Whew! Just returned home from a day with the grandkids. The two “big” girls and I spent the day together while their mom had a chance to get out of the house with the baby. The baby is still nursing, and they haven’t started her with a bottle, so I couldn’t watch her.
The two girls and I (they are 4 and 2) had a very nice time. They did have some fighting, but we resolved it fairly easily. We read many, many books. We had lunch. We played with their toys.
Once the youngest went to sleep, I was able to spend a few hours coloring (yes, I love to color!) with my older granddaughter. She loved it. She took pictures with my camera of each of the pages that she and I had colored. Although she must have had a finger tip over a portion of the lens, she did a pretty good job as photographer for a four-year old. The coloring is not too bad either! She wanted a two-toned dog.
Granddaughter's coloring masterpiece
I hope dil had a chance to relax just a little bit, though. Heaven knows she needs it. After she came home, I stayed just a little while to chat and to say hello to my son when he came home from work.
By the time the middle girl woke up from her nap she was very cranky. She cried nearly continuously from the end of nap time to when I left a couple of hours later. They are trying to limit her time using her binky, and she is having a hard time with that. Withdrawal is hard at any age, I guess.
So, when I left, one girl was naked and cranky, the oldest was in her undies and telling everyone else (her sister in particular) what they should do, the baby was sleeping, and the dog was going crazy barking and jumping as my son came in the door from work.
I have a vague recollection of my early parenting days, but it is clouded by the state of constant exhaustion I had during that time. I imagine it is a common condition for parents with children of that age. Dil handles it remarkably well. I am not sure that I did as well. The entire 1980’s are a blur. Even the 90’s are a little fuzzy around the edges. It’s amazing that I did not lose my mind.
Just a word of hope to all of you who may be entering or living in those days of parenting young children-
IT WILL GET BETTER.
Someday, you may be the grandparent who gets to leave the house just as the chaos begins.
Just My Life 
We had dinner with Darling Daughter and SIL tonight and I explained how much fun I was going to have spoiling the new baby when s/he arrives. And that the payback would ensue as soon as the child is old enough for noisy toys. She looked at me and asked why she had to suffer for her Poppa (my father) having given her noisy toys. Hubby quickly jumped in and said “Life’s never fair” with a grin on his face.
Sounds like you had a grand time … I’m looking forward to playing with little one and leaving the chaos behind. 🙂
By: dragonfae on August 28, 2011
at 3:07 am
We just had our grand kids visiting from out of town last weekend, they got to use the new bunk beds grandma and grandBob obtained. But by the third day I was ready for them to head back home… which they did. They are fun, but there is a reason why evolution caused us to have children when we are young and not old!!
By: Robert the Skeptic on August 28, 2011
at 12:13 pm
I am right there with you..!
By: gigi on August 28, 2011
at 4:57 pm
Ah, the wonderful and awful chaos of family life! So glad you had a great time with your granddaughters – it must be nice having them close enough to have shorter, but more frequent visits!
By: Barbara Rodgers on August 29, 2011
at 2:57 pm
[…] the Youngest went to sleep, I was able to spend a few hours coloring (yes, I love to color.) with my older […]
By: Parenting Young Children | Baby Care Blog | All You Need To Know About Babies on August 31, 2011
at 1:06 am