I never know what configuration of children I'm going to be encountering in a day. I drive by one homestead full of them on my way to and from work. Sometimes I see them playing on the porch swing, sometimes I stop to drop something off. When I get home I may have an encounter with a crazy boy in a diaper and he may or may not be wearing anything else. Before I go in for work I often don't have plans, by the time I'm headed home I have picked up a babysitting shift, or baby holding shift. Sometimes the first sight I see upon exiting my car is a blonde smiley kiddo standing at the door with my four-legged beagles waiting expectantly for me to enter the promised chaos.
And I love being a grandma. A Gigi or Gaga or the ever popular gramma or G-Ma.
Last night we pulled out markers and crayons and some plastic stencils. This was my gift drawing.
All the pets are drawn and labeled as you can see. The hedgehogs, Daisy and Daffodil and the beagles, Gladys and Gertrude. The picture in the bottom corner was a snapshot of the evening. I put the baby on my head and chanted, "Baby hat! Baby hat!" multiple times because. Well...kids were laughing, including the hat. However, toward the end of this ridiculousness the baby grabbed two handfuls of my hair. So I had to play that up, too. I mean it just doesn't happen every day. In hindsight I am grateful that he didn't throw up in my hair. Because that is a strong possibility.... My mom asked me why I insist on doing things like "Baby Hat!" I told her it might be because I sang the alphabet song 125 times in a on hour period to entertain the 2-year-old and then at the begging of the 10-year-old duet partner switched to Bingo. I think I'm delirious a good chunk of time.
Sigh. I sleep like a baby after spending a few hours in the sea of children. But I am so blessed and so grateful to be their Gigi!