Nope

The other day I was working around the yard when my daughter dropped off my oldest grand.  He walked over to me and said, "Granny, don't you ever stop? Don't you ever sit down and rest?"  Then off he went to play with his cousins.  I have thought about that a lot the past few days.  First of all I am so happy that he does not remember his "OLD GRANNY." The one who sat in a recliner with her swollen legs up and an oxygen tube hanging around her neck. The Granny who spent most of her day sitting and watching TV or sleeping.   The other day one of my grand's saw an old photo of me and said, "Who's that?"  Oh, I am so glad they don't remember. I want them to remember me as the Granny that never stops. The one that hikes, and swims, and does everything she can and as fast as she can.  I know that someday I may slow down (part of life) but as they are growing into their teens and years that they will remember me I want then to remember me full of fire. So the next time I get asked that question, "Don't you ever stop?"  I will look at him and say with a huge smile," NOPE!!!

Cleaning Day

My son as many of you know is a "Mr. Mom." He has 2 boys that he has living with him and he is doing a fabulous job of caring for them.  The other day he asked me , "how do I teach my boys to clean?" He then talked about the frustrations that come at his work place when several of the employees there do not seem to know how to clean.  Really clean. They do the jobs but just to get buy. I reminded him of when he was young and had jobs to do. He said he did but how did I get him to do them?  Many years ago and many frustrating cleaning days ago I realized that my children did not know and understand what really clean was. I would tell them to go clean their room, bathroom, kitchen only to go in and see they had done it but not. I decided that I was lazy and needed to take the time (and a lot of patience) to teach my four children how to clean.  I first took note cards and listed the job and then step by step how to do it. I then laminated the cards so they didn't get destroyed in the first cleaning. I took each child with their list and took them step by step through the card. Some of them were pretty young so had to gear the cards to their level.  I then would supervise them for the next few cleaning so they understood what needed to be done. The steps to take so they were not having to clean up messes they made when cleaning.   Often I would hand them out their cards on a Saturday morning and have them race. When that didn't work the next things was no playing with friends until all of their work was done. That would often involve teamwork.(especially when the Talbot Twins would be riding up and down the drive way on their BMX bikes shouting and having a lot of fun.) Or we would have a fun outing planned for the afternoon. It worked well and eventually they were able to do all of that on their own. Plus their own laundry. After thinking about my sons question I decided to make him some of his own cards. Today I took them out and spent some time with his boys. They were very interested and worked together to get as much of the work done as they could to surprise dad. One thing I had learned as a young mom was it did not work to share the cleaning materials. So I gave each of the grand's their own cleaners, rags, and off they went.  I had them look at their work after and see how nice their house looked and how it made them feel.  They were pretty proud of themselves and so was I.  The  icing on the cake was when dad got home and did many WOWS! AWESOME! and WAY TO GOS! They were like proud little peacocks.

Never Judge a Book by it's cover.

I was reminded of a quote I have heard many times in my life today.  Never judge a book by it's cover.  My 7 year old grand was visiting me and as we often do we were looking out the front window watching the comings and goings on my busy street.  A man came up the street walking his dog.  We have watched this dog for many years as it is walking its man because sometimes it has long shaggy hair and sometimes it has a new fresh hairdo. As the pair passed by my grand commented that he wondered if a homeless man should have a dog?  How did he buy it?  I sat there dumbfounded for a moment.  Yes, this man does wear the same type of clothes every day. Yes, he always has his bright orange hunter hat on everyday. Although I have seen him wear several different styles but the same color of hat. I have known this man for as many years as we have lived here.(20)  He is not homeless.  He has a lovely home. His wife drives a Cadillac.  He owns many apartments in our area.  He is very far from being homeless.  I asked my grandson why he thought he was homeless and he said he just looks like it.  It was a great time to talk with my grand and hopefully teach him a few things about judging others.  I am sure he is to young to really judge someone but that is what he had decided. The man in the same clothes and out walking several times a day must be homeless.   It once again made me realize that we all judge and assume things about others that may be very far from the truth.  I have once again been  taught by a child.