God, Me and Kids

[Rick]

When I was a young man raising a family I always wondered why we couldn't do things in reverse. Work while you are young and save your money then have kids when you are older. I've waited quite some time but I have received an answer to this nagging question this week.

My youngest son and his much better half are in Hawaii this week so we have their three kids, the youngest being two. I haven't raised kids in 25 years (the kids left 15 years ago but they were zombiefied teen agers so that doesn't really count). The short story or moral if you prefer is that you'd simply forget where you put them. I've sat the 2 year old down a couple of times and then wondered what I did with her. Babies are amazingly like car keys or glasses in that respect. Easiest things in the world to misplace. Sometimes you can sniff them out. Other times you just have to keep looking. My son happened to call while I was in SAB (Search a Baby) mode. "You bet, things are going swell," I said. All the while looking for his kid. "Yeah, no trouble at all. Speak to her?" I got crossed up a bit at that point but fortunately my feeble ears picked up a young laugh that led me to her so my bacon was saved.

The point is, I think things are probably as they should be. Maybe HE got it right all along and I just didn't understand it. That happens a lot with me, by the way. That's how I learned to leave wasps alone. How I found out that fire was hot and why you should never run across ice. I seem to remember something about slipped wrenches and busted knuckles in there somewhere, too. I just hadn't figure out what the answer to the baby question was.

On an up note. I have decided that I am perfectly suited to hold a conversation with a 2 year old. They are loud, which I can hear. They don't use big words. They laugh even when what I say isn't funny and best of all they give out lots of kisses and hugs to an old man. Yeah, I think HE got right all along.

[Echo2]

My dad often says that if he knew grand kids were so much fun....he'd of had them first.

[hunter63]

......and when you are done with them, got em all sugared up....send them home.....Bohahahaha

[jfeatherjohn]

With harmonicas...

[Echo2]

With harmonicas...

That's not funny.....my dad did that..........SAID he DIDN'T even think about the ramifications......Sure dad.....I told him I was going to buy a drumset to keep at his house.....

[Winnie]

That's not funny.....my dad did that..........SAID he DIDN'T even think about the ramifications......Sure dad.....I told him I was going to buy a drumset to keep at his house.....

Reminds me of a day in the summer holidays. The five year old twins a couple doors up were obviously given a tin whistle or recorder each, that's all you could hear for that day. Next day and the days after that were surprisingly quiet. Not sure what happened to the whistles, but those twins spent a long time hunting for 'em!

[KhonHd]

With harmonicas...

That is funny! I am going to try it with my grandson!!

[BornthatWay]

I think God have us grandkids to make up for all the terrible things our kids did to us when they were younger and drove us crazy and we just think it is the cutest thing in our grandchildren.

[Pal334]

Grand kids and other little ones in your life are a delight. I have been off this forum quite a bit lately taking care of my godsons. Their grandmother , who is their care giver before and after school is has been in a bad way in the hospital for 2 months. I stepped in and have been filling the void. It is amazing how busy a 7 and 11 year old are. After getting used to their schedule, is fun watching the world through their eyes, all the new experiences they have that we take for granted. "Violating" their moms eating rules with abandon , watching cartoons , instead for the news. And Ugh, 2nd grade math. I have enjoyed the time with them, like I never was able to with my kids. So I heartily recommend, have grand kids, or borrow some

[hunter63]

Our grandson was adopted,.... so DW and I had custody for the first 2 months, as all the details and legal stuff was worked out......So a 2 day old newborn in the house......WOW, how in the heck can anyone do it, and work, and stay up all night.......

The boy was screaming at 3 am, nothing we could do was working, both of us were up with him...dead tired....I started laughing...
DW says "...and what's so f^%#!&@ funny?....
When was the last time we had a newborns crying in this house.....?

36 years ago......was funny to me....and worth anything.....

[hunter63]

With harmonicas...

I like it........

[1stimestar]

Somehow my mom would always manage to accidentally step on and break whistles that we got.

[hunter63]

I did "fix" the Big Wheels that had the clickers on the wheels in the neighborhood, never had a parent say a word .......

[kyratshooter]

There was a time when extended famiies were the norm, and grandparents/grandkids were part of each other's everyday lives. Kids learned more from the wise old grandparents than they did from their parents because the grandparents were the constant caregivers while the parents were working their butts off on the farm.

Now our educational system has taken the place of the grandparents, since the parents are still working their butts off and the grandparents are miles away.

Ain't progress grand?

[Daniel Nighteyes]

......and when you are done with them, got em all sugared up....send them home.....Bohahahaha

Send 'em home worn out, over-stimulated and sugared-up -- and toting a puppy, kitten or bunny-rabbit.

(Payback is a dish best served often... )

[Aurelius95]

Have a blast with your grandkids, Rick! We are very grateful for my wife's mom, who has kept our 20 month old on two different weekends for us. Now that my wife is due in November, we're not sure how Grandma will feel about keeping two young ones.

[Rick]

We have five spending the night tonight. At least I think it's five. Gads, I better go count again......


.....Yeah, it's five. Whew!

[hunter63]

Yeah, It's like trying to nail jello to a tree......

[finallyME]

I better not have any grandkids for at least 10 years.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

In all seriousness, grandkids are fantastic! We have two "regular" grandkids and as many as four additional "temporary" grandkids at any time. Our son and his wife are foster parents, you see, and they specialize in newborns up thru about age 3. Many of the newborns come from the hospital already addicted to drugs, because of their mothers' drug problems. So, all too often, getting even a partial night's sleep is kind of a myth.

Still, we love 'em all, and do the best we can for 'em. Some of them, when they depart, leave big empty holes in our hearts for a while. Others, not so much. Each and every one of them, though, has been loved and nurtured and really cared-for by a family (mother, father, siblings, uncles/aunts, grandparents) in hopes that it will help them in some way, somewhere down the line.