Patricia Grace

My Grandma - Still a Kid Like Me



Posted: Tuesday, July 15, 2008

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My Grandma is so cool.  She isn't like other people.  On her outside, she looks like
a grownup person like Mommy and Daddy.  On her inside, she is still a little kid like me.
 
They must have thrown away all of the toys at Grandma's house because when she comes to see me, she wants to play with mine.  It's funny, but Grandma likes the same toys as me.  She loves to build towers with blocks, but she must need a lot of practice.  After she builds one, I knock it down for her.  She claps and tries again.  We make a good team.
 
Grandma taught me how to wink at her.   She closes one eye and goes click-click with her mouth.  Because it makes her laugh, when I wink at Grandma I close both my eyes, scrunch my nose, and click.  When I open my eyes, Grandma is still smiling.
 
Sometimes Grandma and I go for a walk.  I sit in the stroller, and Grandma pushes.  I try to help her learn what things are, but she has trouble remembering them.  Each time we pass the flag next door, she asks me what it is.  I tell her, but she forgets by the time we take our next walk and has to ask me,  again.
 
Grandma really has trouble with numbers.  Everyday we count the flags - one, two, three, four.  She still can't count them without stopping at two and asking me what comes next.  Sometimes, she forgets what comes after one, and I have to tell her.
 
Sometimes when I am dancing, Grandma really gets mixed up.  If I take a rest, she says five, six, seven, eight to see if I will dance again.  Grandma forgets one, two, three and four, and she still doesn't know nine and ten.  I dance for her, anyway. 
 
When I was a baby last year, Grandma held me a lot.  She liked to sing to me about a mouse who was going some place or about a goose who had an aunt.  Her favorite song was about Sweet Little, Sweet Little Baby.  She made it up about me.  Sometimes when she sang to me, my eyes would close, and I would go to sleep.  When I woke up, she would still be holding me close and singing.  Sometimes, after a long day, I wouldn't go to sleep unless my Grandma was holding me.  It made her feel good.
 
Now, we have a new baby.  She holds him sometimes, but she makes room for me on her lap, too. Grandma always puts her arm around me and finds a spot where I can fit. 
 
Grandma taught me to blow her a kiss.  I put my hand on my mouth and say mmmmm-mmm.  Then I throw it to her.  Sometimes we blow lots of kisses, especially if she is leaving.  Sometimes I see a tear in Grandma's eye when she throws her last kiss.
 
I miss Grandma when she isn't here to  play with me.  Mommy gave me a  picture of her holding me.  I carry it in my pocket.  Sometimes I take it out and give her a wink or blow her a kiss.  I hope Grandma can feel them and not miss me too much until we get to play  again.
Patricia Grace is a retired teacher, mother of four and grandmother of nine.  She has a BS in Psychology and an MS in Early Childhood Education.  Many of her stories were "field tested" on her kids, grandkids and students. Although she enjoys writing in many different areas, her favorite is writing for young children.  She, especially, likes to write stories that teach a lesson through the use of animals and subjects that appeal to very young readers.  Her primary reward for the writing is the way small faces light up when they "get" the point of the story.
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