An Extraordinary Day

I had a wonderful day with my oldest grandson. We started out with his Daddy buying us breakfast, so that was good. I got home, did some long put off chores, but took breaks to build a huge Lego staircase, watch George, have conversations about fish, water, and other important topics. Then we TRIED to take a nap and wasted a 1 1/2 hours of our lives trying to sleep. But every time I tried to be sleeping, I turned into a dinosaur or a shark and scared the sly leprechaun who was staring through my eyelids. It ended up inevitably with someone, (not me) jumping on the bed. After that it was a free for all, so we went downstairs meaning to go see Daddy, but ended up playing soccer with some of the kids in the neighborhood. Finally, we went in to dry off and warm up with Hot cocoa, and there was Myta! It was the first time in a while that Jiro begged to stay with Grandma. He's usually ready for Mom by then, but I guess he had as much fun as I did. I ♥ U, Jirito!

The Trashman Cometh

My Buzz Lightyear fan is nothing if not eclectic in his interests.  To know him is to know Toy Story first of all.  Recently he has developed a taste for trains, (Did you know that trains go TOO, TOO?) this may or may not have anything to do with the opening scene from Toy Story 3.  Check it out, you'll see what I mean.  However, I might say he has an obsession, or is that too strong a word for an almost two year old?  Well this one will talk your ear off about trash.  Yes, Trash. Interestingly enough, just about the only thing he has to say about trash is...well...trash.  He will talk to just about anyone about trash.  If you walk down the street you will be notified of every single trash can, trash bin, recycling bin, if it holds refuse, he will tell you it's trash.  He stopped our neighbor not too long ago and captivated Mace with this conversation: Trash (pointing to a trash can) oh trash, trash, trash, trash......voice lowering and rising to fit the severity of the trash situation, shaking his head about the condition of trash today... you get the drift.  If you know Mace, ask him, he'll tell you.

The other day I went to his house to pick him up and he came running out as I pulled up, SO excited!  Mmmm...What I didn't notice was the trash truck across the street had also just pulled up.  Go with the flow Gran!  So we held hands and crossed the street and got a close up and personal look at a trash can being pullied up and over, dumping it's contents into the beast.  Jiro could barely contain himself, "TRASH!!!", he yelled at the top of his lungs.  The "TrashMan" rolled his window down and I introduced Jiro and pointed out his interest in trash.  The trashman gave him some tips on what courses to take at (community) college to be sure to be prepared for the world of refuse.  By then Jiro was more comfortable and began to point out all the trash cans in the neighborhood..Trash, Trash, Trash.. at which point I reminded Jiro that the man had to go get the rest of the trash.  Mr. Trashman was a real trooper and kindly thanked Jiro for his help.  He said because of Jiro he would likely not forget anybody on the street that day. I thought that they would probably have their trash collected twice.  We stood and watched him drive on down the street and thoughtfully crossed back over to my car, waving good bye to the back of the truck.  I piled Jiro into his car seat, buckled him in and turned to get in on my side of the car, but it seemed Jiro had one more thing to say...Trash...

PS, Yes, Jiro loves to put trash in the trash bins or baskets around the house.  He gets quite offended if I do not let him dispose of his own diaper.  And last week, he decided he would "help" Gran take the big kitchen trash bag out.  I am wondering how I will hold him up so that he can pull or push the trash cans to the street effectively, I know it's coming...

Lizard Lips and Kitty Hips

My cat, Jellie, follows me every morning until I feed her. It is dangerous with cat feet and tails underfoot and on stairs. So I yell and complain to no avail. A week ago Jiro spent the night and unknowingly added to the circus in my small kitchen. When I told them both to go, he took matters into his own hands: pointed his finger seriously at the cat and said, "Jewwie, SIT!" Jellie looked at me, put her hands on her hips and said, "How long do I have to put up with this?" It's a mad world.

A good way to spend a not very good day

Original Blog 02-25-11

Had my Jiro today. Wasn't feeling so well, but he just played along. We holed up in my room for a bit, I had Toy Story going (surprise!), laid on the bed and read stories and said uh huh to his running commentary. He climbed off and on the bed to give me kisses or to cuddle and then jumped up again to play with the upstairs toys that he doesn't get to play with that often. We went back downstairs and played puzzles and made up some games. I told him he had stinky feet so he insisted on smelling the wood puzzle pieces before he placed them in their spots, with the oh so disgusted face for smelly things. I'm not sure of the reasoning, but hey, it was fun. Watched Wheel (he repeated every letter, educational!) and Jeopardy. He claps voraciously and yells YAY when he hears the canned applause of the game shows. Such a good sport, I tell him. Had soup and biscuits and grapes and blueberries and laughed at Jellie snoring. Daddy came and got him and now I want him back. He is a truly beautiful, wonderful, loving, hilarious person.

Keen Sheeps

Yesterday Jiro and I changed the bedding on my bed. As he put it we put "Keen sheeps" on the bed. The highlight of this exercise was fluffing the pillows. Once he saw me "fluffing" pillows, he hoarded the rest of them and beat the tar out of them. I have what I call "Time in a bottle" moments, and this was one. I was on one side of the bed, Jiro was on the other, he was looking up at me with a look on his face that said,"I'm doing a good job!". It must be one of the most beautiful looks I have seen on any face. I said, "Jiro, you are doing a great job."

How you know...

How you know you're doing good.

One day I walked past Amber's bedroom door and overheard her talking to her favorite baby, April Rose. Apparently, April Rose had misbehaved and was being corrected. I don't remember the exact words after all these years, but something on the order of " It's ok April Rose, everybody makes mistakes, I know you didn't mean it." She hugged her baby and loved her and didn't make her cry.

Yesterday, Jiro was playing with some toys on my bed while I was doing something on the computer when I heard him singing a vaguely familiar tune. I turned slowly to watch him without disturbing him and saw that he was rocking Buzz and as I listened I recognized the tune (the phrasing here is very interpretive):

The words were:

Huss eyo baby, no tay erd, by oo bird...

The tune was:

Hush little baby, don't say a word,

Grandma's going to buy you a mockingbird.

I have been singing that song to him since he was born. We don't even have it on cd. I turned my head and cried, just like that day with Amber. I knew I had done good.