Grandchildren fun

I stayed overnight with my grandkids (ages 4 and 7) last night to get them off to school and daycare this morning as mom and dad were both busy.  I slept in my granddaughter's room with her 4 month old kitten snuggled in beside me all night. 

At 7 a.m. her alarm went off - a kid's version of Jingle Bells blaring from the radio right beside my head.... followed by Frosty the Snowman.  She appeared a few bars into that tune and hit the snooze button.  She and I had a snuggle, while Claws (the kitten) leapt into action, cruising the window sill, knocking things off the shelf, jumping onto the bed and into the air to try and catch the mobile that hangs above her pillow, and then, when the two canines entered the room a few moments later, turning his torment alternatively between them and us.

The 15 minute snooze ended and Jingle Bells blared out again.  No stirring from Grandson's room next door.  "Will he wake up or do we need to get him up?" I asked.  "We have to wake him up."  So off we went to his room where he was scrunched into a ball with his face buried into his pillow.  Trying to roll him over did nothing as he grabbed a snuggle bunny for a face cover instead.  "If you get him dressed he'll wake up while you're putting his clothes on."  advised granddaughter.  There is a challenge in dressing a small scrunched up, semi-rigid body with a bunny stuffie attached to its face.  But then he was awake with a smile on his face and ready to show me all the ropes - feed the fish, get the vitamins out, instant porridge for breakfast.  "No I don't want water in it."  After a couple of dry, uncooked spoonfuls he acquiesced.

Granddaughter ever so slooowly got dressed, interrupted by a search for Band-Aids to put on her fresh scratches from Claws (the aptly named). She arrived for her porridge, and also requested a crumpet.  Grandson now wanted a crumpet too, which he gobbled into the shape of a gun - and proudly showed me over and over.

Son-in-Law had told me Granddaughter's lunch - a grilled cheese sandwich - was made and I just needed to cut up an apple or orange for her lunch box.  Danged if I could find a grilled cheese sandwich anywhere.  "I guess I'll have to make one."  Two bags of mouldy bread later we found some usable crusts and a short end of  cheddar cheese.  Granddaughter’s instructions were: "No, I don't want any butter, and I want it made in a frying pan, not in the oven, and don't put the bread together.  Just put the cheese on the bread in the frying pan and let it melt." 

I have to say this method doesn't work well.  First the bread started to "overtoast"  (euphemism for burn); when I turned the heat down.... well let's just say she didn't have grilled cheese, just burnt bread with softened cheese.  How do you put two slices of bread with softened cheese in a sandwich container without putting them together?  I still don't know because I told Granddaughter she had to take care of that challenge.  Then, "I'll have an apple." she said.  Oops, no apples in the fridge; she didn't want an orange, but settled for some strawberries.  Next step: cut off the spots and find a container for them. 

Grandson, meantime, wants to play I Spy with the I Spy quilt, which he needs to lay out perfectly flat on the living room floor so we can see all the pictures.  Find the light switch, turn on the light.  The clock has passed the hour - the time Son-in-Law told me we need to leave at.  Two quick turns at I Spy - one for each of them, (Grandson spies something pink, Granddaughter spies something blue - interesting) then we hustle to get on coats and boots, find hats, mitts and snow pants, make sure Granddaughter has her lunch bag and pack with her homework, get the car-seats into the car, get all my things into the car, get Grandson to sit down in his seat and stop trying to put on every other seatbelt except the one that is meant for him, make sure the cat didn't get outside, put up the baby gate at the top of the stairs so the dogs can't go up and eat the cat food during the day.  Are all the lights out?  I find my key and lock the door - boy that is one sticky lock. 

We got to the school before the second bell rang.  Apparently normally they stop on the school side of the street, but there were no parking spots so I stopped on the opposite side and walked Granddaughter across the street. Then spent the next five minutes explaining to Grandson that no, I couldn't fit my car into that little slot between those two cars, and no I didn't leave Granddaughter to cross the street by herself.  I dropped a happy boy at day care and was only fifteen minutes late for work myself.

Now that’s a fun morning!

Janet