For the Love of Grands - February 1, 2020
In January, our kids Tom and Julie and our two year old grandson Jasper came down to Arizona for a visit for a week. They managed to make it through two severe snow squalls – one in Toronto and one in Dallas – and a flight delay and a plane change. Thank goodness Jasper loves planes is all I can say.
Laur and I had the time of our lives with this little fellow - for a couple of reasons.
1. He is an easygoing child. I won’t say “good” because what does that say about kids whose personalities are not easy? I have a few in my family. (Hi Mom!)
2. He is two and he thinks we are magical. Super Emma, our 9 year old granddaughter, already knows that we are pretty limited in what we can offer.
3. We can hand him back to his parents by 4 pm if we take him for the day or afternoon. (I need some “alone time” to recharge before meeting up again with my kids and their kid.)
Here are some cute Jasperisms.
Jasper already knew about cacti. When he saw a cactus, he’d say, “Big cactus! Very sharp!” We pointed out palm trees to him, so he added, “Big palm tree! Very tall!”
We took him to see our friends Bob and Joyce! We introduced him and from there on in he referred to them as “Bob and Toys.” It helped that Joyce brought him out a big red truck.
We were all very grateful at Burger King, when he got a toy fox, that he learned how to say “x” and not just “k”. I’m not going to print a “swearsie” but do imagine if a two year old can only yell out “duck duck duck” and not “dox dox dox!”
We were driving Jasper somewhere and he yelled “See Mexico!” We’re like, “What? He wants to go to Mexico!” He kept yelling this and pointing … Oh! “Cement mixer!” Of course, we just had to then pick out a toy one for him at W*lM*rt.
Another time we had Jasper by himself while his parents went to a movie. Laur turned on the classical music station full blast. It was some pretty jazzy music. Jasper started doing “interpretive dance.” OK, he started jumping around and yelling. We think he’s a genius.
*****
We visited a number of what I would call “High End” attractions – the Sabino Canyon Tram Ride, Desert Museum, the Reid Zoo, and the Safari Park in Sahuarita – a play area with great equipment and life size “cast” animals to climb.
But I think Jasper’s favourite place was the “Jelly Bean” Petting Zoo and Funny Foot Farm. How can I describe the outside of this place? It’s in an impoverished industrial area of Tucson. The signage is falling down and the fencing looks haphazard. And it’s $10 a head. Tom said, “Do we really want to go in there?!” Dad and I had a quick boo and said “YES!”
How do I describe the inside? It looks like a place Laur and I would try to run. The animals are well cared for but I felt like the place could easily collapse like a row of dominos. The worker and our guide Crusoe (not his real name) was very friendly and informative. And he gave us all two cups of food mix – one for the birds and one for the goats.
Poor Julie, she doesn’t like it when large birds charge her. All of the area birds that weren’t caged – including a pigeon or two – made a bee line for us. Jasper was delighted. Julie had to hand over her food and stand back.
We gave food to the goats – they were practically climbing over and under the fence – but we couldn’t go into their pen. Mature male goats can be real jerks. Tom got “butted” at Jasper’s age when we took Anna and him to a petting zoo. (Sorry about that. It passed for normal back in the day.)
Laur, Tom, and Jasper did go into the pig pen and Jasper was elated. He got to pet a number of pigs. He wanted to shriek at them and chase them around but his Dad and Grumpa had a thing or two to say about that. You really don’t want to upset pigs. They poop. A lot.
And then into the bird pen. Laur picked up a hen and Jasper petted it. Hubs and Jasper were in their element. Hubs says that he grew up in a farm animal zoo. And he did – being a rural minister’s kid. How amazing that we have a free zoo of farm animals in St. Catharines – Happy Rolph’s. But it’s non-petting. The City of St. Catharines could get sued. Good luck getting any money out of the Jelly Bean petting zoo.
Finally, off to feed some hay to the donkey. Us and a few others. The donkey indicated that if he had to eat another handful of hay he might very well explode. But he did love to have the top of his head patted.
*****
One of my frequent sayings is that “I miss these days already.” In the blink of an eye Jasper will be in school. The fun of his friends will greatly outweigh the shenanigans of his grandparents. A fun day for Emma has to have kids her own age. We understand.
Though, I have to say, my kids remain devoted to their Granny Marj. I love it that when they have good news they tell “GM” first, and then me. I love it that when they walk into her home they still feel “I’m at Granny’s house” – as in, all is right in the world.
Mind you my Mom has always been amazing with them. She loved having all four of them for the better part of the summer and she provided things Laur and I wouldn’t or couldn’t. The morning to play video games or watch TV, an afternoon at the play place of their choice including a trailer of their own at Pleasant Bay, and in the evening? Why Dairy Queen or Reid’s Dairy, of course.(Reid’s Dairy is a huge attraction in Belleville.)
My Mom says those were the best days of her life. But Mom also says that anytime her kids or grandkids or great grandkids call or come to visit.
My Mom has always been a natural with kids and with grandkids and with great grandkids. But I am not. It’s all one big learning experience for me. Dear God and Emma’s and Jasper’s and Manny’s and Nate’s and Vivie’s Mom and Dad, help us to find ways to entertain and love our grands so that they will find hanging out with us a hoot, and not a howl.
