Thoughts on Grandsons

I hope you all had a special Thanksgiving holiday and made it home safely again. We had an exciting trip up and over the Blue Mountains and down the Columbia River gorge. A lovely drive except when snow is coming down and the roads are slicker than—well, anything really slippery.
We spent a week with our 4-year-old grandson who is smarter than Hubby and I put together. He has conversations with his mother in Mandarin and speaks good English although he has some trouble pronouncing some words. For example, he kept talking about poopoo talking or poopoo going someplace. I was really confused until I realized that he was meant people. People were talking and going places. Once I figured out that interpretation, I understood him better. He recognizes sight words, knows simple addition, and loves to learn. He can run computers and tablets, and don’t give him your cell phone. He’ll reprogram it and change all your settings.
His brain must be going 90 mph since he can’t sit still for a second. The only thing that keeps him still: he loves being read to. I read to him for two solid hours one morning and he was begging for more. I loved it! Nothing thrills me more than reading out loud, especially to children.
He’s loud even when he sits beside me. He has no indoor voice. He doesn’t mind announcing to the whole house what’s being accomplished in the bathroom. It’s pretty funny and when it’s not family, it’s pretty embarrassing. His voice level makes him easy to find. When it’s quiet, he’s either asleep or into something he shouldn’t be. So he’s easy to keep track of. Easy in theory, but hard in real life. He’s smart enough to be conniving. If Mom or Dad told him no, he would ask me or Hubby. Or if Hubby or I told him no, he’d ask Mom and Dad and once, got away with it. We learned very quickly not to give him a decision, but to tell him ask Mom and Dad.
We also visited with his 10-month-old brother who mostly walked around watching his big brother. He must be taking notes. He’s quiet and doesn’t get too upset about anything. Very laid back, in contrast to his brother. The quiet kids are the ones you have to watch closer. You never know what’s going on in those brains, especially if this one is anywhere near as smart as his brother. Time will tell on him, but until then, he’s the cutest little guy ever. He’s been walking for weeks and is getting faster every day.
Thanks for reading a grandma’s bragging. Next week’s blog? No idea. Come back and see. Have a wonderful week and watch out for aggressive shoppers!