08.15.08
Posted in Nana's House at 3:43 pm by Administrator
“Don’t you want to change your dress before going to McDonald’s?”
“No ma’am.”
“Aren’t you going to want to play in the balls and climb the playscape?”
“I’ll be careful.”
Sara and Granddaddy (my husband Steve) left for McDonald’s. Actually I was shocked he suggested they go, he hates the place. What we won’t do for our grandchildren. Her Daddy met them at McDonald’s and later, Steve returned home with a look of “you won’t believe” on his face. He relayed his story:
“As soon as we walked in Sara tried to take off to the playscape, but I made her stay with me. I had no sooner gotten our order and placed the tray on the table when Sara knocked my cup of water over. I went to get extra napkins to wipe the water and just as I returned to the table Sara had opened the packet of catsup for her chicken nuggets and…”
The bells began to toll. The magic of a princess in royal gala abruptly ended like coachmen morphed back into mice. There, seated in the molded plastic seat in McDonald’s where a princess had been, sat a little girl in a red-spattered dress.
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Posted in Nana's House at 7:59 am by Administrator
My granddaughter is almost eight years old and recently spent the night with us for the first time. Our relationship is unusual because Sara is my oldest daughter’s child: given up for adoption soon after her birth. I’ve enjoyed time with Sara during special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, and kindergarten graduation. It was time that I step into my role as “Nana” and invite her for a sleepover. I think it’s challenging, at least for me, to be a doting, attentive grandmother while I am still raising a family. My youngest, Kellyn was only ten when Sara was born and at that time I still had teenagers at home.
The evening Sara arrived for the sleepover, I presented her with a white billowing gown of layered satin and crisp netting, with soft blue petals of satin rolled into tiny rosebuds, hand sewn to a netted overlay. I knew Sara would be thrilled because she had asked if I would buy her a dress like the one she had seen me give to another granddaughter. After her request I purchased another dress for a mere $10 from my neighbor who had once owned a children’s resale shop. Quite a bargain, which at best guess, had only been worn once by a flower girl in a wedding party.
It was a perfect fit and I didn’t miss the opportunity of capturing her reflection in the mirror as Sara admired herself looking like a princess ready for the ball. She twirled and then lifted the hem with each hand as to curtsey. It was a modern day Sara-Ella moment, I as her pudgy fairy grandmother, swooshing my arms about the air, camera flashing like a magic wand as bolts of lightning ricocheted off the bathroom mirror.
The ball was actually an evening opening show of WALL-E. Formal gown and flip-flops, we whisked into the theatre filled with revelry as children chaotically scurried about and a group of high school students promoted a robotics project in the lobby. Thankfully, only one trip to the restroom in the middle of the movie and as her lady-in-waiting I held her flowing gown as she momentarily sat on the throne. She asked me no less than five times to buy popcorn. I stuck with the promise that there would be no popcorn if she didn’t eat dinner. Perhaps she thought I would eventually wear out if she asked often enough. She doesn’t realize I earned my fairy grandmother wings after many years of practice!
I sneezed and she said, “God, bless you.” I asked if she wanted a snack and she responded, “Please.” I was impressed by her thoughtful manners and praised her for it, which she credited to her therapist.
Bedtime was easy – so much I thought she must be up to something, but no, the little princess fell quickly into a deep dreamy sleep. As instant as she was out, she was up…6:30 AM. No problem for a sleep deprived fairy (menopausal mania) that had already been in the backyard watering the flowers and now reading. Instead of vegging in front of Saturday morning cartoons, Sara wanted to go to the neighborhood playground. A little later her granddaddy took her to play when the neighbors could appreciate the squeaking swings. I was glad for a little reprieve. I transferred the princess pictures from my camera to the computer and began to edit a few.
I captured each memory – walking the dogs with Granddaddy, eating oatmeal with Granddaddy. She won’t remember this first sleepover and I will scrapbook and journal it as a perfect moment in time. Though I will have to give serious thought as to how honest I will be in my writing. There were times I really wanted to check my email, surf the Internet, or get my nose back in that book. I can be selfish with my time. I thought of my grandparents who pretty much sat on the porch or watched TV and then my parents with their grandchildren. I was consciously trying to be in the moment, hard as it was for me. Attentive and doting for just a few hours. I suppose I was trying to be on my best behavior – we both were.
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