A grandmother is a mother who has a second chance

Saturday, February 7, 2009

And then I read about a 60-year old woman who just gave birth to twins! On purpose!

For my daughter's kids, Friday is Babushka Day. I pick them up from school and keep them until Mama or Papa pick them up around 5:30. Saves my daughter a few day care dollars, and gives me some alone time with the kids.

So yesterday I headed to the school to pick them up. It had been raining most of the day - not hard rain, but a steady sprinkle. I managed to park close to the school and headed in. All the parents huddle under the patio cover waiting for the bell to ring. There are some green lines on the sidewalk and parents (or grandparents) are NOT to cross that line - I got yelled at once by the yard monitor for doing that.

Vika get out at 2:35 and Eamon doesn't get out until 2:50. As soon as Vika sees me, I get a quick hug and then she tosses her backpack, coat, whatever she no longer wants to carry and heads off to the playground or to hang out with her friends until Eamon is ready. And I stand there, holding all her stuff, waiting for the second bell. Periodically she'll come back to me to introduce me to a friend, a teacher, a caterpiller she found, or to give me more stuff to hold.

Yesterday I was trying to keep out of the rain. Didn't want to go through the hassle of opening my umbrella since it was just sprinkling. However, by the time Eamon got out of his class and we got to the car, my hair was frizzy and the bangs were very curly. Not a good look. Vika had her umbrella open and managed to poke a lot of kids and adults (me included) with it before we got to the car.

I wanted to take them to Target to get the new Madagascar 2 movie so we headed there. Ran into the store to avoid getting any wetter. Found the movie - that was the easy part. Then the kids decided they wanted to buy something for their parents for Valentine's Day at the "dollar store" section of Target. After 15 minutes of explaining that Mama probably wouldn't use the bright pink body butter, and Papa really didn't need heart shaped sticky notes, they found a few things to get. Next stop (this is a Target tradition) was the toy department where Eamon hangs out in the Star Wars portion telling me all the things he doesn't currently have and that he wants. Finally make it to the checkout and head back to the car. Vika has her umbrella open so when we get to the car they both get in and she hands her umbrella to me to close! The little retract button doesn't work and now I'm standing in the rain asking her how to close the darn thing. She says to just pull the thing down from the top which I do and finally hop in the car. Now I'm significantly wetter than I was before.

Next stop - Safeway. I warned the kids before went in that they were not getting any candy, gum, etc. so don't even ask. We again run from the car to the door. Then I realized I wasn't sure if I'd locked the car (and it had all those V-Day treasures in it). So I walked out to the sidewalk - the part that wasn't covered and told the kids to stand right there by my basket under the cover. I locked the car and watched a man take my basket into the store because the kids decided it was more fun to make the auto doors open and close than to watch the basket!

We shopped in record time and headed out. Had one kid on each arm as we hurried to the car. I clicked my remote - nothing. Tried several times but the car wouldn't respond. Got closer and discovered it wasn't my car! Saw another red mini-SUV in the next lane so we walked over there - nope, that's not my car either. Who knew so many people had red mini-SUVs? Finally I saw it about four rows over so we plodded through the rain to the car which is when I realized that we came out a different door. For pete's sake. I mentioned this to the kids and Vika says, "Oh, yeah, there was a woman beggar by this door, at the door we went in it was a man beggar!"

As soon as we hit the driveway at my house, there was a chorus of "we need a snack" "can I watch the new movie?" "I have to go to the bathroom" (that one was me!!) "can we go to the park?" "this feels like an ice cream day" "Babushka...." "Babushka...." All the while I'm trying to get in the house before them to turn off the alarm, empty the car and bring everything into the house, answer the phone that started ringing the minute I walked in. I did it all without screaming - but it was close.

I managed to change into dry clothes and make them a snack so they settled down for a bit. Then I tried to light the fireplace and start dinner. Dinner involved a couple of new recipes so by the time I got done with the first one, the kitchen was a mess. And the fire just wouldn't get going. I kept adding fat sticks, fire starter blocks, paper towels, whatever it took. Back and forth from the fireplace to the kitchen. Finally got most of the meal going when my daughter arrived to get the kids. Now their chatter increased with them constantly needing something from one of us, putting their shoes back on, picking up their stuff.

After they left I had to finish dinner and keep working with the dang fire. By the time Ed got home, I was whipped! But dinner was good and the fire was eventually roaring.

Made me wonder how I survived raising twins! It's so much work! And, today I get to do it again when the kids are here for 7 or 8 hours while their parents go see Wicked!

Pinot, anyone?!?

6 comments:

It's Me said...

I miss the noise of children around the home. Ohhhhhh....how I long for those days again!!

ba and the boys said...

sounds like my life!
but it must be a ton more fun when they are grandchildren. i know anything that was boring with my mom was the best ever with my nana!
ps-im sending you one of those old lady (not that you are!) plastic hats for the next time it rains!

namaste said...

pinot? how about some crack and laughing gas! wow! you just took me back to some of the fun for the kids sucks for the mom days of parenting.

that 60 year old is selfish and crazy. who knows if she'll live to see them thru high school?

this was a GREAT story! :)

Jenni said...

Next time Vika tries to pass off the umbrella to you to close, do as I do and say, "Sorry Vika. It's your umbrella, YOU close it!" If the kid thinks she can get you to do her bidding, you're done for!

Proud Italian Cook said...

Love this post! It reminds me of my 8yr old grandaughter when I watch her. Never a dull moment! I usually go for a pinot too! lol!!

Melissa said...

i hear ya on the curled up bangs. my hair is naturally curly and if it is humid one state over, my hair suffers. for years i have been toying with straightening it, but i dont have the money