Cake vs Oranges

Every now and then something comes out of your mouth that you never thought you would say.  That recently happened when our grandson was visiting and this is what I said:

You may not have an orange, have some cake instead.

Now use your imagination and come up with a reason to say THAT to a 4 year old.

Marching On

My how time flies when your head is stuck in jet lag.

Add daylight savings time and you have one messed up woman.

These are the things I have a foggie recollection of happening:

My Connor celebrated his 9th birthday

My parents celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary

We celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary

We picked out some pretty flowers in remembrance of our sweet baby Caroline

My Denim will celebrate his 3rd birthday this week

My brother celebrated his birthday

and my husband's niece, Taegan decided to get baptized

Life is good and if you don't slow down you might miss some of the best parts

Strolling

The weather has changed--at least for these few days--and the birds beckon for a stroll down the lane.

I have found that taking a walk out in the fresh air helps clear my brain and soul.

I stretch myself both mentally and physically as I walk along and think.

After a walk I seem to have more energy to tackle the tasks of the day.

Plenty of studies have been done to tell us that getting out and exercising is beneficial. Walking is my exercise choice.

I have found that when a toddler is cranky, and a nap is not in order, a ride in the stroller changes attitudes for all parties.

Last week my granddaughter Katya was having a rough time of it. When I suggested a walk she grabbed her blanket and climbed in the stroller. I suggested she put on her shoes and she said NO!! She did not want any chance of losing her seat and needing to walk.

Later that week I took my 2 year old grandson, Denim, for a few hours so his mom and dad could paint the deck without his help. At first he voiced his displeasure of being separated from his mother. He changed his opinion when I got out the stroller and offered a walk. He sat up and enjoyed our stroll down the greenway.

My daughter has been on solo duty managing her large household while her husband is out of town on business. The responsibility became a bit overwhelming so she loaded the baby in the stroller, after she dropped the older children at school, and walked for over an hour. She said that when she went back to the house she had a plan and was ready to face the challenge.

Walking outside offers a clear outlook.

Take a stroll and give yourself a mental lift, you will be glad you did. For bonus points, take a baby with you. Take a few deep breaths and enjoy a fresh perspective.

Distraction

Last week I had the opportunity to entertain my grandson for a few hours at my house. He is almost 2 and has never been to my house unchaperoned--either by his parents or siblings. His mama was running late so she placed him in my arms, gave him a kiss and ran.

Then he ran too--for the door--tears streaming down his sweet cheeks.

Cheap trick--There is no crying at grandma's. Had to come up with a distraction quick.

So I ran after him and out the door. Scooped him up into my arms and we walked where he was pointing--down the lane where the car had disappeared.

We did the loop twice and as he laid his head on my shoulder I slowed down and thought he was calm. We went back to the porch to sit on the rocker but, NO DEAL.

Now I have a trick that most grandma's don't--I have 6 acres with woods and a stream. I also know what little boys like, since I am a grandma with experience--so we walked some more.

We walked down the hill and through the woods right up to the stream.

We crossed the stream at a shallow place and put our hands in the water.

We picked up rocks and threw them in the stream.

We picked up sticks and dragged them through the water.

We watched leaves float down the water and get stuck on a protruding branch.

After awhile we ventured up to the playground and sandbox.

Eventually we heard a car coming down the lane and when we investigated we found mom was back.

We had shared a wonderful two hours relaxing by the side of the stream on a beautiful, unusually warm and sunny winter day. We made some memories and cemented our relationship.

Give a boy some water, rocks and sticks and they will be happy for hours.

Put a smile on a little boys face and a grandma will be happy forever.

Simple Pleasures

Earlier this week I went with two of my grandsons to the park. We decided to swing. The grins on their faces were wide and wonderful. As they went back and forth they giggled with joy. Soon Denim was laughing--that deep joyful laugh that babies give spontaneously. It was one of those moments that reminded me that life is meant to be lived with gusto, remembering that after the rain the sun usually shines. Even though going up hill is usually difficult, there always follows the down hill ride.

Life is full of moments where we can make choices. I'm glad we chose to go to the park for a ride on the swing. A happy memory for grandma and two great boys. Life is full of many opportunities to enjoy simple pleasures. Take an opportunity for yourself today--you'll be glad you did.

Denim--Like a Jean

Today we are celebrating Denim Jeffrey Tate's first birthday. He is Teri and Jeff's son, born last spring after a rough pregnancy. Teri was in and out of the hospital. She was so sick and the doctors never were able to figure out what the problem was--maybe heavy metal poisoning?? How and why we do not know, but baby and mother are both fine now.

In fact, Denim is so fine he is in the 90th percentile for height, but less than the 50th percentile for weight. That may be due to the fact that the little guy has been walking for over 4 months. Sometimes it is hard to remember that he is just a baby only just having his first birthday. He babbles and talks, retrieves items he is asked to bring and overall acts like he is having his second birthday.

When the older children were asked about their new baby before he was born, Cooper kept insisting that his name be called DJ (when I asked why, Cooper told me it was after a character in the Cars Movie). Cooper was so insistent that you will notice Denim's initials are DJ.

Denim is such a happy little guy. One of his favorite things to do is dance on the table after Sunday dinner. He smiles and laughs and never seems to get upset.

My mom says that I walked at about 7 months as well--maybe he takes after me!!