Summer and Progeny

After a day with the grandchildren, we are exhausted and nothing compares to time spent with our two grandchildren.

Our delightful granddaughter just became five years old which makes me feel like Methuselah. We feel extremely fortunate considering that her first five years were a great concern to her parents and all of her family. Her arrival came with a c-section due to a breech birth and a near preemie early birth. Feeding problems were apparent early and determination and persistence by her dedicated mom got her through a very difficult time learning to nurse. She began to thrive in the early years due to breast feeding, but solid feeding problems persisted leading to feeding therapies which continued for several years.

Miss E. began walking at ten months, but speech was a long, overdue process which led to speech therapy for several years. We were very concerned that she would never speak; today, she never stops--music to our ears. After Child Find testing for preschool readiness, OT was also pursued. Today, she is getting ready for all day kindergarten next year with all developmental stages on target for her age. Cheers!! After a year in Montessori school, she's quite the little scholar. At her birthday celebration we heard a very detailed lecture on the finer points of quadrupeds. No memory problems, no speech problems. She can write her name and she has all of her skills ready for kindergarten. Many sight words are in her tool box and reading is on track.

Her energy and enthusiasm for the little things in life are contagious. When she visits my house, we walk about and look at things that she likes and talk about features of things she finds fascinating. She likes my tabletop jewelry cabinet that has little drawers and doors for storing tiny things. I found a small cabinet at a toy store that has similar features for her birthday. It was her favorite present but a close second was the sparkly shoes from Mom and Dad. The girl is wild about shoes, probably the only thing she inherited from me. 

Both Miss E. and her little brother, Mr. M., who is 19 months, are like little sponges looking for input.  Our grandson, unlike his sister, seemed to have no early problems and is eager to take on the world. His sense of adventure borders on the reckless, but he is a happy little camper who always cooperates with directions. He is so cheerful with a smile on his face and I marvel at his calm disposition. It is very rewarding to watch him in self-directed play because the wheels are turning and he seems to have a very specific task in mind when he plays. On their last visit, he awoke from a nap in another room and came to find the family. I like to sit on the floor with the kids so he came to me and curled up on my lap to cuddle for a bit--Grandma melts. Later he took a toy to Grandpa, gave it to him and said "Papa"--putting in those brownie points early. That will be Grandpa's favorite story forever.

The kids love to visit Nana and Papa and we wouldn't have it any other way. Who needs Europe, the South of France, the mountains, or the shore? The best that life has to offer is in the backyard with the grandchildren.