Ah…out of the mouths of babes…
We were up visiting the MAGITW (most adorable grandchildren in the world) a couple of weekends ago.
These are always bracing visits.
AGMA always thinks I’m doing pretty well physically until we visit the MAGITW. They have a way of breaking you down and making you feel your age. I realized my self-deception on this visit within the first 24 hours.
It all started with the bounce house.
My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, V, has been a pacifier addict since she was a tiny babe. Her “paci” was a source of comfort, stress relief and just plain ole good times. 80% of the pictures I have of her up until now has been with a paci in her mouth.
Like she did with B, V’s older brother, when he was small, the Paci Fairy made a visit to their house. In case you didn’t know, the Paci Fairy – a distant relative of the Tooth Fairy – takes away all of the pacifiers in a house, but in their place, she leaves a gift.
On this visit, she cleared out all of V’s pacis and left a bounce house.
A full sized, air inflated, skull cracking bounce house.
Sweet!
So of course Nana AGMA had to give the bounce house a try.
Of course.
I cranked up the inflation thing-a-ma-jig. The bounce house filled up with air, and B, V and I piled in.
Up to this point, I was still under the delusion that I was in pretty good shape. Then the bouncing commenced…
It was fun for the first 2 minutes.
Round ’bout minute 3, AGMA started wondering, “What the hell was I thinking????”
B, my grandson, is a large 4 year old who’s a bit hyperactive. He was literally flinging himself against the sides of the bounce house with all his might. So much so that I was afraid he was going to collapse one side and all three of us were going to tumble out.
Evidently the frenetic bouncing got to V too, who is still getting the hang of using a potty.
She slid down the little exit slide and announced, “I have to go pee pee.”
Panicked, AGMA tried to get out of the bounce house to assist her, but in my haste, I fell down several times. B thought I was intentionally flinging myself around so he decided to body slam me a few times. The last time, as I was sliding down the exit slide lying sideways. He slammed his full weight down right on top of my left shoulder which jammed my right shoulder into the hard floor.
I remember thinking, “Oh – this is not good…”
Fun times.
And as it turns out, it was all for naught. V peed in her pants anyway.
Oh well.
AGMA feels like I was in an episode of I Love Lucy.
So, in addition to screwing up my right shoulder, all the bouncing and falling and flinging aggravated AGMA’s lumbar discs that have been squished due to my scoliosis, causing lumbar nerve compression causing my right leg and hip to ache for the next 5 days – 24/7. Fun times…
“Mr. Feder, you seem like a really delightful guy!” to quote Roseanne Roseannadanna.
The bounce house was NOT inflated again during our visit.
Screw you Paci Fairy!
My granddaughter, V, is actually an incredibly sweet and kind child when she’s not acting like a 2 year old. She likes to take my glasses off and wear them. Then she orders me to “Ki Nana!” And I have to play-act cry that she has my glasses until she gives them back.
It’s the dance we do.
At one point during this visit, before I put my glasses back on after being ordered to “Ki!”, she got up really, really close to my face and looked deeply into my eyes.
At that moment, I was looking into the eyes of pure innocence. And kindness and goodness and gentleness. Looking into her young, full of love, beautiful blue-gray eyes that have so far seen nothing of the harshness of the world, I was transfixed.
Then she winkled up her nose and whispered…
“What happened Nana?”
And pointed to the bags under my eyes and the age spots around them.
“Oh sweetie,” I replied, “Nana just got old.”
AGMA felt like Wendy Darling when Peter Pan comes to visit and and finds a gray haired Wendy with her grandchildren.
Nana just got old.
It happens. If you’re lucky…
But don’t take it all too terribly seriously.
Betcha AGMA’s back in the bounce house in June.
Aging gracefully my ass!
Haha… oops, I shouldn’t be laughing at AGMA’s expense. 😉
Once, my 4-year-old nephew said to me after I’d removed my makeup, “Why do you look so funny?” 😀
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Indeed…please laugh! It was pretty darned funny with me flailing in that bounce house like a cockroach on it’s back… Little kids are brutally honest aren’t they?? The sweet little so and sos….
