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| Links to 17/31 & the 31 Vibrant Things Launch Post |
The subject certainly suits him: he's endlessly curious and also quite mighty, a bit of an immovable force—it's challenging for him to change directions sometimes. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
He has incredible language skills, can sing Bridge Over Troubled Water (!), and drops the best malapropisms like, "For Pete's Egg" and the "finish lion" (plus this favourite, lol).
He once said to my wife, "Nannie, I love you with all of my blue blue heart." He's a a bit of a budding poet (after my own heart) so I love introducing him to new words; sometimes this has unexpected outcomes including a recent FaceTime call—he spotted me and said, "Hi Hossenfeffer [sic]!" If you're a Bugs Bunny fan, you might appreciate this reference. 😅
I love being his Pops, and am thankful for the opportunity to be a better mentor to all my grandkids than I was for my kids. Raising my daughter and son, I made 13065+ mistakes but the biggest one was perhaps thinking I was protecting them from what I experienced by pressuring them to be better than me. Children are who they are; they will be who they'll be.
I didn't comprehend then that my vibe was more judgmental than constructive or curious. But now? I just accept my grandkids as they are and encourage them to lift their hearts as they dig into life and marvel at this one awesome extraordinary opportunity to be.
In my experience, I learned from the mistakes I made as a parent so I don't repeat them with the grands.
ReplyDeleteMe too, me too!
DeleteKids are so sweet and can be SO hilarious. -Kate
ReplyDeleteOh yes they can.
DeleteI hear Hasenpfeffer, I think Laverne & Shirley.
ReplyDeleteI had to google this! And now I know this fun fact! Well done, sir.
DeleteAs they grow, we grow too.
ReplyDeleteWow. This summarizes it all so well.
DeleteOh, I knew IMMEDIATELY where "Hossenfeffer" had come from! Happy Birthday to your little Bugs Bunny fan!
ReplyDeleteBugs Bunny fans forever.
Delete...I love diggers and blue too, can I have a picture?
ReplyDeleteHa. Absolutely.
DeleteHappy birthday to him.
ReplyDeleteThank you. He had a great day.
DeleteWhen my son was three he saw that cartoon. In his little brain it got changed to 'stinkinhoffer'. Love the artwork. So cute! I've been dabbling with watercolor a bit . I like Andrea Nelson on YouTube. She makes it look easy. Happy birthday to the little guy...and I wish there was such a thing as a do over with my kids. I wanted to be perfect. I was soooo not perfect.
ReplyDeleteStinkinhoffer? That's hilarious. I'll check out that artist. Thank you. Yes yes yes to do-overs, when possible.
DeleteMy grandkid loved diggers too. I could stroller her to any construction site and she would be amused for as long as I could tolerate the thing.
ReplyDeleteHey, I am sure you were a good enough parent, and that is all that matters long term. Or, I tell myself that. My adult daughters seem to tolerate me, so not totally a miss.'
Diggers are indeed mesmerizing. Yes, it all worked out...not a total miss.
DeleteI love the picture you painted for him! My nephew was really into ‘dig digs’ as they were called in his house, and my sister used to take him to see them every day. There was a big street re-trenching project in her area, and they were in the neighborhood for months. They made him their mascot and gave him a little hat, which he loved.
ReplyDeleteI think being a grandparent is just a different relationship than being a parent. I may never have the chance to find out (my only child doesn’t want kids), but I think I would love it.
Dig digs is adorable. Yes, that grandparent child relationship was less fraught and uncomplicated in my experience too. I have a close friend who's a surrogate grandma and she loves it...maybe that's in your future?
DeleteI love the last line of your post. The words ring so true. I would have parent conferences where the parents would be lamenting how their child wasn't this or that. I would always tell them to let them just "be." As long as they are good and kind to others, they will find their way in life.
ReplyDeleteKind...that's the best prescription for being.
DeleteOf course you did that watercolour. You're an artist too.
ReplyDeleteI dabble. Practice makes perfect sense.
DeleteI love the watercolour, and I'm sure you little grandson does, too.
ReplyDeleteAs parents, we are too busy to do more than keep our children alive, along with working. Grandparents have the opportunity to observe and relish, and that's what you're doing.
Yes, attention is key and it's much easier to attend now.
DeleteParenting is a tough gig.
ReplyDeleteI like the watercolor digger.
It sure is (but it's worth it). Thank you.
DeleteI love that painting.
ReplyDeleteMy husband wants to protect Jack from all the hurts in life, which is not possible and causes some conflict here. I think we're better off giving him the tools he will need to deal with suffering and pain, rather than preventing them.
Good job accepting your grandkids as they are.
A big yes to tools.
DeleteThey are truly the sunshine in our souls! ❤️Who’d have ever thought a bunch of skallywag kids could be grandparents 😳🙈
ReplyDeleteIt surprised me too, my friend, but I'm grateful.
Delete