To my six grandchildren, [five of whom have either just turned one year old (today!) or are turning one year old next week] namely, Seth, Piper, Jude, Quinn, Eleanor & Eva,
You turn me into...
...an admirer of chubby little hands, fat little feet, softly screeching or babbling little voices
...a connoisseur of smiles - the so happy to see you ones, the quick on and quick off kind, the rather wobbly and showing through tears ones, the only on one corner of the mouth type, the showing off your cute two tiny and only teeth kind, the full-out almost breaking into giggles type that make it impossible for me not to reciprocate
...a worrier when you get sick or need a puffer (or even when you're gagging over the big-people chunks of food your mom so calmly and confidently offers you because she knows you're old enough to handle it)
...a reader of stories aloud, using many different voice levels and expressions
...a sweet-talker, especially when you need distraction from sadness or fright or anger or when you're determined to get into something you shouldn't
...a get your 58-yr-old bones down here on the carpet kind of grandma during play time or bottle time when I babysit you
...a mooshy-hearted grandma at the snugglies you surprise me with
...a repeater of silly phrases and questions with obvious answers [did you wake up? let's look at this! where's the puppy? you'll be okay! I'm gonna get you! did you come to Grandma's house?]
...an unashamed braggart (I never knew there'd be so many ways to steer the conversation around to how we got triplet and twin grandchildren within eight days of each other!)
...a displayer of art on my fridge (such clever moms you all have, getting you to make an elephant-out-of-a-balloon card to delight me with or getting you to bop-paint pictures on papers that she slid into Ziploc bags and placed on your high chair trays and then sending the finished masterpieces to me in an envelope via snail mail)
...a member of The Observer Team, along with your grandpa (how entertaining it is just to sit and watch you roll or crawl around on the floor, examining books and toys and exploring methods of play)
...an admirer of my own children and their spouses when I see how you are parented so well
...a Mennecostal hybrid when it comes to praise sessions upon reflection over the past year - how is it that you went from such tiny, fragile, and quite-ill-at-times preemies to robust, mobile, smart and becoming little people in a matter of twelve months? I say, "Only God!"
...an explainer regarding the dearth of grandchildren pics on my social media platforms. When I say that you are the cutest ever, most darling and delightful subjects in photos, I'm serious. But, for reasons such as, but not limited to, being on the same team as your mom and dad in desiring to keep you safe from online exploitation, I'm not posting pictures here as proof for my readers. They just have to believe me.
Love,
Grandma
