A grandmother is a mother who has a second chance

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Gotta love those smudges

This morning when I got in the car, the sun was hitting my windows just right and the vision below greeted me. It's the back window of the car with little kid fingerprints on it. My grandkids. Not sure which one because they switch off sitting behind me, but it's definitely one of them. Since they began school this year, I have been picking Vika and Eamon up on Fridays to help out their parents a bit. So I now have two car seats permanently in the back. And fingerprints on my windows.



Seeing those little smudges brought an immediate smile to my face. I feel so lucky that Jenni lives close by and I get to spend so much time with her children. I know it probably won't be like this forever so I relish every minute and it's very cool to be a constant part of their lives.

When my kids were little, they always left fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Being raised by a compulsively clean mother, I would constantly have a rag in my hand to clean the window. Then I noticed that the little smudges were getting higher - my kids were getting older and bigger. Suddenly I didn't wash them away as quickly. Eventually the fingerprints were almost too high for me to reach and then they disappeared completely. Jenni and Joe had grown up and learned how to use the door handle.

Even now, after a family event at our house with four little kids running around, there are always fingerprints on the glass in the door leading to the backyard. I'm never in a hurry to clean them away. They bring a smile to my face and bring back memories of my own children being small and filling the house with fingerprints, noise, and joy.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awww..great sweet post!
I'd take the fingerprints anyday.
They do grow up much too quick.

It's Me said...

awwwwwwwwwww......
the little hands make me smile! i do remember those days....and i do so miss them!!

Luz said...

Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing. Smudges! Who would've thought!