Brayden and Brycen are Growing UP...Shay is still little!

I found this blog that I started in 2014 and then got busy and forgot. I think my idea at the time was to just write about this and that...mostly that.

Brayden, the first of my son’s children, was six. Brycen was four and the little sister was two. They were late gifts to my grandmother’s life. I liked that a lot.

In the fall of the year Brayden and his brother and sister started school. Brayden is very big now and in fifth grade. He likes his school a lot. Even though I never ask, I am sure that recess and PE are his favorite time of the day. What little boy doesn’t like to play.

Grandchildren several years ago!

The playground built a new toy last year. It was a hole in the ground shaped like a funnel and the game involved spinning a ball around in the hole. I have not seen the toy so I don’t know if that is what it is but you get the idea. Sometimes it is just more fun to visualize based on a children description than it is to actually see.

The game was very popular so of course there needed to be rules but no one realized that until it was almost too late. Like everyone else, I don’t particularly like too many rules so it didn’t surprise me when the grandchildren felt the same way. 

As for me, I like it when other people obey the rules. It’s just that I don’t want to unless I am convinced they are a really good idea. I am more like my grandchildren than I would like to admit.

There was a wedding a few weeks ago and Brayden, Brycen and Shay were in the wedding. They had so much fun being important and getting dressed up. Brayden found a lost umbrella so he was a hero. Brycen and Shay kept track of their tiny niece, Embrey Jade, so they were hero’s too.

Grandpa and I were at the reception and their big sister was the bride. They all made us very proud.

Well, enough of this and that.

How are your grandchildren doing?

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The Teacher's Name

When Brayden woke up the next day he knew he was going to go shopping with one of his grandmas. Any day out with a grandma has to be a good day...even better than most. It will mean a toy, a treat and the opportunity to talk about life. Yes Brayden loved a day out with a grandma.

As soon as he got in the car he began talking about what a good day "yesterday" was. He had stored away the story of the day. There were tunnels and friends and blankets and nerf guns. Best of all no nap. Naps were such a waste of time. Sometimes he had to be quiet so mom could rest but still, if there was no nap, he didn't mind.

"We brought out pieces of furniture and the dining room chairs and then we covered them with blankets. It was so much fun. We took our nerf guns inside the tent because...grandma did you know that nerf guns have foam bullets so they don't hurt when they hit you? Anyways, if you got hit you were out of the game until the next game started."

How is school going the grandma asked, interrupting his train of thought. He answered in that tone of voice that made even grandmas pay attention. "It was fine..."

"There were lots of kids in my class and I like them all accept Rudy...Rudy says I talk when I am not doing it.  He pointed his finger at me!"

The grandma thought it was too bad but maybe Brayden just needed to remember to be quiet when the time came. She was quiet about it though. Now she wondered what his teachers name was...should she ask? Yes she thought it would be okay.

"UMMMMM...I don't know my teachers name yet. Sometimes I want to raise my hand but I can't remember so I wait until someone else raises their hand and says it and then I raise my hand. My teacher doesn't like when I call her 'teacher'."

Sure enough there was food and a treat...a root beer float, his favorite. Then there was a visit to the bookstore...not the library where you got books and then had to bring them back...but the real, buy it and keep it book store. They bought three books; one for Brayden, one for little brother and one for baby sister. Brayden was very, very tired when he got home.

When he went to bed that night, he remembered everything that had happened that day. Tomorrow morning he would decide if it had been as good as he thought it was right then. He was a very earnest little boy so he didn't decide things right away.

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Yesterday Was a Very Good Day...

In the world of a 6 year old, most days are very good. In Brayden's case this day was like every other. He woke up and chose his clothes he would wear. There was no doubt that the shirt would have a piece of artwork on the front. His pants were the ones on the top in his drawer. They didn't matter anyway. He wore rubber shoes with no socks and power ranger underwear. He loved his underwear.

Little brother was already coming down the hall when he stepped out his door. A real cutie would be how an adult would describe that little guy. Brayden on the other hand thought of him like he did air and sunshine. Sometimes it’s sunny and sometimes it was not. But always necessary to get by. That is the way little brother was.

Everyday was just the same. Perfect to begin with. The proof was in the passing of time. He would wait to decide until the day was over. Then he would make a mental note so he could remember the day tomorrow. Then he would say "Yesterday was a very good day!"...usually.

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Leave it to Chance

Being alone with my thoughts for a very long time always made me nervous. It seemed that even when no one was around, I needed someone to tell me how to go on. But it wasn't until I had set out to find a life of my own that I realized how helpless I was. In fact, it seemed that a bird pushed from the nest into the mouth of a cat below had a better chance than I did.

If by chance you happen by
and I am not around
leave a small note by the door
I will let you know where I can be found!

Now that I am a very old woman, I see that what I didn't realize was that leaving life to chance is more fun than having a plan. The adventure wrote the plan for each day and even after I married, I tried to keep a part of my freedom hidden away. I immediately became apparent that the other person had ideas about what I should say and stand and walk. Freedom, it turned out, was not as easy to guard at it seemed.