How many of you out there can say that you got to see your Great Grandmother on a regular basis? I know that I can't. Neither T nor I had all four living grandparents in our lives because we lost grandfathers before we were born. B & G are blessed to have a good relationship with all four grandparents. They also have weekly visits with Nany, my Mom's Mom. She was never the get-on-the-floor and play kind of grandmother. I remember that the rules at her house were more strict than the rules at my house as a kid. She would ask before placing a sharp knife at my place at the table - even after I COULD LEGALLY DRIVE A CAR!! When my mom was first expecting a baby, my parents were told that her parents were going to be grandparents, not babysitters. I appreciate this sentiment, but it also kept our relationship at arms length a bit, especially while I was little. However, as a librarian by trade, the one indulgence we got at Poppa and Nany's house was BOOKS. The rules and expectations have softened a bit with the next generation. When B & G visit her each week, she has games ready for them to play, even if it is just a round of hide and seek.
Well, this past visit, she had a new surprise for B. She had her local library mail her a stack of kids books. She came and spent the day with us and the books came, too. She sat at the table after lunch and gave B a wonderful treat: she read to him one of her all-time
favorites.
I am not sure if B appreciates just how special this time is with his 97 year old GG. Being that he didn't enter the world until his parents were in their 3rd or 4th decade and his grandparents were in their 5th or 6th decade, the likelihood of B's own children having this same opportunity is pretty slim. For now, we'll just keep those weekly visits going and keep a warm smile on our faces and in our hearts while we watch them enjoying their beautiful time together.
And continued.
When given the option to ride along with Daddy for a run to Starbucks (which usually includes a treat for himself), B chose to stay home and read. When his favorite shows were on TV, he chose to sit and read. I am not sure how much he comprehends the books, but he just keeps turning the pages. He asks for help with new words, both in pronunciation and definition, so I think he knows what he is reading. Either way, I am happy that his obsession is one I can really appreciate and love to feed.
