Bullies

Someone once told me that when something happens to one child, everyone feels it. I know it to be true for me. I can't watch news of a tragedy involving a child without feeling as if it happened to one of my children. Bullying is a tragedy. Recently, my beloved grandson was the victim of bullying. Bullying of the racist kind. When the story was spilled, we realized it had been going on for a couple of months. With the move to a new school, he was just trying to fit in, find his place. There was no room in that for telling. When he did, he told his mom he felt like killing himself. Many would say, "That's just kids being kids. It'll make him tough." I say it's what caused Columbine, and the young girl from Ireland that killed herself. When I was young, kids made fun of me because I wore thick glasses. That was easily remedied later with contact lenses. How do you fix the wound in the soul that cuts into who you are? We're lucky. We have a talking family. We talk it out. And we love heartily. And my grandson WILL rise above this little bump in his path. He is going places. His Nana said so.

Connected

Makenzie talks to her baby brother through her mommy's belly button. She pokes her little finger in and talks to him. When her mommy asks her what she's doing, she says, "I wanna see my baby". It seems they already share a connection. Through the belly button. He is nourished by his mommy through that umbilical cord, and nourished by his sissy through the belly button. Nourished by words, and giggles, and pokes. He'll already know her when he arrives. I bet the first thing he does is poke her in the belly button!

Boy or Girl?

My daughter's ultrasound was scheduled for last Wednesday. Her husband took the day off, and they planned to take their son to school late so he could be there with them when they found out. It seems the new baby is quite shy, kept its face covered with both arms and its legs crossed. After some jostling, it finally uncrossed its legs for a split second, only to quickly cover itself with its hands. My daughter and the technician were the only ones who 'thought' they saw... Just remember dear daughter that I thought your son would be a daughter, right up until the moment he was born.

New Baby on the Way

A new baby will grace the ranks of our family come September. Tomorrow we will find out if it will be a girl or a boy. Doesn't matter-we'll love them both the same. There are nine years between the first two, and three between the last two. Perfect all around. They don't live across the country now. They are only 10 hours away. We manage to get in 2 - 3 visits a year. I'd love to take them for a weekend, or just for the evening so my daughter and her husband can have a 'date night'. When the second one came along, I worried that my grandson, who is quite a bit older and had all our attention for so long, would be jealous of the new baby. He adores his little sister. Now the little girl will move to the middle child position, and my worry is for her. She will be 3 shortly after the new baby arrives. She still needs her mommy quite a bit. She still wakes frequently at night, and only mommy will do. I also worry for my daughter who will need her sleep, and will be contending with two little ones at once. Life has a way of working out without my help. they are all in loving hands, my son-in-law.

Birthday

Today is my grandson's birthday. I was there at his mama's side when he arrived. I wanted a little granddaughter and to the last minute, denied that it was going to be a boy-according to the ultrasound. He was nearly 9 pounds, round and beautiful. I loved him fiercely from the start. He loved to cook and bake with me. Whenever he was in trouble with his mom, he'd run to me to save him. I loved him and spoiled him. Now, I'll travel 8 hours to visit him on Christmas. I'll treasure every minute of our visit and leave him with enough kisses to last until our next visit.

Pro Ball Player

My grandson plays ball. Whatever the sport, he throws himself into it wholeheartedly. He watches every game on tv. and studies the moves. I had the pleasure of watching him in action this summer. He pitched like a pro from the mound. He stood motionless for a few moments before the wind up, bent forward, hands behind his back, ball in his glove, looking the catcher in the eye, then wound up, one leg in the air and threw the ball--exactly like a pro! It was impressive. His summers are filled with baseball. In the winter he lives for Hockey. His future will definitely be in sports, and he is destined for PRO.

Growing

Growing up is inevitable. At least physically. Seeing my grandchildren on my recent visit after last year's visit was testament to that fact. My grandson was taller and had slimmed significantly from his involvement with sports. This was also evidenced by his T-shirt which read, "Eat, Drink, Sleep, HOCKEY". My 20 month old granddaughter has learned to walk since my last visit, and is now speaking in 2 - 3 word sentences. Her personality is engaging--she is quite a tease. When we try to get her to say grandma, her eyes twinkle and she smilingly says, "Papa" in a little sweet voice. During my week-long visit, I caught only glimpses of my grandson. He spent most of his time in the Arizona Room playing his Playstation, or off with friends somewhere playing. He is ten now, so I know that is typical behavior. It seems the more he grows, the harder it is to connect with him. I should know this also from raising my own two children. I find myself needing to grow in this area. I need to give him the time to grow, and accept the time we do spend together. Rather than grieving time lost, I am determined to be grateful for time spent. Time is fleeting and fickle. Hang onto those precious moments, and treasure them in your heart.