Grandkids have too much energy....or I am getting old

I loved being a parent, and being a parent seamlessly fit into our lives....but I do not remember being so tired watching the kids. We have two of the grandkids for four days, and I am exhausted. A 3 1/2 year old has exhausted me with questions......why do you have to charge your phone? Where are stars?
Why do you need gas in a car?

We collected clam shells on our walk this afternoon of the shoreline of the islands as the dogs frolic in the water, and I am told I have to carry her shells as we fill the golf cart and I explain we really do not have any place to put the shells. However, each moment is precious, as I remember my grandfather walking me to get my first haircut in North Birmingham. I remember his pride and holding my hand as we walked the three blocks to the ice cream shop.....so yep.....I am tired, but other than sex....there is not a better tired in my life.

I'm happy for you Seaoat. Enjoy your 4 days!

i love answering kid's questions... i had my nephew nearly convinced that airplanes weren't way up in the sky... they are actually just very small. this summer we had a big family get together and the kids came running to tell me there was a full moon... well i told them that the moon is leaving orbit (which is true) and that i read in the paper that this was the last full moon so they better go out in the back yard and take one last good look... which they did and were all standing out there looking at the moon... and i turned on the sprinklers.

I knew I liked you.

PkrBum wrote:...and i turned on the sprinklers.

That sounds like something I would do...

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My oldest son didn't ask "why?" all the time... his constant question was "What for?"

He pronounced the word girl "girdle".

PkrBum wrote:i love answering kid's questions... i had my nephew nearly convinced that airplanes weren't way up in the sky... they are actually just very small. this summer we had a big family get together and the kids came running to tell me there was a full moon... well i told them that the moon is leaving orbit (which is true) and that i read in the paper that this was the last full moon so they better go out in the back yard and take one last good look... which they did and were all standing out there looking at the moon... and i turned on the sprinklers.

LOL you rotten devil. You know my daddy did stuff like that to me as a kid and I grew up with some of the oddest most outrageous thoughts that I thought were true for years because of that. Making up wild stories about things all kinds of stuff and getting the kids to buy it..but its all good fun

seaoat. glad your enjoying your grandkids.

grandkids are the best.

2seaoat wrote:I loved being a parent, and being a parent seamlessly fit into our lives....but I do not remember being so tired watching the kids. We have two of the grandkids for four days, and I am exhausted. A 3 1/2 year old has exhausted me with questions......why do you have to charge your phone? Where are stars?
Why do you need gas in a car?

We collected clam shells on our walk this afternoon of the shoreline of the islands as the dogs frolic in the water, and I am told I have to carry her shells as we fill the golf cart and I explain we really do not have any place to put the shells. However, each moment is precious, as I remember my grandfather walking me to get my first haircut in North Birmingham. I remember his pride and holding my hand as we walked the three blocks to the ice cream shop.....yep.....I am tired, but other than sex....there is not a better tired in my life.

Cherish every moment, SO. You are a very fortunate man and I am envious of you for having a family to tire you out such. Apparently, having children is not in the cards for me, so I will never have grandchildren to wear me out when I'm old... So, like I said, cherish every moment and acknowledge just how fortunate you are.

While I was in Colorado with my family I spent a lot of time with my nieces and nephews, which absolutely made my heart burst with love and happiness. They wore my ass out, too (and you're right, there ain't no better "tired" in the world besides sex!), hauling me all over the mountainside asking me to help them identify paw prints, scat, distinguish animal trails from human trails,... all sorts of neat stuff. But I wouldn't have missed a single moment of it for anything in the world.

Day three and it is simply amazing to watch the one year old explore the house and figure out how to negotiate stairs as she has discovered every knook and cranny of the house.

I started thinking about how much time I got to spend with my grandparents on my mother's side. It was about six years. It seems like it was forever, and my memories are very deep. There is something kids simply sense when being with grandparents. I remember my grandfather who was a railroad engineer taking me to the rail yard and letting me get on one of his trains and blowing the horn. I remember that he raised bees, and he would get into his bee suit and tend to the hives. I remember his green house, and all the flowers in his yard. I remember the pear trees and my grandmother making cheese biscuits and pear preserves on biscuits. I remember harvesting the pears and watching my grandmother prepare the pear preserves and putting them up in ball jars.

