Got Toddlers?

I'll be taking July off from blogging. It's going to be a busy fun filled month with company coming and all. But here's something those of you with toddlers, or memories of toddlers, might enjoy. As you may suspect, I wrote it for publication and it never was. Still, the message holds. 

See you in August and I'm thinking Contest! 

Teachable Toddlers

The thing about toddlers is – they don’t know a lot yet. Their lives for the next several years will be a colorful string of teachable moments. Grandparents have an important roll to play in unraveling some of that string. We’ve had six little sweethearts to help along this road. I’ve cataloged some of the moments that you may also have experienced. Here is what I’d love to tell those sweethearts – if only they’d listen. Um – their parents, our sons, didn’t, but there’s always hope for a new generation, right?

Dear Precious Toddler,

If we’re having a great time making a mess with cupcake frosting and I have to step into the pantry for eight seconds – I’m not leaving you forever! Really. If you follow me I’ll be turned around and on my way back before you can blink your big brown eyes and there could be trouble. We may run smack right into each other and get matching  owies – my knee and your forehead. How about I sing “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” for the whole eight seconds while I grab the food coloring. We need more blue. You stay in your chair and sing along.  

When Grandpa is sitting nice and comfy in his recliner, smiling and waiting to read your favorite princess story, you’ll want to dash into his arms. But watch out! Grandpa has big feet and chances are you’ll get to them before you get to his lap. Then, Kawump! Over  you’ll go. Grandpa will do his best to catch you, but it’s better to slow down and stop when you get to his fat laced up sneakers. The story will still be there when you do.

The difference between loading and unloading the dishwasher is very important. What a big boy you are wanting to help me do both, but mostly I’ll need you to help me put things In. We have to put them all in before we shut the door, too, with the rack all the way back. When the dishwasher is all done washing the dishes we’ll take them Out. I know just where they go in the cupboards. There’s no need to unload them onto the floor first.

Dog food and cat food isn’t that good for you. The bag it comes in is colorful and that doggy or kitty on the front is so cute. But it’s for animals. People eat different food. I know the dog sets a particularly bad example of how to eat – gobbling the way he does. It even looks like fun. Pay no attention to him. And you may think the cat is finicky, she is, but don’t try to share the tuna shreds in gravy with her. It won’t end well. She won’t eat them just because you do. How about crackers and juice instead? For you, I mean.  

So, the next time you visit Grandma, we’ll go over this list. Okay?

See you soon!

Grandma

These scenarios happen in every generation. The only joy in them is seeing it repeated with a new batch of toddlers – not mine. The best we can hope for, I guess, is that by kindergarten the little munchkins will have these teachable moments deposited into their memory banks with interest to spare when history repeats itself with their own kids. Yeah, let’s say that’ll happen. 

Photo: What we'll be doing in July. Hope you'll be having just as much fun!

Bread - The Staff of Life

My late father-in-law, Pop, loved bread. Whenever my mother-in-law made him a sandwich, she was instructed to go light on the filling because the bread was his favorite part. He’d smell the bread, kiss his fingers to the air and proclaim, “Aw, the staff of life.” He was a simple man.

Our granddaughter, Anna, has followed in his train by also loving bread. When she was plopped here last week, not feeling well, I asked her what she’d like for breakfast.

“Toast with jam.” Simple as that.

“Strawberry or blackberry?” I asked.

“Strawberry.”  Of course.

But her all time favorite bread is the cheesy bread I make as an appetizer. I found it online and offer it here because I love my readers and want to share something good with  you. (We need it right now). 

Buy a Boule or some other form of firm round bread, uncut, at the grocery.

Slice it crossways, both ways, but not to the bottom.

Slice up some good cheese like Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar and tuck it into the cuts in the bread. 2  8 oz. bricks should do it.

