You Make Me Feel So Young

"You make me feel so young
You make me feel 'so spring has sprung
And every time I see you grin
I'm such a happy individual"

This Frank Sinatra tune is so apropos of our day yesterday. Sunday afternoon I got an S.O.S. from my grandson, Ki. He and April work alternate hours so they don't have to have child care. Ki's hours got changed and they couldn't find anyone to stay with the boys. Could grandma come down?
I know Ki still thinks of me as the capable woman he knew when he was younger. He doesn't realize how I've aged. But it was only for four hours until April got off work and Bud offered to go with me. So...
We had to get up and out early to make the two hour drive to Missouri so Ki could leave on time. No problem except......

....this is what our weather looked like. Snow, blowing snow, a ground blizzard. Luckily we weren't getting a lot of snow and it wasn't sticking to the highways, so it wasn't too bad. It would be like this for a few miles and then clear, then blowing snow, then clear.

It was all worth it to spend time with these two little sweethearts.

"The moment that you speak
I wanna go play hide-and-seek
I wanna go bounce the moon
Just like a toy balloon"




Ayden and Greyson have not spent that much time with us. We are almost strangers to them, yet there were no tears when daddy left, no hesitation to come into our arms and give hugs.

And what can compare to hugs from a little one? Nothing. I did begin playing hide-and-seek with Ayden. I did feel younger.

"You and I are just like a couple of tots
Running across the meadow
Picking up lots of forget-me-nots"

Morning naps weren't on the schedule, but around 10:00, seven-month old Greyson began getting fussy and rubbing his eyes. I gave him a bottle and put him in his crib and he went right to sleep.

Nineteen month old, Ayden, and I continued playing for awhile and then he was content to sit on my lap and read a book. His little eyes started drooping. I kept patting him gently and soon he was asleep.
Oh, how sweet to hold a sleeping baby again.

But soon nap time was over and it was lunch time. I was impressed by how well Ayden fed himself.
Looks like we have another lefty in the family. His aunt, grandpa and great-grandfather are/were all lefties.




While I was feeding Greyson, Bud and Ayden began a game of chase. Bud would chase Ayden into the kitchen and Ayden would chase Bud back into the living room.
When Bud quit and Ayden was waiting in the kitchen for him, he began yelling, "grack caw", "grack caw". At first I thought he was just yelling, then after a couple of times I realized what he was saying was his version of "grandpa", "grandpa". So cute.

"You make me feel so young
You make me feel there are songs to be sung
Bells to be rung and a wonderful fling to be flung"

Who needs toys when there is a large cardboard box to crawl in and out of? Dad or Mom even gave them a window - a convenient second exit.
Ayden had a game to teach us. He would yell, "yay" then clap his hands and look at us. "Your turn", he seemed to be indicating. So then we would yell and clap. Then him again, then us. There was no time limit on this game!

"And even when I'm old and gray
I'm gonna feel the way I do today
'Cause you make me feel so young"

Mom got home from work. Our four hours were up. We started home, still talking and laughing about all the cute antics of these two little live wires.
The weather was about the same coming home as it was when we left. Lucky our trip had been south on I-35 as the interstate was shut down in northern Iowa.

I might have felt 'young and gay' while with the boys, but evening found me sitting in my chair too tired to do anything but watch T.V. and read.

I had told April that we had done our best to wear the boys out so they were ready for afternoon naps. Then I joked about who had worn whom out. I had that answer this morning when I didn't wake up until 6:45 a.m. I had slept 8-1/2 hours - something I NEVER do. (Usually between six and seven hours a night.)
So I am already old and gray. So what. I wouldn't trade our day yesterday with those two little cuties for anything.

And here's another take-away from the day - Valentine's Day may be less than a week away, but I don't want or need any flowers or candy or card - Bud shows me every day that I am loved. Taking me and helping me with the great-grandsons yesterday was just one more example of the caring man he is.