ICING ON MY CAKE OF LIFE

This was graduation Sunday at church this morning.

We only had 4 of the 6 graduates attending. 3 from the local high school and 1 from college.

This is the entire list.

After church we had country fried steak and gravy ,mashed potatoes , green beans , corn on the cob, tomato/mozzerella salad and biscuits with sweet tea to drink. Re brought the salad and some fruit and cake for dessert. All of it was delicious !!
Everyone left shortly after we ate and went to their Sunday afternoon duties. Daughter went to the Baccalaueate service at the high school she teaches at. They are the only high school that still holds this Christian based service for their graduates. It is not a required program for the graduates but there is always an auditorium full for the service. Today she said there was about 50 kids out of the 200 that are graduating and they had a young man speak that had been involved in a spring break automobile accident and was paralyzed. She said he did a wonderful job.
As I sat watching for the rain that the dark clouds looked like they would bring any minute this afternoon I thought about a conversation I had yesterday with a new friend. As I talked with a regular customer, one of her childhood friends came into market to meet up with her. She introduced us and then continued our conversation about how her shoulder was so sore she couldn't lift her arm today from her 4 year old grandson sleeping on it last night as he spent the night with her and her husband.
As we laughed about the pain, I said that was part of what made grandparent-hood so special. The pains always reminded us of that special bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
Her friend said she was getting ready to experience being a grandparent as her oldest child was pregnant. As we joked and laughed about what she was to expect some of the things she looked surprised at.
As I sit and think about that conversation today the resounding truth in what we said made me smile.
I thought about the time parents spend between their own babies and their grandbabies and how things change . For me it wasn't all smooth sailing as I did have some younger child experiences along these years with helping with a nephew when his parents split. But it was nothing like having a baby around again.
Then grandchildren come along and amazingly we revert quickly and smoothly to a time years ago that we thought was forgotten.  It is amazing how much knowledge quickly comes back to mind the minute these new babies are laid in our arms.
Not only our lives make another distinct change so do our surroundings.
No more neat, everything in it's place in our homes. Now the living room is filled with various baby pacifying items and all kinds of toys. G-son is now eight years old and I tried to think back today of what my house looked like before he arrived and I can't even remember my house without the scattered toys or the fence around the woodstove, I thought about the spare bedroom but then I did remember that #2 son and daughter still lived here when he was born and #2 son was in what is now the playroom. My how life has changed in the last eight years around here !!! 

We can't open floor level cabinets any longer with ease as they all have these safety latches on them !

The bowl that usually contains fruit in the center on the dining room table now contains various bibs. (they have to have a choice you know)

High chairs once again become part on the dining room seating arrangement.

And baby monitors find places among the small kitchen appliances on the counter.

An array of plastic plates, bowls and even baby bottles have places in the china cabinet that used to contain your fine china.

Your idea of food staples change....

Your shelves contain some very colorful additions and you find yourself talking back to a talking teapot !!

The extra bedroom now is a room full of toys and beds and cribs that can be shut off for sleeping babies or when the kids aren't around and you know you should pick up the toys but just sigh and close the door as you know any toys you put away will be the first to come out next time the kids are here.

The place that used to contain those magazines you relaxed and read in your spare time is now a place filled with story books that are read to those loving little ones that you happily scoop up into  your lap each time you sit down in that recliner.

The entry bench in the living room that was used for extra seating now holds an array of items that can be easily accessed .

There are also some extra things adorning your bathroom and you find "Spongebob" peeking at you.

Diapers become one of those things, like toilet paper that you keep a running count on so you won't run out.

Those little memory fingerprints that are left on doors and windows that you wish you never had to wash off  are an every cleaning day reminder of the times those little ones where with you.

Yes I am a grandmother and I love every minute of it and everything about it, all the above mentioned things and more  and don't ever think for one moment that I am complaining about any of this. Just today after everyone left I looked over and saw a little music box piano laying on the couch and the picture of EL dancing and playing it popped right into mind along with the picture of g-son when he was her age sitting on the toilet playing the same little piano while potty training.   If this hadn't got taken out of the toy box I would have missed those wonderful thoughts !
As if  all this needed more meaning, this evening we all walked over on Aa and Re's new home place and these two were so cute playing together on the dirt piles.

They held hands as they went in search of another "mountain" to climb.

 Sad faces came back as they were told it was time to go home and get ready for bed.

What a wonderful way to end a reflective Sunday evening !!!

All the rain went around us today and we had a nice cloudy cool day for our outside activity.
Grateful tonight for all these little ones that are in my life. I love being a "Neena" or a "Mimi" or whatever they choose to call me. This is the icing on my cake of life !!!!!   Thankful to God !!
Good Night and God Bless.