Tucker

This week we had our grandson Tucker with us for a few days - all by himself! This is a rare event, to have one all to ourselves for a nice chunk of time, and we took full advantage of it, spoiling him rotten and letting him get away with murder. Like all good grandparents would do!

Here's what I disliked about the past few days:

There was homework to do. All those years of the homework grind that we endured came back to me with a vengance as I sat with him at the kitchen counter cajoling and encouraging as we worked his way through some reading comprehension worksheets as well as some math ones. He's plenty smart but even I had to re-read some of the instructions to make sure I understood exactly what it was they were looking for.

I was reminded again about the whole bath and bed routine and what a relief it is to finally get them tucked away for the night. Phew! Another day done, with no serious injuries, no major meltdowns, no big worries.

I once again found myself saying things like "Tucker, have you brushed your teeth this morning?" and "Did you finish your sandwich before you put your plate in the sink?" which are thoughts I never expected to be voicing again since my youngest child is now approaching the age of thurty....

Here are the things I loved and will treasure the memories of:

Tucker climbing into bed with us early in the morning and snuggling in between us, just the way his mother used to do.

Having his company as I went grocery shopping, drove around town doing my errands, and while I cleaned my house. Tucker loves to talk and that makes for good company!

Just the simple presence of a child in this house once again - a house that was full of children for so many years and then, suddenly, silenced. Hearing a child's voice, and feeling a child's energy, is something priceless for sure. The house was hungry for a visit from someone younger than ten, and so was I. What a great time we had with Tucker!