It was Fathers day weekend and we were at my son’s home celebrating. While my husband and son were bonding on the golf course, I got to spend time with my littlest two granddaughters. The one year-old is almost blonde (her hair is coming in nicely) and has big blue eyes and dimples. I love dimples. She is toddling everywhere and repeating everything. She counts to five and loves to be read to. She is a happy pleasant child and a real joy to be around.
And, then…there is the three year-old…I think when they came up with the word contrary they had her in mind.
She isn’t easy. She wants what she wants, but what she wants seems to change by the minute. She is stubborn and defiant. I say she fibs. Her parents say she flat out lies. She knows the rules and isn’t afraid to bend them to suit her needs. She can open anything and if it’s quiet you better go find her. She’s a cute and tiny little thing with a pixie haircut who knows how to roll her eyes, sigh dramatically or place her hands on her hips in anger. In short,…she’s delightful. Maybe it’s because I’m the Grandma, but I think she is a riot and I have to struggle not to laugh at the child while she exasperates everyone around her. I don’t laugh because I KNOW that would be bad and would just encourage the child to misbehave, but Lord knows it’s tough to hold back that smile when she lies about eating her breakfast in order to make herself eligible for a treat. Her parents think God made her extra cute on purpose. You know like how some bugs look like sticks, etc. It helps her survive.
The tales that child tells! If imagination and the ability to carry a theme are any indication, I think I might have a budding writer on my hands. I heard tales of birthday parties, wind storms, bugs, and how her best friend lost her IPod. She was concerned about my gender and was very pleased to hear I was a girl too! I heard a very interesting rendition of Mary had a Little Lamb and heard the same chorus from the movie Frozen, conservatively estimating, about 100 times. We played card games with no rules and somehow someone still won or lost and I was expected to act appropriately joyful or dismayed. She asked if she could go swimming and before we knew it the child was naked and in the water. She put a toad on my chest and told me it had lost its momma and I was now the toad’s new momma, “cuz hims is just a baby”. She caught fish on her Minnie Mouse fishing pole using hotdogs for bait and may or may not have broken a TV set. It’s broken, but no one saw what happened. My money is on the girl.
Despite being warned that she has the attention span of a gnat, I decided to take her to see Inside Out at the movie theater. She put on her frilly tutu and her bedazzled t-shirt and off we went. She was very excited to be attending with her older sister and especially with her sister’s friend. The 11 year friend didn’t quite know why she was so popular, but she was a good sport about having to be hung on and sat by and generally adored. We bought popcorn, found our seats with “blankie” the blanket in tow. She lasted 10 minutes including the previews before she fell asleep. The movie was wonderful and about five minutes toward the end as the audience is learning the little girl in the movie is growing up, I heard a sleepy little voice beside me say, ” Grammy dis is the best movie eva!” And, looking at her clutching her blankie and staring up at the screen eyes full of wonder, I thought, “yes, …yes it is”.