Thank Goodness for Mom and Dad!

I wish that when I was a child I had as awesome Grandparents as my Mom and Dad are to the kids. My Mom’s parents had passed away before I could really get to know them. My Dad’s parents were miserable people, and were disappointed, I believe, by the lack of boy grandchildren they had. I was yet another girl among many. Anyway, my parents are awesome. They really revel in being Grandma and Grandpa, or Mamaw and Papaw to Joci. Even better, the kids really love to be around them, especially going over to their house. There they get to play outside and get dirty on the swing set, ride their bikes, relax with Grandma in her studio, help Grandpa in his garden or his shop, ‘hunt’ for bunnies with their flashlights, or enjoy a swim in the spa, which is pretty much their own private play pool. They often get to go shopping, one of Joe’s favorite things, and usually get to have whatever they want to eat for breakfast, which is usually pancakes or doughnuts. They love it, and I do, too. I really revel in seeing the close bonds that they have formed with their Grandparents, especially since mine was so lacking. Mom and Dad are real lifesavers, too. Our awesome babysitter takes one week off a year, and believe it or not, in the almost five years we’ve been going to her, absolutely zero sick days! So, Jon and I are splitting the week up, and Mom and Dad volunteered to take a couple of days, too. Not only that, but they even took the kids Sunday, Monday, and then Tuesday nights. Do you know how awesome it is to be at home without the kids at night for a few days? Not having to get them ready in the morning, etc? Oh, it was like heaven. Don’t get me wrong, I miss the kids. I can’t wait to see them tonight when I pick them up, but a little adult alone time is always appreciated, too. Trust me, I know how very, very luck I am, and I hope my parents know just how much I cherish their relationship with the kids, and all the extra help that they give us. So I just wrote this post and now realize that I do not have a recent picture of the kids with Mom and Dad. Now I am going to have to work on that!