Grandchildren Overnight Again

Okay, my grandchildren are probably a year or so younger than the photo, being at eleven and twelve years old. It isn’t all bad! Much of our time together was fun. I am just feeling my age, with very little patience for the morning scramble, “Grandma, can we go to our house before school. I didn’t bring clean pants.” We don’t have time. I will quickly wash them.

Please pick up the cereal on the table and don’t fill your bowl so full. You can always have more. Brynn, please comb your hair. Your toothbrush is still in my bathroom, where you left it. Paxton, put your socks on, so you are ready to go when your pants are dry.

“Grandpa, you are moving so slowly!” Brynn stated. “Slower than Grandma?” he replies. Haha, you are always slower than me. Did you hear that on the news about less than half of all the countries in the world don’t kiss? Our mom and dad do kiss for like 15 seconds in front of people, Brynn responded.

Paxton said, “No, it is more like for three seconds.” Wouldn’t you rather have them kissing than fighting or not caring about each other I commented. Then said, I think it is a good thing. Is it because it is in front of others, Brynn? “Yes.”

“You don’t like Grandpa, then, as you aren’t kissing him in front of people?” Brynn queried. Good question I responded. Grandpa chews snuff, but he cleans up his mouth pretty good at bedtime. So you would have to see us at bedtime to know, right?

I have something better. You know Grandpa Doug has hair, and he had lots of hair when we were married. “He still has lots of hair.” Well, before I met Grandpa John, I would be paying for gas and standing in line behind bald men or men with short crew cuts, and I had this feeling like I wanted to touch their bald heads.

It was the weirdest feeling ever. I think I was getting ready for Grandpa. Now I have my own bald head! “Grandma, is it your bald head?” Yes, it is my bald head, I said! Then they both laughed!

This conversation led Paxton to want to make a wig. He wanted a weave, as I had given them a weaving art project to do when we were at our house. We proceeded to talk about wigs, and when I had cancer, did Grandpa ever wear my wigs? No was the answer. We did get a picture of when we were both bald.

Our conversations were all over the place this morning. Brynn was prepared with what she was wearing to school, and she was dressed before breakfast. She made her own oatmeal. Grandpa helped Paxton with his breakfast, and Paxton was getting dressed as Brynn and I walked out the door.

When dropping them off at school, their mom recommends a reminder to be kind, so that is what I told them, and no teasing. I heard stories of one of the bullies last night. It sounded like no one liked him, and he was extra sensitive to anyone watching/looking at him.

It sounded to me like their class was teasing him to get him mad in hopes that he would get suspended from school. Then I remembered that sixth grade is the start of some meanness to other kids that age. I used to work at an alternative school when I was much younger.