Friday, January 12, 2007

"Nana Duty"


My blog posting has been set aside because I have been watching three of my grandchildren for the past week. (Mom and Dad will be home Sunday from training in Florida.) The munchkins that fill these three pairs of "Crocs" have been occupying every minute of each day. I continually wipe noses and clean up messes. I dispense hugs and kisses. I wash hands dozens of times a day. It seems like I am always serving up something to nourish little bodies and filling cups with juice and milk. Somehow we manage to get in a little home school and play games. By the time bathtime comes, I'm more exhausted than they are.

This has taken me back to the days when my three children were little. Looking back I wonder how I did it! Of course I was thirty years younger!

Rachel (age 4) loves to sing, and she is such a chatter box. One morning she was trying to convince me to get out of bed. She said, "Open your eyes, Nana. Get out of bed. You're going to miss the day!"

Another day, she crawled up on my lap and said, "I'm glad God gave you me as your grandgirl."

Then Jake (age 2) always says, "Gammaw, hold you!"

He also loves to tease.

Brent (age 6) is full of questions. He wants to know how everything works. I try to give him good answers, but sometimes I am stumped. One day he was helping vacuum the stairs with the central vacuum. He wanted to know where the dirt went. So I took him out in the garage to show him the canister of dirt.

Right now he has been asking me how the mini-blind at the window goes up and down. Every few minutes I stop to answer a question, so forgive me if what I am writing doesn't make sense. He is such a curious little guy.

This week I have been often transported back to the days when my three children were little. Looking back I wonder how I did it! Of course I was thirty years younger!

Young children bring such joy and delight AND such exhaustion and frustration. To all you moms out there who invest so much in the lives of their children, I salute you! May God sustain you with supernatural energy and love.

1 comment:

Kerri said...

I can imagine how exhausted you are, but it sounds like you've had a wonderful time! I'd love to have our 2 little guys for just a couple of days...then I'd probably need a very big rest!
How lovely for their mom and dad to have a few days off from parenting. You are a good grandma and the kiddies sound adorable.
I'm forever amused by the words that come out of those little mouths.
Love those crocs! :)