Marines.Together We Served

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

What a Hoot!

          One of the reasons it is so much fun being a grandparent is that you receive continuous moments of entertainment. Having these little ones around on a regular basis has been a delight beyond words for me.

          As I have done in previous articles during the seven plus years Isaura and I have been grandparents, the following is a sampling of some of the deliciously special moments our grandkids have brought to our family.

          Alyssa Grace, now seven, was in our home one day about a year ago. Isaura had picked her up from school. She and her Meema (Grandma) were in the kitchen area where Isaura was busy cleaning. Alyssa had been talking away for some time, only to sense that Meema was not listening to her. She attempted to get Isaura’s attention, but without success. Finally, in exasperation, Alyssa says in a most emphatic tone, “Meema! Listen to me!” Isaura was surprised to hear this drawn out statement, “Lis - ten - to – me!” because that’s exactly what she says to Alyssa when she’s not paying attention.

          The other day Jenny, our youngest with two of our grandkids, Brooklyne Paige and Colson Charles, sent us this text message. Jenny says she was in their bathroom putting on her makeup with 3-year-old Colson standing there watching her. This little guy has not found it necessary to talk very much just yet, so this comment he made was surprising. And it was funny. Staring at his mom, he said, “Mama has two faces!”

          Then Jenny shared how she and her husband, Josh were listening to a television news program about the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming the next president in 2016. They look at each other and roll their eyes. It is at this point that 6-year-old Brooklyne pipes up and says, “Granddaddy would make a great president. He should run!”

          One of the Christmas presents for Brooklyne that she received from her parents was horseback riding lessons. I personally found this to be amusing since the whole family knows that she is a little diva. She even wears frilly clothes to her 1st grade class. Getting messy is not her idea of fun. In this regard she and her cousin Alyssa are quite opposite. Everyone was holding their breath wondering how she would react to a real hands-on experience in learning to ride a horse that likely weighs somewhere around a thousand pounds. Plus she has to muck out the stalls, load feed in the feed bin, and clean the horse’s hooves – poop and all. Well, you could have blown me over! She really likes it and looks forward to her Friday afternoon sessions. You just never know.

          I grew up in a home where you learned to speak properly, use correct grammar, and if you didn’t know the meaning of a word, or how to spell it, then you grabbed a dictionary and made some discoveries. So my girls grew up with me enforcing the same rules. And in turn, their kids are under the same instruction. So Laura tells me she was reading a book with Alyssa the other evening entitled Junie B, who is also the main character. Junie B apparently has terrible grammar, which grates against what Alyssa has learned from me (“Alyssa, don’t say anyways. It’s anyway. There’s no such word as anyways,” or, “Not ‘these ones.’ Just say ‘these’”). Hearing the “mistakes” in the book, Alyssa is constantly offering the proper corrections. That’s my girl!

        We try to have Game Night at our house on Friday nights with our girls and their families. Alyssa and Brooklyne are big enough now to enter into the games of Mexican Train and UNO with the adults. So while the hilarity rises around the kitchen table, I’m at the stove making crepes. Various fillings are made available according to taste. At a certain point we take a break from the games and all dive into these tasty treats.

        When the grandkids are at our home, staying overnight, we have loads of fun playing Tickle Monster, or assembling structures with a gazillion Legos, or watching a Veggie Tales movie. Having Alyssa, Brooklyne and Colson in our lives is the best blessing of all. And what a hoot!
 
          Isaura and I are truly grateful to have such a loving family. Each one is a precious gift from God.

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