Reality Intrusion

More Fun than Blogging

Some of the attached pictures go a long way in explaining the lack of blogging over the past couple days. I was having too much fun running around with the First Blog Reader and she doesn’t take kindly to grampa not paying complete and undivided attention to her. I wholly understand and readily acquiesced to whatever her wishes entailed. There was that two hour mid-day nap time available but both grandparents ended up on the couch for their own naps during that time.

Sunday's Blogging Assistant

She Had her Preferences

What Does This Button Do?

Chasing after a very energetic one year old turns out to be a bit more challenging as we approach senior years. It didn’t help that both of us also spent the weekend carving a future back lawn out of the wilderness. My daughter’s neighbors are great people. I was talking across the back yard fence with one who reported my daughter’s back yard hadn’t been touched in thirteen years. That would explain the rampant flora. We think we left it in pretty good shape for Wingman’s return.

Stealing Her mom's IPad

Dancing with Abuela

Being Silly can be Fun

Our granddaughter continued her tutorial on just how special she is becoming. She’s got a bit of rebellious spirit that’s tempered with good sense to not push the envelope. When she does realize she’s gone too far she resorts to her “go to “ technique – charm, which as previously stated, I am totally susceptible to. She showed us the neighborhood playground yesterday, an easy five minute walk from home, even on a cold blustery day. She gave us a tour of all the apparati which we’d only seen in Wingman supplied picture until now.

Been a While Since I've Been behind one of These things

On Sunday my wife coaxed us all to go to church. My daughter was a little reluctant since she knew the challenges present during forced solemnity. It turned out to be a fantastic experience. The church was very welcoming and the pastor right on target with a message of inclusion in these exclusationary days. My granddaughter, true to form, started exploring after she recovered from her fascination with the stained glass windows. We sat in the back with a number of other families accompanying toddlers. They quickly formed a small crew making runs at the baptismal font and sharing snacks. My daughter ran into another young mom, a lawyer, who she’d met briefly at a babysitter speed dating session (huh?).

The Ribbon Test

Yesterday prior to our departure my wife tried to convince our granddaughter to wear a ribbon to keep her rapidly growing locks out of her eyes. Remember my mention of a rebellious streak? Shortly after our initial effort I found the now missing ribbon in the kitchen trash can. She finally accepted it as long as both my wife and I sported one as well. So I spent the good part of the day wearing a fashionable pint sized green ribbon in my hair. I luckily remembered to take it off before making my final, of many, trips to Home Depot.

Steering Abuela

We took the young lady out for a walk after dinner with the plan to greet her mother as she got off the bus around the corner. We met some more of her great neighbors, some of whom already knew my granddaughter by name. It helped cement the positive opinion the area had already made. When I first heard they were moving to New Jersey I harkened back to my only memories other than driving through it hundreds of times and that was the intense smell during a childhood trip enroute to D.C. It apparently has a lot more to offer, nowadays, nice people, even with my wearing a Red Sox jacket.

Mommy Time

My granddaughter proceeded to jump up and down as soon as she spied her mom which I’m sure helped lift maternal spirits after a tough commute from NYC. We timed our departure, which wasn’t without some severe heart springs pulling to coincide with our granddaughter’s bedtime. The timing for the drive turned out to be perfect as we left around 8pm, missing most of rush hour traffic and were home a little after 11. The only issues were a couple of late night construction projects in Connecticut. A very long weekend but somehow the shortest I ever experienced. 

She Likes to Run

Joking with Abuela at lunch