As I celebrated Mother’s Day this past weekend, my thoughts drifted to my new role as Grammi 2.0 and my recent visit with my granddaughter Z and grandson R in sunny California. Spending time with a toddler and a new baby showed me that joy doesn’t have to be complicated. It was the simple things that made them happy and made me happy too.
Bubbles, giggles and backyard magic
My son D and daugher A loved bubbles when they were young. So did I. What fun it is to blowout bubbles through a wand — or shake a wand so even more bubbles appear. That’s exactly what D did with Z on the outdoor patio while I was grilling burgers for dinner. “More,” demanded Z with laughter as she road around on her trike trying to catch the soapy spheres before they popped.
Bubbles are a simple thing that make Z happy and make me happy too.
Can you catch the bubbles
The happiness hidden inside a balloon
I watched R for a few hours each morning so my DIL S could go to exercise class. R and I took walks — he in the stroller and me on foot. About 1.5 miles seemed to be R’s limit and then he would start to fuss. Afterwards I would bring him home and we would have balloon time.
At three months, R can follow the helium balloon left and right. It was a good eye coordination practice. Plus R stopped crying when we played with the balloon. S taught me another balloon trick — she lightly tied the string to R’s foot so that every time he kicked the balloon moved around.
Balloons are a simple thing that make R happy and make me happy too.
Balloon breaks are perfect eye coordination practices for babies
Tiny dancers and nursery rhymes
What can I do now to keep the little ones busy? Let’s dance!
OMG the only song I could remember was Hokey Pokey. Do you remember the Hokey Pokey? Z must have learned the dance at preschool because she started to move when I began to sing the song:
“You put your right hand in. You put your right hand out. You put your right hand in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.” I continued with each body part.
I did the Hokey Pokey dance with R’s tiny feet
R liked it as well. When he was lying on his back, I sang the song and gently moved his foot in and out and he gave me wide smiles and giggles.
Next on the schedule was “Eio Eio O.” Know which song that is? Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Z sang along. There were pigs, cows, chickens and ducks on our farm. Ooh, ooh, ooh, when we were at Barnes & Noble I found a Golden Book with the nursery rhyme. Of course Grammi had to buy it.
Old MacDonald is a hit song with my grandkids
I told both grandkids that Grammi has absolutely no musical talent. They loved my singing anyway.
Dancing and nursery rhymes are simple things that make Z and R happy and make me happy too.
Squeezies and snuggles = big love
“Can you give Grammi a squeezy?” D asked Z. When I saw Z a month ago she shook her head and said “NO.” Back then she didn’t know me well enough. Now that I had spent quality (and quantity) time with her she warmed up. Z opened her arms and gave me a huge squeezy. Big love for sure.
Snuggles with a sleeping baby make me happy
Snuggling with R brought equal delight. I found such bliss sitting with R in silence while he slept. It was a great time for mindful moments to just stop, breathe and be.
Squeezies and snuggles are simple things that make Z and R happy and make me happy too.
What my grandchildren are teaching me
Being with my grandchildren Z and R for a week reinforced the quote that is on my desktop. It says:
“Enjoy the little things.
For one day you may look back.
And realize they were the big things.”
Yep, bubbles and balloons, dancing and nursery rhymes, squeezies and snuggles don’t cost much but wow-o-wow they make me happy.
Judi
