Keeping Buttons Entertained.

I’m drinking my first cup of coffee, a little late but better than never, right? Anyway, my grandson is sitting beside me in his chair and playing with my pencil holder, without the pencils but with interesting things just the same. It is amazing what I will do for a few minutes of undisturbed writing. He wants to color, I give him colors and then smile while he writes all over his tray, that’s okay, the colors are non toxic and washable. Now it’s Chap Stick, not medicated, but the little lip balms made from beeswax and cherry flavored, yes, I gave him a brand new tube and smile as he smears it all over his tray, his hands, and tries for his lips. He’s entertained. Yeah! You know, my son, who is the baby of my two children and the baby of my husband’s three children, is soon to be 28 years old, which means that I have not really had a full time baby since 1978. I was much younger, much more agile, and had plenty of energy, and I don’t know where that all went, but it’s gone. But, anyway, while I had my grandson number one a lot, I mean a lot while he was between birth and 4, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. (oh wait, he has found the little stick um strips, and he looks so cute with them attached all over his face, should I take a picture, nope, I’ll pass, I’ll try to keep in my memory) Like I was saying, there was a going home time, I knew that somewhere between 5 and 9 pm, my daughter or her husband was going to rush through the door with apologies for being late. Not now, and I am not complaining because he, Buttons, is safe.

My light at the end of the tunnel now comes from little things like stickems, Chap Stick, non runny shooeies, and help from Mr. Zelda. He gave the bath last night, he really did, to give me a break he says. Well the break actually went like this. I have his water in the tub, his toys, and I am taking his clothes off, and I say to Mr. Zelda, you sit on the pot and watch him play, until I put clean sheets on his bed, get his blanket out of the drier, and make him his last bottle. (No, I still haven’t weaned him but I’m thinking, I breast fed both my kids long past two even up to three. My daughter was forever nursing even after she turned three, I still was feeding the baby, her brother. I think it was a security thing. But I am thinking since I breast fed my children for so long, maybe him having one night time bottle and one mid day bottle is okay, as long as I don’t put it in bed with him. Right?) Anyway, he, Mr. Zelda, says, okay. So I am running around doing all the other things and to my surprise, Mr. Zelda, bathed the baby, washed his hair, and even helped him brush his teeth. Hey, not bad. So, by 7 pm, the baby was given his night time snack, bathed, teeth brushed, given his last bottle, teeth brushed again, and tucked in. Way cool. He slept all night.

Things are getting better, they really are, and if Mr. Zelda continues to help, well, maybe raising my grandson will not be so bad; at least I will sleep at night. OH, I forgot, he changed the baby’s diaper. Did a really good job, but put the sticky things in the back. Why is that? If a diaper is going to be messed up, it is going to be done so backwards. I didn’t laugh, just said the next time the sticky things go in the front. He said I thought so, but he was still, and I had it on that way so instead of messing around and getting him all moving again, I just put the fasteners on.

Oh, the squirrels are out and eating the pecans. (I will do anything to entertain my grandson so I can write. So I am feeding the squirrels my over priced pecans, not a bad thing in the grand scheme of things.) Now, Buttons is watching the squirrel. It’s time for me to go get him some cheerios so he can imitate the squirrels. Like I said, what ever it takes to keep the baby entertained so I can write, drink coffee, and have a bit of sanity.