We didn't even realize that we were there so long until my daughter-in-law happened to look out the window and noticed that it was dark.  Just as the words "I wonder why we haven't heard from home yet" the phone rang from home.  After a brief - we will be home shortly - I am almost done, we hung up.

When I got home Pop Pop told me the reason behind the call.  He said that right before he called "little man" came into the room and said,"Pop Pop, don't you think you ought check out what is going on with this situation?" I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee.

There is nothing on earth more precious than a grandchild. They smile and tell you that they love you. They are a constant reminder of what you miss in your own child and a never ending supply of joy and laughter.

My grandson and his family are visiting us these past few days...days full of wrestling with pop pop and letting mom mom spoil him with goodies and toys from the dollar store.  The first day they were here I told him that I would take him to the local farmers market to get his favorite mini donuts.  Well every chance he got he would ask me if we were going to get the donuts yet. LOL. He never forgets what he wants but ask him to pick up his toys and he forgets in an second.

Well this visit his mom and I spent some time together and went to get our nails done.  The women was ungodly slow and it took quite awhile to get finished.  Mom and I were just talking about how we were surprised that we had not heard from the men at home, when the cell rang with a call from my home.  It was pop pop relaying the concern where we were.

After we got home pop pop told me that the "little man" came into the room very seriously and stated,"Is someone going to make a call and find out what is going on with this situation?" So funny.

What a way to spend my days

I am still in a happy stupor almost a week after the surprise visit from the kids and my grandson.  I had such a wonderful time and finally felt like a real family.  Little man was full of kid-ism after kid-ism.  We laughed the entire time they were here.  I think that the funniest part of a kid-ism occurs when a 4 year old says something like he is 40.  Something as simple as "What you guys doin?" as he walks into a room where his step dad (my son) is sitting watching the football game with his step-dad can bring on a giggle. Or when you just sit back and listen to him talk to his pop pop, in a natural conversation like two men, you can't help but smile. Or when the boy comes into you and spurts of some gibberish followed by the word Spanish and you ask what was that only to be answered,"Me speaking Spanish, mom mom."

Truly nothing warms my heart as much as the kid-isms that come from my grandson!

Halloween

I do have to admit that I do miss Halloween with my little boy.  It was almost as exciting as Christmas with the prep and anticipation that was involved with going trick or treating.  I can remember back to when we were all kids and the day of candy approached.  We would start planning what costume we were going to wear almost as soon as school started...there was a lot of planning and prep involved in creating the ultimate costume.  "My costume is going to be soooooooo cool ...way better than yours" could be heard from many people.  I remember throwing the line around too.  It was so important that each of us come up with THE costume.  It had to be unique and over the top all at once.  Buying your look was totally unacceptable.  The harder the better was our motto.  A large cardboard box could turn you into just about anything...

How different things are today...the big day for the costume is the Halloween parade at school and most of the looks were purchased from Party City or Walmart.  Hardly anyone makes their own costume and even more don't even go out trick or treating.  Every year I hear from friends and family that hardly anyone came by the house...Not us-- we could hardly wait to get going.  Armed with a pillowcase we were off-running from door to door, coming home to dump the pillowcase into paper shopping bags when it got too heavy and back out as fast as we could.  This mission of sorts, would go on until we were turned back home by the sight of police driving through the neighborhoods and less and less porch lights on...We would drag ourselves home cold and tired with aching feet to sit down at the table and watch our parents go through our stuff so that we could dive in.  I remember getting up to 5 paper shopping bags full of all kinds of candy.  Real candy-not this tiny stuff they give out now.  Oh how I enjoyed that! 

Then I became the mom--still fun to dress them up but not so fun to do all the walking and holding the crap that went with their costume when they got tired of carrying it...in the rain, the cold, one year got lazy and drove.  Yes I became one of those parents!  Now I just hand out candy and miss my little boy trick or treating. 

Now he is the dad with the little man in a Buzz Lightyear costume and plastic pumpkin walking around...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!