For the past two weeks, Hubby and I have assisted our son in the care of our grandsons. Our daughter-in-law was on a business trip to western Africa, and the boys are too much of a handful for one person. Besides, it gets lonely for our son.
The boys are close and play well together, most of the time. Sometimes the younger one turns into Godzilla and tears whatever older brother is playing with to smithereens. Then the yelling begins, and the noise volume increases substantially. Its all in good fun.
My grandsons are a beautiful blend of American and Chinese. At ages 5 and 2, they are both bilingual, understanding and speaking both English and Mandarin. They’re both very intelligent which at their ages, makes them conniving. You can’t trust them for a second. For example, Hubby put them both down for a nap, then went into another room. Their chatter gradually lessened until all was quiet. He assumed they had gone to sleep. An hour later, they were found in their dad’s office, a place they’re not supposed to be. A question or two revealed the truth: they’d snuck out of their beds and hid in the closet where they played quietly. Had they stayed out of their dad’s office, we’d have thought they’d had a long nap.
I wish I could bottle the energy of these two boys and take a little each day. They function much like a whirlwind which is why it takes more than one adult to see after them. Sometimes they are going different directions, and it’s not easy to chose which to follow, although I’d say the younger one. He’s fast, fearless, and curious about everything. He loves to do things and go places not intended for 2-year-olds.
The five-year-old is a good boy. He’s learning to play piano so he gave us a few concerts. He has a recital coming up so we had to keep on him to practice. He’s good at playing alone with his toys and huge imagination until Godzilla comes crashing through. He sometimes pushes the boundaries of his limits too. No lowering of your guard with him either.
Our daughter and son-in-law joined us for a few days as well. The boys are crazy about their auntie and uncle, climbing all over them and wanting to play with them. Uncle let the younger one climb up him which made him a favorite. Auntie played on the floor and read to them, both making her a favorite as well.
The most blessed moment came when Hubby and I were sitting quietly in our room, listening to the sounds of our children and grandchildren playing together. Their laughter and words were the most pleasant sounds ever. Sweet music to our ears. I leaned over and whispered to my hubby, “All because two people fell in love.”