Granny Nanny Day Two
Ro Ro They’re Not for Holding On to..
Woke up this morning feeling pretty good in spite of the excessive energy spent yesterday. Today the plan is to take G1 age seven and G2 age three to my home about an hour away.
Before leaving G1 says everyone should pee before going away…and he does. I make sure bathing suits, towels and combs are packed.
We are about fifteen minutes from first destination, which is the golden arches, when G1 says he cannot wait another minute..he has To Go! I pull over at a historical site and he leaps from the car and discreetly relieves himself directly in front of the car where no one can see him.
It seems most children these days are growing up obsessed with cleanliness. He tells me they started Health Classes in kindergarten and since then you touch nothing without washing your hands. G1 takes every thing he learns very seriously and I am so trying to gently instill the idea that there are good germs and bad and the bad sometimes make us stronger. You know a touch of the old live and let live philosophy at the microbial level. Man has lived in a delicate balance with bacteria for eons and we are …..oh boy better save that lecture for another time…. Any way in the car he asked for hand sanitizer..yup exact word. Hearing that I have none in the car he proceeded to put his arms and hands in the typical surgical sterile post scrub, pre glove position until I could deliver him to a proper sink and water. This included my holding the car door open for him on exit and the men’s room door in entry.
He is seven now but just a few years ago he had the three year old daughter of visiting friends in tears after he noted she did not wash her hands post potty and he solemnly delivered the news to her that she was going to die. Not sure they ever came back or if that child is out of therapy.
Hygiene complete we try lunch at a fav kiddies play land. Been a long time since I looked after children so I was not prepared for the hoards, the noise, yelling, screaming…having forgotten this was March break and it applied to everyone else’s children as well as mine. To fit in well G2 throws a great tantrum which I smiled at and ignored as much as possible.
Next it was a relatively quick stop at a toy store to equalize a sonic situation and then off to my apartment!
Before leaving home earlier I packed two swims suits for G2 from his stash. When it came time to change into our suits I discovered both suits were a little on the large size. Pulled them up. They fell down!
I asked his brother for suggestions. Pins. Not sewing pins. Safety pins. None of which I could find. So necessity being and all that I spied a large black paper clip -you know the kind that hold dozens and dozens of papers – and basically gave him a stylish rear clip. It worked!
Now G1 is at an age where he is very modest. Privacy and body parts are a big thing to him. The boys love to leap wildly into the pool and I scoop them up, one in each arm and make huge circles in the water swishing them back and forth amidst wild giggles. G2 needs to cling and G1 in his laughter yells, “Grandma, Grandma, he is holding onto your chest. ”
We continue laughing and twirling when G1 shouts at his brother, “Ro Ro,” (nickname), “let go Ro Ro, they’re not for holding on to!”
Finally time to rinse off, dry off and head off for the trip home.
I am sure the all over ache is muscle definition beginnings!
bridgesburning 