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😁😂
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Grandkids are great! But I’m a coward at heart – I’ve never been brave enough to get within 20 feet of a bouncy house with a grandkid in it.
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Brave and smart!!
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Love your story, but somehow I don’t think going back in the bounce house come June is a good idea. Maybe it’s just me, though.
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Nope – you’re right – it’s not a good idea. But nobody ever accused AGMA of being sensible!
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Youngsters have so much energy because they suck it out of the adults around them. Count yourself s one of the lucky ones. Even a painful memory is better than an unfulfilled wish. Heal up and get back out there, Gma.
Ω
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“Even a painful memory is better than an unfulfilled wish.” OMG – I LOVE this Allan!! As long as it’s something that will heal and not cause permanent damage, I’m there!!
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Peace, love, and chocolate, AGMA!
Ω
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This touched my heart in so many ways. My granddaughter complimented me on my tattoos (varicose veins).
My vertigo would not allow any bounce house adventures!
Hope your shoulder heals soon. What blessings these innocent children are.
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Thanks so much !! Actually, I was touched deeply by the intensity of her looking into my eyes. Like she was looking for something in them. That really is her sweet little 2 year old eye in the picture…
And the shoulder is now healed and ready for June!
You are right about the innocence – it reminds us of our essence and that is a true blessing!
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thank you for the smiles. 🙂
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Oh man Wendi…I just found your comment in the spam folder. WTF?? Glad I rescued it and your are very, very welcome!!
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🙂 I am so very happy you found it too! Bless you for looking!
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AGMA/Lucy/RoseannaRoseannaDanna – I admire your devotion and fun-loving spirit with the kiddos. But let me share a cautionary tale: My dental hygienist (also a loving, spirited, fearless Gma) joined her 11-year old grandson in a climbing wall adventure. Aya kaya. She fell, landed on her ankle, and now requires reconstructive surgery. But she is a no-holes-barred woman who will some day be remembered by her grandson as SuperGrandma. And you, too, with the Bounce House. PaciFairy is a mischievous sprite, but you have planted some fine memory seeds for the MAGITWs.
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Oh Susan – thanks so much for your sweet comments. I really feel the sand running through the hour glass and I’m trying to create memories when I can (since we only see them every couple of months) And I totally can see me trying a climbing wall…
I hope your hygienist’s ankle will heal up nicely and she’ll be back at it soon!
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I’ve never experienced the fun/horror/potential loss of limbs of a bounce house, but I have experienced the “joy” of a child’s comments. Wading in a river with the daughter of a friend of the family next to a very large boat, she said, “You probably weigh as much as this boat, huh?” Thanks, kid. Thanks. I’m proud to say I resisted drowning her on the spot.
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Am I an evil person because I laughed at your story…? What a hoot – thanks for sharing!
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You know what they say, ” Getting old is not for sissies.” As Toby Keith sings, “I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was… My body says you can’t do this boy, but my pride says oh yes you can!” It is so easy to fall into that trap of thinking we can do what we used to do, when challenged by a much younger person. Great story!
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Thanks so much!! But we can as easily fall into the trap of thinking we can’t do something just because we have a few extra years on us. It’s a fine balancing act right?
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Growing old – compulsory.
Growing up – optional.
Stick to the latter, like me AGMA!
Dookes
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You’re my hero Dookes – you know that!! If you can ride Harls in the snow in the French Alps, I can bounce in a bounce house. France on Sunday – can’t wait!!
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Oh, I just do what I do don’t embarrass me!
Enjoy France, whereabouts are you going?
Dookes
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AGMA’s version of the TdF except in a car! Rouen, Dinan, Tours, Sarlat de Caneda (spelling?), Carcassone, Provence, Annecy, Champagne! Oh la la!
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All the hot spots eh?!?!
Hope it went well.
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Yeah – hot spots for a hot chick…NOT! Ha! A bit bumpy at first, but it did go well. We stopped for lunch in Gap one day on our way to Annecy. Beautiful – both of them!
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They’re both ok places, but it’s what surrounds them, the mountains, that are so special!
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Agreed!! But they were charming towns (says the woman who comes from a country with very few charming towns like that…)
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😂😂😂😂
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