In a saucepan heat these together:

½ cup butter (and a little olive oil)

¼ cup scallions chopped finely

2 tsp. poppy seeds

Heat oven to 350

Spoon butter mixture over bread then wrap it loosely in aluminum foil.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes then loosen the foil (so top is exposed) and bake for 10 minutes more.

Get the cooks share soon after you serve it or you won’t get any at all. It disappears at an alarming rate especially if Anna is within striking distance.

PS: Great for Father’s Day gatherings. Their fingers might even kiss the air and possibly you.

Image: Free Digital Photos

Gulliver of the Trampoline

It’s been many, many years since I’ve jumped on a trampoline. But yesterday I had the opportunity to do it vicariously through our youngest granddaughter, Sierra. I was asked to accompany her on her pre-school field trip to the local trampoline park. And joy of joys – we had it all to ourselves.

Sierra and her compatriots wasted no time in shedding their shoes, tearing up the steps, hair and giggles flying, to test their running and jumping skills. BOING-G-G. Well, how much fun is this? For about a half hour their high energy continued until each section of the room had been thoroughly tested. And then – along came a giant.

Tall, stocking feet, bright orange vest. One of two workers that day. His weapons neon green balls and  bright orange ones. Gathering them under his arms he stepped into the arena. And there he began pelting the kids with those (very soft) balls. Pow! Bam! Gotcha!

Small heads turned. Hey! What was this? An adult who wanted to play? The shock and then sheer delight at the idea soon went off like a cartoon light bulb in each little noggin. Guess what? We’re going to throw those balls right back at this big guy. Woo. Hoo.

Up until that point it was all about the other kids. Competition. Who can jump highest. Who can run up the trampoline wall the furthest. But now they had a common target. He was big. He was laughing. He was eyeballing their backs and they were loving it.

“I got him!” A five-year-old tank of a little boy yelled.

“Ha, Ha,” Sierra screeched as she made her mark, blonde curls swirling.

“Look out!” A warning to a fellow fighter to duck.

And on it went until they had him down on the mat pummeling him like the Lilliputians they were. Poor Gulliver. They only lacked ropes to finish the job. It was glorious to behold.

Things calmed down after that but it made me realize how much our children need us. Other kids are fine, but really, it’s the grown  ups they idolize. When they glance back to see if we’re watching – we need to be watching. When a lip is pushed out and tears are pending  - we need to have hugs and kisses ready. We must feed them, often with treats (soul food). We must shelter them – sometimes right under our own covers when we’re weary beyond belief. We must clothe them, even when we are not crazy about their choices. 

They’re watching us, these kids. They want to be us someday. They learn how to love – or not – from us. If you’re in an adventuresome relationship with a little someone, take that roll to heart. Throw balls at them. Let them throw them back. Be big and tall and fun. Be strong and soft and accepting right up to the day you must let them go.

Perhaps then, if we manage all this,  the world could be healed. Gulliver would like to think so. 

Image: Free Digital Photos

Summer - Here She Comes

The beginning of a new season walked onto the patio yesterday. I call it the time of “summer parties”.  True, it’s still spring, but the key to the whole idea is having the first grill out. It was spontaneous. The very best kind of party where a mention here and a mention there brought out food and drink, games and laughter. “Come over for burgers after the game.” And they did.  

In all levels of society everywhere the idea of seasonal parties puts one in a certain frame of mind. Summer food for instance. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken or ribs on the grill. Your awesome bbq sauce that you’re not sharing the recipe for – ever. Cold beer, chilled wine and lemonade. Corn on the cob, though the really good stuff doesn’t show up until late July, and bowls full of strawberries. Summer salads and watermelon. I could go on, but I don’t want to wet the keyboard from a happily watering mouth.

Oh – and the party clothes. Shorts. Gotta get them out, try them on, like laying on the bed so I can zip them up kind of trying on. Then looking for the ones with a more belly friendly waist. Can you say “elastic”? Cute tops. I have a light gray t-shirt covered with colorful parrots dashing about. You can almost hear them calling to each other, “Hey, she’s packed on a few pounds over the winter don’t you think, Bertie?” Stupid parrots. Pretty skirts, sun dresses and tank tops. Clever sayings on hubby’s pocket tees.