Riceme, I also remember the time I spent at my aunt who had a farm east of Trussville. I remember going with my uncle to collect chickens from other farms and then taking them to downtown Birmingham to be plucked and processed. I remember going bowling for the first time with my aunt. My aunt never had any children, but she was an important person in my life. She did not need to have any children because she made my life better, and she was an independent spirit. I learned so much from her and there was nothing better than collecting fresh eggs for her great breakfasts which to this day it is grits with over easy eggs mixed in.....You see the connection with a child does not have to be simply by parentage. I watch my daughters close girlfriends who are now in their early 30s and they pretty much are not going to get married but they have bonded with my granddaughters and they are going to be an important part of my granddaughter's life......the tapestry of our past makes us who we are today.......so I will indeed celebrate this weekend, because each of us in our own small way can leave a wonderful legacy of kindness and love independent of our relationship with a child.

Awesome memories of your childhood Seaoat. We grew up across the street from my grandparents and from my favorite uncle. It was like one large family. I have many memories of the railroad...my grandfather was yard master and we got to get on the trains...

Those are wonderful memories seaoat. I enjoyed reading those. Thank you.

I never really had grandparents. My grandmother on my moms side died when I was young, All i remeber was the service was at home and I was just tall enough to peek over into the casket. she was all white headed like Im becoming, white casket, white gown. My only thought at that time was she looks like a angel.

and my other grandmother on my fathers side never lived near us and wasnt close to my dad, so I rarely seen her.

I never had any grandfathers at all. I dont know why.

I have good memories from my parents though. Not all good but a lot. You seem to come from a much more fortunate family than me. Consider your self blessed as I know you do.

as my children age and hopfully I will get more grandchildren, i only have one now. I will be able to provide them with the types of memories you have of your grandparents.

I wont count on it though as many of thier memories might be seeing me off to work as I slave away every day trying to put food on the table because im too prideful to take gov assistance. thats what my kids will remember too. Although like my memories of my parents, there are good ones in there too. because life is hard and you got to do the best you can with what you got.

Till someone comes and takes it all away to give it to someone else.

I also never met my father's parents and tried to learn as much about them after I got older. You will be surprised what your grandson will garner from the time he spends with you. Time seemed to move so slowly as a young child, and today I feel an hour is about half as long as it once was as time is screaming by, and I guess that when we are young the time we spend in relationship to the time we experience is a ratio which makes the present seem so long. As we age the ratio is reversed and we see time as rapidly passing, but that time you spend with the grandchild is going to be an important part of his life. Someday I may share the awful experiences, because we all have them, but they never were that awful, nor that important to dwell on, but they to define who we are......nope, not this weekend, just simple pleasures and simple sharing of time....a precious commodity which often is taken for granted.

2seaoat wrote:I also never met my father's parents and tried to learn as much about them after I got older. You will be surprised what your grandson will garner from the time he spends with you. Time seemed to move so slowly as a young child, and today I feel an hour is about half as long as it once was as time is screaming by, and I guess that when we are young the time we spend in relationship to the time we experience is a ratio which makes the present seem so long. As we age the ratio is reversed and we see time as rapidly passing, but that time you spend with the grandchild is going to be an important part of his life. Someday I may share the awful experiences, because we all have them, but they never were that awful, nor that important to dwell on, but they to define who we are......nope, not this weekend, just simple pleasures and simple sharing of time....a precious commodity which often is taken for granted.

Yes its funny what we remember as a child. I remember going fishing with my daddy a lot. and one time he was trying to fly fish and there were some ducks roaming about. He had brought along some boiled eggs and had salt and pepper and he tried that old trick on me and it worked. I ran around behind him after those ducks with pepper in my hand for hours thinking I could catch them if I could put pepper on thier tails. It was a good day though. I even remember how nice the sun was shining and the little fly poppers he was using were so colorful.

My grandson has been with me his entire life almost, along with my daughter. they both live with me, along with her husband now That wont last as they are about to be ready to go away. i tolerate her new husband because I dont want to loose my grandson. but I know it must be that way. That is the way it is supposed to be. I would like to move away from down here but i wont because they will not leave down here. So I will tolerate it.

My grandson really is the joy of my life. Has been since day one. Truth is I moved away from pcola because of my grandsons sperm donor. I would do anything for him, my kids too. I'm a terrible enabler.

I wish you felt comfortable enough to share your life with us more here in pictures. But I know why you dont. I was that way when I lived there too. Now I dont care. when I came to this group so many years ago I was neive and the mistakes I made haunted me. I had always wished that this group would be much closer even with our differences. That we could share our daily lives in chat and post pictures of our families as they grow and change.

But there are a few of us here who would take that personal information and try to harm you if you didnt not agree with them. That is sad.

I do not agree with you and I know I give you a bunch of shit every day, But i would never try and harm your life personally. Your ok in my book even though sometimes i would like to beat you over the head with a old newspaper like an old woman would do to a husband lol

I hope the weather there today is good for you so you get out and enjoy your time. I always worry about you with that. although I should take my own advice.