Laur and I had the time of our lives with this little fellow - for a couple of reasons.
1. He is an easygoing child. I won’t say “good” because what does that say about kids whose personalities are not easy? I have a few in my family. (Hi Mom!)
2. He is two and he thinks we are magical. Super Emma, our 9 year old granddaughter, already knows that we are pretty limited in what we can offer.
3. We can hand him back to his parents by 4 pm if we take him for the day or afternoon. (I need some “alone time” to recharge before meeting up again with my kids and their kid.)
Here are some cute Jasperisms.
Jasper already knew about cacti. When he saw a cactus, he’d say, “Big cactus! Very sharp!” We pointed out palm trees to him, so he added, “Big palm tree! Very tall!”
We took him to see our friends Bob and Joyce! We introduced him and from there on in he referred to them as “Bob and Toys.” It helped that Joyce brought him out a big red truck.
We were all very grateful at Burger King, when he got a toy fox, that he learned how to say “x” and not just “k”. I’m not going to print a “swearsie” but do imagine if a two year old can only yell out “duck duck duck” and not “dox dox dox!”
We were driving Jasper somewhere and he yelled “See Mexico!” We’re like, “What? He wants to go to Mexico!” He kept yelling this and pointing … Oh! “Cement mixer!” Of course, we just had to then pick out a toy one for him at W*lM*rt.
Another time we had Jasper by himself while his parents went to a movie. Laur turned on the classical music station full blast. It was some pretty jazzy music. Jasper started doing “interpretive dance.” OK, he started jumping around and yelling. We think he’s a genius.
*****
We visited a number of what I would call “High End” attractions – the Sabino Canyon Tram Ride, Desert Museum, the Reid Zoo, and the Safari Park in Sahuarita – a play area with great equipment and life size “cast” animals to climb.
But I think Jasper’s favourite place was the “Jelly Bean” Petting Zoo and Funny Foot Farm. How can I describe the outside of this place? It’s in an impoverished industrial area of Tucson. The signage is falling down and the fencing looks haphazard. And it’s $10 a head. Tom said, “Do we really want to go in there?!” Dad and I had a quick boo and said “YES!”
How do I describe the inside? It looks like a place Laur and I would try to run. The animals are well cared for but I felt like the place could easily collapse like a row of dominos. The worker and our guide Crusoe (not his real name) was very friendly and informative. And he gave us all two cups of food mix – one for the birds and one for the goats.
Poor Julie, she doesn’t like it when large birds charge her. All of the area birds that weren’t caged – including a pigeon or two – made a bee line for us. Jasper was delighted. Julie had to hand over her food and stand back.
We gave food to the goats – they were practically climbing over and under the fence – but we couldn’t go into their pen. Mature male goats can be real jerks. Tom got “butted” at Jasper’s age when we took Anna and him to a petting zoo. (Sorry about that. It passed for normal back in the day.)
Laur, Tom, and Jasper did go into the pig pen and Jasper was elated. He got to pet a number of pigs. He wanted to shriek at them and chase them around but his Dad and Grumpa had a thing or two to say about that. You really don’t want to upset pigs. They poop. A lot.
And then into the bird pen. Laur picked up a hen and Jasper petted it. Hubs and Jasper were in their element. Hubs says that he grew up in a farm animal zoo. And he did – being a rural minister’s kid. How amazing that we have a free zoo of farm animals in St. Catharines – Happy Rolph’s. But it’s non-petting. The City of St. Catharines could get sued. Good luck getting any money out of the Jelly Bean petting zoo.
Finally, off to feed some hay to the donkey. Us and a few others. The donkey indicated that if he had to eat another handful of hay he might very well explode. But he did love to have the top of his head patted.
*****
One of my frequent sayings is that “I miss these days already.” In the blink of an eye Jasper will be in school. The fun of his friends will greatly outweigh the shenanigans of his grandparents. A fun day for Emma has to have kids her own age. We understand.
Though, I have to say, my kids remain devoted to their Granny Marj. I love it that when they have good news they tell “GM” first, and then me. I love it that when they walk into her home they still feel “I’m at Granny’s house” – as in, all is right in the world.
Mind you my Mom has always been amazing with them. She loved having all four of them for the better part of the summer and she provided things Laur and I wouldn’t or couldn’t. The morning to play video games or watch TV, an afternoon at the play place of their choice including a trailer of their own at Pleasant Bay, and in the evening? Why Dairy Queen or Reid’s Dairy, of course.(Reid’s Dairy is a huge attraction in Belleville.)
My Mom says those were the best days of her life. But Mom also says that anytime her kids or grandkids or great grandkids call or come to visit.
My Mom has always been a natural with kids and with grandkids and with great grandkids. But I am not. It’s all one big learning experience for me. Dear God and Emma’s and Jasper’s and Manny’s and Nate’s and Vivie’s Mom and Dad, help us to find ways to entertain and love our grands so that they will find hanging out with us a hoot, and not a howl.