messages vs instructions

When I tell my grandson a story before he goes to sleep, it involves a young man who rides his Suzuki motorcycle and has a run - in with snakes. I always make sure I let him know that the young man, who is really a grown up Brandon, is coming home from or going off to college. Occassionally, he is on vacation from  college and takes a trip to some part of the world. I do this hoping Brandon will get the message that going to college is a good thing for him to do when he grows up.

The other day we were talking about what he would do when he grows up. I offerd him several suggestions to which he said no. "Then what do you want to do when you grow up?' I asked. "Go to school," he said.

swording with basketball trophy

Brandon (4 years old) played Itty Bitty basketball this winter. Last Saturday the team members along with their parents met for breakfast at Chick Fil A. After everyone ate his or her breakfast, the boys received their trophies. They all got up from the table and almost in unison raised up their trophies and began have sword fights. I don't get to see Brandon with other kids very much now.( He likes to sword fight with me and my husband) I was reassured that he was not the only boy who loved to sword fight. He fights with play swords, straws, sticks, plant stakes, and the tubes inside rolls of paper. Without our knowing it,the other night he went into the closet where the wrapping paper is stored and pulled the paper off the rolls so could sword fight. Swording fighting must be in the DNA

The hiding game evolves

When Brandon was 2 he started playing the hiding game.(his parents were still married and lived with us) Whenever a family member came he would hide someplace in the living room, mostly curled up in the chair that is next to the front door. Whomever found him would cry out ,"I found you, I found you."
He would look up with a smile across his face as he was scoopped up into the finders arms. . As he got older he would call out,"you can't find me, you can't find me." He found better hiding places but there was always a telltale part of his body sticking out, his beautiful curly hair or feet. He continued to love being found. With each game he was reassured we would not forget about him. Sometime between the ages of 3 and 4 his hiding game became a true hide and seek. He counted to twenty when he was it and searched the house for the person hiding. When it was time for him to hide he was truly hidden. Whether he was hiding or someone else, he seemed to experience the great joy of the find.

A goodnight kiss

Brandon usually only spends Friday night with us as his mother works an extra job. He sleeps in the same bed with me. When my husband comes over to kiss me good night, Brandon has to rush to give me 2 kisses before my husband gives me a kiss. He then does this finger flicking gesture with my husband. Then books and stories begin.

a final pooping story

My grandson is completely potty trained. The last part of this project was using a grown up toilet instead of a child's potty. One day he had to go so badly that his only choice was the toilet. Without any help from any one he pooped, cleaned himself and got his clothes back on. He is very proud of himself  for doing this and calls us to look at his poop and then flushes away saying,"good bye poop. I asked him the other day if he was afraid to use the big toilet because he was afraid he would fall in and he said,"yes".
I should have had a special ceremony the other day when I put both of his child potties in the attic but he wasn't home so they just joined all the other pieces of his early years .

a bike for his birthday

Our grandson just celebrated his 4th birthday. We got him a 2 wheeled bike (with training wheels) as our present. The other day we took him to Piedmont Park for his first chance to ride it. He had to get used to pushing the wheels foward and not backwards so neither of us stopped suddenly. He wasn't sure how to stear the bike so I guided him holding onto the handle bars. He kept looking at the ground and not where he was going and at times started to tip over. I was thankful that he liked dogs as he took a break from riding and had to pet every dog he saw once Pa made sure the dog liked children.
  About 3 days later he wanted to ride his bike again. So we put it on the cement walk that surrounds the pool. Without any help he was able to ride his bike around and around. He kept the speed low and used the breaks appropriatly. I was just amazed he became so comfortable on the bike so fast.

grandma's closet

For reasons I don't understand my grandson loves to be in my closet with me and with the lights out. It is not my favorite place to be but I stay in there for a while. I have a globe that shows all the constellations. He loves to get this down and turn on the light . He then shines them on me, or the door or on himself. I usually tell tim what the constellation is but he doesn't care. Once done with the globe, he leaves the closet and get his grandfather to try and find me.