Lawn furniture hauled up from the basement, scrubbed, arranged just so then tested for their sit worthiness. Flowers and plants from the local nursery lounging in their planters and plastic pots eyeing the furniture and wondering who will buddy up to whom for the parties. The geraniums prefer to sit next to the glass top side tables they've let me know. 

The cover is on the gazebo, but I left the side curtains in the big plastic bag this year. Lots of trouble putting them on the little rings, tying them back and wondering if  the spiders and icky cocoons will find their way into the folds. Puts the party people right off their pasta salad when one of them critters emerges for a bit of sun and frolic.

Parties travel.

Memorial Day at Karen and Ben’s. Glorious appetizers, Bob talk (ask us), Bocce Ball on the lawn and fabulous desserts. Who has the most adorable sandals and don’t  you just love their new wicker patio set? The cats, Simon and Luci, eyeball us then lean in to be petted. Leftovers to go home with for lunch tomorrow. Yum.

Sometimes, like  on the 4^th of July, we’re at the lake. Lots of kids splashing about, lots red, white and blue, lots of sun. We line up for boat rides and then crowd onto the dock when the sun goes down waiting for the fireworks to start. We scratch mosquito bites and swap stories while the wet swimsuits dry on the backs of chairs. Anybody up for watermelon?

Then there’s the annual soccer game at the home of number one son later in the month. In their huge side yard the competition is getting more fierce as the grand kids, nieces and nephews get bigger and meaner. Ha! Just kidding. But the eyelids of the dads and Grandpas flicker a bit now when they think of actually getting out there. Pow! Bam! Oof!

The pool at Mimi’s. Can’t forget that one. Water, water everywhere. Slipping in, sliding down and plunging forth. Shrieks of laughter or sudden silence as your head goes under. A gulp or two of chlorine never hurt anybody. Right? 

Birthdays, Father’s Day, Independence Day, birthdays, Labor Day, birthdays, cake ice cream and a colorful pinata. On and on the glory goes for three full months. Bring on those lazy, crazy, hazy days. 

Yup, the summer parties are on their way. What are yours like?   

Image: Free Digital Photos

Tubin' It

You all know that I’m a You Tube junkie. Lots of stuff on there  - good, bad, ugly, uplifting, depressing, awesome – just like life. So, leaving out the bad, ugly and depressing, I though I’d share a couple of the good ones (at least to me) with you. Maybe you’ve already seen some of them, if so, enjoy them again or comment. I love comments.

First two are these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1F0lBnsnkE  Someone posted this on Facebook and I was blown away. When you can’t dance yourself this is the next best thing. Enormous talent in this one too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVJu9AMJJr4  A more modern version of the first and just as much fun to watch.

Next is this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROPesXv2z1U  Oh, my goodness. My granddaughters and I watched this a few weeks ago and we’re planning a similar event in the Hannaford Supermarket over the summer. Well, at least in our minds. But wouldn’t that be fun? Seriously.

Then there’s this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D5bPLxU8U8  Prepare to laugh. This bad, bad dog is thoroughly  entertaining. Youngest granddaughter, Sierra, and I love it and laugh like the crazy girls we are.

The last one it this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc  There is nothing in this world more pure than a baby’s laughter They bring nothing to the process but joy.

There now. If you’ve watched just one, I hope it’s brightened your day. 

Image: Free Digital Photos

Up to the Garden

 “We’ll put the coffee on and then go up to the garden. You can see Grandma’s herb patch,” I said. Yesterday our youngest son, his wife and kids stopped over with apple  cider doughnuts and a luscious cherry pie – a nice surprise for Mother’s Day.  Coffee on then up the hill we trooped and, though there wasn’t much to see yet, I got nods and smiles for my efforts.

