Beginning Kung Fu

My grandson has never met a stick that couldn't be used as a sword. He also likes to do round house kicks and make kung fu  motions with his arms. His mom has gotten him involved in kung fu lessions. The person who teaches the lessions has agreed to let him do this even though he is only 3 1/2 years old because of his level of coordination and strength. This should be really good for him especially to become more focused.

skipping and jumping

On Thursdays my grandson spends the entire day with my husband and me. He and I take our 2 Westies for a morning walk.While still on our street he walks Lucy and especially likes for the 2 of them to walk on a neighbor's retaining wall.. We remember events that happened on previous walks- his being pulled down a neighbor's driveway when he came out with his dog and Lucy wanted to get to the dog. Once we get aound the corner I get to walk both dogs and he goes to say hello to Denise in the bakery. He my get a cookies if he had some nutritious food. Then he is off down the street. I love to what him skip (his version) and jump and run through the parking lots going behind the antique shops where all that is left is the cement foundation of a burned down building. He jumps up and runs back and forth as I put the 2 dogs up and get myself up. At the lower edge of the lot is a small path overgrown with blackberry bushes. This slows him down a little so I can catch up to him ( I worry about some creepy person lurking in the shadows). I try not to make him fearful but let him know I need keep him in my site. He runs to the small office of the motel and calls for Shirley.(we met her on one of our earlier walks). Shirley comes out and gives him a big hug and talks with him. Then we are off to the smelly  pond behind the building and reverse our trip and go home. Another story

connecting to my history by stories for my grandson

Both of my parents are dead and both of my brothers suffer from dementia. When I think about some aspect of my childhood I realize I have no one from whom to check the accuracy of my memory or elaborate on what I don't remember. Periodically I tell my grandson stories I do remember. As I tell him a snipet I remember even more of the details. It started out with remembering that my mother washed my out out with soap. He periodically asks me about the soap in my mouth and I remembered 2 times it happened- once I put my thumb to my nose and wiggle my finger at my mother. I didn't  know why that was bad (I still don't) and she pushed up a bar of soap into my front teeth. It tasted terrible. The other time I was playing with my friends on a summer evening. When my mother called me to come home, I pretended I couldn't hear her and that's what I told her when I came home. She had none of that and washed my mouth out again. More then the particulars of the stories I am delighted that telling my grandson stories connects me to my past.

not seeing father very often

   My grandson's parents are in the process of getting a divorce. His father takes him maybe once a month, picking him up  Saturday morning or afternoon and bringing him back Sunday morning.
  I was pushing him on the swing the other day and he talked about his father coming to visit and he said, "Brandon Sr comes to see me a lot" I couldn't believe he would think that so I asked him ," you see you dad a lot ,"and he said yes. I don't know if because of his age that 1 24 hr period once a month seems like a lot to him or this is just his wishful thinking. He adors his dad and it breaks my heart that he is so absent in his son's life. I do keep my mouth shut and never say anything negative about his dad.

my grandson and electronics

   We have too many electronics in this house. All but the TVs belong to my grandson's parents- xbox 360, wii and nintendo DS. He would often play a game on each one everyday. I would try and limit this by diverting his attention to other activities- playing cars inside or going outside to swing or play baseball or soccer or work in the garden, Often times it didn't work. I would use playing the DS as inducements for better behavior.
   He is 3 1/2 yrs old and is almost completely potty trained for urination but having a BM in the toilet is not happening. Everytime he is getting ready to have a BM he tells us but refuses to get on the toilet. We even have a potty that sits on the floor. He always tells me he will do it "next thursday" but it never happens. 1 month ago I told him that he would have until the next Thursday to have a BM in the potty or he would lose use of all the electronic. It didn't work and he is not using any of them .  When he goes to have a BM he says," I don't want to use any electronics." He never argues or causes any upset about this. When he finally does use the potty I will be sorry for him to use all those things again. For now we read a lot and play games etc.