The Great Outdoors

Andrew has learned a life lesson; stop and smell the flowers.  He can sniff in or blow out, which is handy since he constantly has a runny nose.  He still doesn’t know he needs a tissue, but at least it doesn’t take 3 men and a small boy to hold him down anymore to clean it.  To complete a diaper change, we give them Grandpa’s remote to the light and fan.  With Nathan, you have to be able to put on the diaper bun side up.  And at that, you better be really fast.

They just love the outdoors.  They’ve discovered sticks are really cool for pointing, waving or poking.  Leaves come in all shapes and sizes.  Andrew likes to clean up, but the outside is really a messy challenge right now.  Gramma can only hold so many of those dead leaves, wood chips and broken sticks.  And if you hit bushes with your sticks the leaves fall off.  Oh, the power!

They’ve learned to wag their fingers and say, “No, no, nooo!”  I thought that was perfect until I realized they just think it’s another cute thing for them to do.  When I told Nathan, “No, no, noooooo!” he gave out a big belly laugh, like I was the silliest one in the room.  Then he proceeded to do whatever he wanted to.

I’ve noticed that Nathan heads out of a room and waits just out of sight on the other side of the doorway, knowing Gramma will be along pronto.  It’s his way of getting my attention immediately.  He laughs at me every time I come racing around the corner.

They also enjoy using the phone that’s attached to the wall.  Their parents must only have cell phones.  I love the way they say, “Allo, allo!”  They love talking to the woman who comes on the line and says, “if you’re trying to make a call…”   I am trying to teach them to take turns, which is always more successful with the child presently using the phone.  It reminds me of the story of the mother trying to teach her children to let the others be first, as Jesus did.  The older child told his brother, “you be Jesus.”  I gave Andrew my cell phone to use while Nathan was busy placing a long distance call to his mother.  Of course, it ended up on the floor with the battery compartment open.  I tried unsuccessfully to put it back together.  Some bent metal pieces on the outside made closing the battery case impossible.  When Andrew saw that I was giving up on the repair he had this look of understanding on his face as he said, “Grandpa.”  They already think he can fix anything.