This put me in mind of my own Grandma Blaine’s garden from when I was a kid. They lived in an old farm house out on the prairie in upstate Minnesota back in the 1950’s. I always loved going to Grandma’s house. My aunt Doreen, only four years my senior, was our guide to all things farm related – like descending into the cool depths of the cellar where Grandma stored all her canned veggies or standing in the spring house where the stream running through kept Grandpa’s milk cans cold. One of the best things in the world was being in the garden, plucking peas and eating those little sugar bombs right out of the pod. Our own granddaughters have done the same.

Once when we visited the farm that, at the time, still had an outhouse, my sister Shari and I had to “go”. So, off we took ourselves, down a short slope, heading for the wooden doors and the iconic two holer (I think). I’m sure we were blither-blathering along, trying to beat each other to it and so were caught unawares when, upon flinging the door open, we suddenly encountered – A Snake!! Gaaa!! If you think Lucy Van Pelt of Peanuts fame screeches every time Snoopy kisses her, well, she had nothing on us. You never saw two little girls flap about, screaming, and running so fast in your life. Lucifer himself was on our heels and we were shoving each other to be the first out of his way as we ran pell mell for the house. Our tale was greeted with rollicking laughter among the relatives, but I gotta tell ya, we didn’t have to pee for hours after that. Our fear had siphoned it off completely.

Grandma was an awesome cook. Remembering her spring vegetables in cream still makes my mouth water. She also made bismarks, a long jelly filled doughnut, that makes me smile (and drool) when I think of them. And probably the jelly was homemade. Speaking of which, her pin cherry jelly was to die for. In those days jams and jellies were sealed with paraffin wax and I remember always wanting to lick the jelly off the wax when she pushed the wax disc on one end to get at the ruby loveliness beneath.

Today I’ll be checking my rhubarb to see how soon I can make a pie. Oh – another memory spark. My aunt Doreen and I used to love picking rhubarb, cleaning it up and sprinkling it with salt. A taste delight lost on rhubarb enthusiasts of today. But the tang on our tongues and our puckered lips brought a delightful shiver and I hold that memory dear. At least one stalk is still savored that way from my patch every season. Yum!

So, a short Mother’s Day walk in the garden is more than it appears. Puts you off in a whole other world sometimes. That ever happen to you?

There’s my herb garden in the first photo. Dill, parsley, sweet basil, surrounded by marigolds and cosmos. Can’t wait for it to bloom. I tried to find a snake to sit for a photo, but perhaps a cautionary word has gone out among them since I went all commando on that milk snake last summer. They’ve been scarce on the ground of late.

Have an awesome week!

For Moms

It’s been five years this week since my mother, Elaine Bagger, died. She loved butterflies. I wrote this poem for the bulletin we used at her funeral. It’s sentimental and it rhymes, but it was written from my heart at the time. I still talk to her now and then, especially if my heart is heavy and I'm sure she hears me because that’s . . .   

The Way of a Mother

by Susan Sundwall

With labored breath and happy tears

she brought you here to earth

and so became your mother

at the moment of your birth.

She gazed at you in wonder

precious daughter, tiny son

and held you up so proudly,

“Meet your daddy, little one.”

Then years rolled by like thunder

with laughter, joy and -  grief,

too soon you were a grown up

thanks to Father Time – that thief!

But standing like a solid oak

who’s limbs are strong and true,

your mother said, “I love you,

no matter what you do.”

So you hardly even noticed

how her back began to bow,

or that her former lively step

had now become quite slow.

A moment here, a moment there

was all that you could give.

She let you go quite happily,

had taught you how to live.

And now this loving woman

who brought you here to earth,

she longs to leave the wondrous life

the laughter, grief, and mirth.

When finally unto her there comes

the call to Heaven’s grace,

our God will gently take her

to His holy, peaceful place.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my readers.

Image: Free Digital Photos