Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children.~Ruth Goode
Lanny and I have just returned from a 6 day trip to visit and babysit our two grandsons in the Washington, DC area. Their mother and father were taking a little vacation together, the first since either of the boys was born. We were honored that they entrusted these precious boys to our care!
Of course we had a lot of fun with these toddler boys. Sam, at age 2 1/2, is verbal, active, and enthusiastic about everything. Will, at age 16 months, is not quite as verbal, but just as active. His enthusiasm tends toward whatever his older brother is doing-- it is clear he idolizes his older brother. Because both boys are so young, they require a fair amount of physical care too, but both are old enough to truly play with. And play we did!
Besides playing with the massive number of toys these children possess, we also supervised them in playing in the backyard "baby pool". And we took them to the National Zoo one morning. We rediscovered the wonder of seeing the rare, exotic animals through a child's eyes... nothing quite like spotting the orangutang swinging high above us on a wire or hearing the lions roar! We spent lots of time reading stories, playing with cars and trucks, throwing and rolling balls around, eating popsicles and peanutbutter-and-jelly sandwiches... and so much more!
Spending some concentrated time with these children has helped cement our relationship with them, and created a bond with them that I hope will be life-long. I have fond memories of my own grandparents, and watched (and hopefully learned from!) my own parents in their role as my children's grandparents. I know how important grandparents can be in the life of a child... and I want very much to be a guiding force and good example for these children. And I want them to remember us as people who loved them unconditionally and above all, people who were lots of fun to be around.
Now what kind of grandmother would I be if I didn't include some of my favorite photos of my grandchildren after a 4 day visit? So, for your viewing pleasure (and mine!) here are some photos taken this past weekend!
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| Two wild pirates riding their cars around together! |
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| A quieter moment where Sam is "reading" Will a story |
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| Picnic at the Zoo-- PB&J! What was Grandma thinking??? | (not enough wipes in the world to clean them both up...) |
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| Is there anything sweeter? |
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