As you probably know, my daughter, son in law, three grandkids and their dog are now living with us. To say my life is different now is an understatement. Gone are the moments of silent bliss, gone is sitting in my chair alone, gone is going to the bathroom in peace, etc. With the arrival of my grandchildren came the "pitter patter of little feet" indeed...and whining, crying, and lots of discussions about why they can't do certain things. This has all given me pause to reflect back on my days of raising their mother and uncle. Being a grandparent gives you a chance to make better some of the dumb things you did as a young parent. I find myself being much more in control this time around. Not that it is always a cake walk, because it isn't. I am a LOT older, maybe wiser, and definitely more tired now. I actually slept until 8:30 one morning last week! That hasn't happened in years and years.
On Monday Landon turned 6 years old. For weeks he has been telling us all the things he will be able to do now that he is 6. It has been extremely humorous to hear him talk about this monumental event in his life. While driving in the Zimny family van to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate this event I was chatting away with Landon and it occurred to me that I am, and will always be, 50 years older than him. For some reason this struck a cord with me. I am a half century older than my first grandchild! Hearing him tell me all of his plans for what he will do now that he is 6 has made me think about how important it is to never stop dreaming about what you want to do when you grow up. The words of a 6 year old have, once again, made more sense to me than anything else.
On Tuesday I was getting ready to leave for Book Club and both Landon and Aniella were very sad that I was leaving. They questioned me about where I was going, how long I would be gone, and why I had to leave. They even walked me to the garage door and stood and waved goodbye to me. I had a flashback to the days when Artie and I would go out and leave the kids with my parents or one of my nieces, and how they would be so sad that we were leaving. I had the very same guilt pangs I had on Tuesday that I had when we would go out for a much-needed break from raising children. But the best part of my day was coming home from Book Club and being greeted by two little munchkins who screamed out my name and jumped into my arms, telling me how much they missed me! I was actually overwhelmed by this and it made me realize just how lucky I am to have the life I have now. It may be tough at times, and I may drown in the pity pool frequently, but when I walk in the door and am greeted in that way I know I will smile inside and out.
