Isaura and I have wanted to have both our little grandbabies stay the night with us, but, though only five months apart, Brookie has not been quite ready to stay the night with us – until last night. Her temperament being what it is, we weren’t sure how this was all going to work out. Alyssa, on the other hand, spent the first nineteen months of her life in our home, so she’s very comfortable being with us.
Earlier in the week Isaura and I joined our daughters and granddaughters for lunch at McDonald’s. While there, it was agreed that we would have Brookie and Alyssa spend the night Thursday. I told them we would make chocolate chip cookies! And we would play in the back yard, watch a movie (“Sleeping Beauty”), and read some books. The evening was set.
Thursday was a long day for me, beginning with meetings at eight and the last meeting ending about six-thirty. So when I finally walked in the door, I was feeling a bit fatigued. Normally when Alyssa spends the night, she comes over later in the evening, so I was thinking this was how it would be last night. Well, such was not the case. In fact, when I rolled up to the house, I saw Jenny’s car (Brookie’s mom and our youngest), so I knew a short nap was not in the offing. Sure enough, Brookie and Alyssa were sitting in their kid chairs watching “Sleeping Beauty.” Isaura was busy in the kitchen preparing a great dinner which we enjoyed sitting outside on the back patio. The weather was perfect and when the girls had had their fill, they began running around the yard with great exuberance. And why not? You should have great exuberance when you are three years old! I was then recruited by the girls to chase them around the yard which included copious amounts of tickling. All this while Meema (that’s Grandma in Granddaughter-speak) was trimming various flowers in her garden. The girls would run to her, clutching her legs as a sanctuary from “The Tickle Monster” (that would be me). So it went, all in the hopes of thoroughly exhausting the girls so they would sleep well that night. I’m not sure who was more exhausted!
Back in the house we washed our hands real well and prepared to make the chocolate chip cookies – all from scratch, I would quickly add. Once we had combined all the ingredients (but not without various amounts of flour and other items spilling onto the counter and floor) the girls disappeared upstairs with Meema for a bath. I stayed downstairs to finish baking the cookies so the girls would have a treat after their bath. And yes, I cleaned up the mess!
Probably a year ago, Alyssa had spent the night with us. It was memorable because it changed the natural order of things. Alyssa and Meema were in bed ahead of me. When I came to bed, Alyssa was sprawled on my side, with an impish look on her face. I said, “Hey! Make room for Dandaddy!” That’s what I was called then. It’s Granddaddy now. She looked at me and said, “There’s no room for you Dandaddy.” I said, “What?” She answered, “There’s no room for you. You sleep in the other room.” I said, “Who pays the mortgage on this home?” Obviously, that comment went right over her head, so I’ve been relegated to the guest bedroom on sleep-over nights ever since.
Today is also our oldest daughter, Laura’s, birthday. Keeping both girls last night worked well since it gave Ken a chance to take Laura out for a special birthday dinner, and Josh and Jenny could have a free evening also.
Well, we must have done a fairly decent job of tiring the girls because they slept all night long! And so did Meema and Dandaddy! It was a wonderfully quiet evening. Just before turning in, I made my annual phone call to Laura to wish her a Happy Birthday. This may not sound like such a big deal, but she was born just after midnight thirty-three years ago. So, it is our little tradition for me to call her about 12:15 a.m. and sing Happy Birthday.
Now that our two little beauties are up and wide-awake, it’s time to make pancakes – from scratch, of course!
How blessed we are with two daughters who married two wonderful sons-in-law, and we have the joy of grandkids.
Did I mention Jenny is due with her second child in January?
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