It's 6:30 in the morning on my day off. I'm sitting on the couch with coffee while Dora plays on the DVD player, trying very hard not to be crabby because, between Zoey and the cat, one or the other of them has had me up since 4 a.m. I do not want to be Crabby Mommy today. But I am sensing the scales could tip away from my favor at any moment.
So I'll try to post about something funny. Maybe writing about someone who lights up my life will improve my mood...maybe not. We'll see.
Have I told you much about my grandma lately? I was thinking of her yesterday and all the cool things she does to make my life easier, to include spending many, many hours with Zoey so I can get a break once in awhile. (Sure, my 'break' often means 'going to work'. But whatever.) This woman, my grandma, is the only 73 year old person I know who cruises through town in a Buick equipped with a booster seat. She swoops in to my house every Monday morning, shortly after 6 a.m., to fill her cup with coffee and spend the morning with my daughter, and while they are together, she regales Zoey with silly songs and stories (much the way she did with me when I was Zoey's age). There is a noticeable difference in the information I get from Zoey after picking her up from daycare versus spending time with Gigi. For example:
Me: (after daycare pick-up) So, tell me about your day! Who did you play with?
Zoey: I don't know.
Me: You don't know? I saw Hailey, and Nathaniel, and Maddox, did you play with them?
Zoey: Yeah. I think.
It's all very exciting. Or, it's very much like dragging information out of a prisoner of war. As opposed to picking her up after time with Gigi:
Zoey: (hopping in the car) Mommy! Gigi sang me a new song today, about Mary and the lamb!
She proceeds to sing, slightly off-key, a version of Mary Had a Little Lamb, with words that allude to the fact that Mary parked her lamb a little too close to the heater, causing the lamb to burn her little 'seater'. Or:
Zoey: (at the dinner table) Mommy! Gigi told me today that she knows somebody who went camping in a tent and when he waked up he couldn't open his eye BECAUSE THERE WAS A SLUG ON IT!!!
It's great because these are the days when conversation between me and my child simply flows, and even if it's centered around the horrific possibility of one day finding a slug on one's eye, it's still a discussion that lasts throughout dinner.
The cliche about needing a village to raise a child is so very true. Bryan and I have been separated since March. Zoey and I live in an apartment and, circumstances being what they are, I am left to raise her essentially on my own. I might as well throw this out there for you all to know--it's not something that's easy to write about. In the past few months, I have learned just how much I need my surrounding village for support. My grandma is a big player in Zoey's and my village, and for that I am forever grateful.
7 comments:
Zoey isn't the only one who loves Grandma K. ALL the people I work with know about Grandma K. In fact, last year when I was planning my trip down to the Kusick family get-together (and, I just saw this year's invite in my in-box!! So excited!) I was talking about "Grandma K" and everyone assumed she was my grandma. They were a little confused when I explained that, no, she wasn't MY grandma - she was Amy's grandma. They were even a little more confused when I couldn't come up with what the "K" in Grandma K stood for. She is a huge part of everyone's life she touches and you and Zoey (and the rest of us!) are both so lucky to know her! (And I even know what the K is now!)
Amy, I hope you have a good day! And your Grandma is awesome!!
Well said, Amy.
Love, Mom
i'm with mom. well said. you gotta love the gigi. wish she could be my babysitter every monday!
As you know, my family's life circumstances are rough at the moment (I say that like it hasn't been over a year now) too, but I think you've found the silver lining. We are around extended family because of our hardships, and it's hard to separate the hardships from the blessings of having so much love around my child. And me, too. So often families live too far apart from each other, grandparents and cousins become secondary to friends that fit more easily into the schedule. We actually PAY for playgroups to socialize our kids now. I remember just being tossed in with a mixed lot of cousins when I was my son's age. In some ways, having all your ducks in a row can take you away from the people you love. Sometimes needing a little help means you get to spend extra time with the people who should mean the most. Thanks for sharing, Amy. Your blog is always one I can count on to paint a real picture, one that depicts all the different shades of the things we go through as adults but centers on loving your child.
Amen for villages! Gigi sounds like a rockin' good time. I especially liked how you said that she drives a Buick with a booster. :)
LOVE your grandma! I have such great memories of here. Hope you are doing well.
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