The Fun of Having Grandkids

ByMarjie

On May 29th, I packed up the car and took off for Junction City, Kansas, with my two grandsons; Jay (two weeks before his 12th birthday) and his brother, Luke, age 10.

My son, Toby, is in the Army, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.  He lives on the Army Post with his wife, Amy, and their three little girls (ages 5, 4, and almost 3).  Amy was undergoing a hernia repair surgery the next day, and the boys and I were driving down to help her care for the girls during the first week of her recovery.

Caring for Toby and Amy’s three little angels is always an adventure.  Addison is 5, going on 25, and she likes to think she’s in charge.  She tells me how to handle her little sisters, and she speaks with such authority that it floors me.  “No, Grandma.  Kyndall only gets one gummy.”  “Kyndall just turned four.  Now she gets two gummies.”  “Oh.”

Kyndall, on the other hand, was diagnosed with PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). She turned four years old on May 31st, and Amy told me that the doctors are now having doubts about that being a valid diagnosis.  And although she is completely potty trained, as is her baby sister, Tobie (named after her daddy), she is developmentally delayed.  Kyndall and Tobie seem to be on the same developmental level, so it was like caring for two 2-year-olds.  And boy is Kyndall a handful.

Little Tobie will be three-years-old in mid July.  While in Kansas, I had to take her to Salina for an ear doctor follow-up.  It was a good 45 minute drive, so I’d be gone awhile.  I took Kyndall with me.  I knew that Amy couldn’t handle her so soon after surgery, and the boys couldn’t handle her at all. 

Jay and Luke were wonderful to have along on this trip.  They helped with chores.  They entertained and watched the little ones.  And Jay got a crash course in babysitting because I couldn’t always be there.

Our last day in Kansas, Amy and I took the kids to the pool on post.  I got pictures of all the kids kicked back relaxing in lawn chairs.  When we got back to Cincinnati, Jay showed the picture to his grandpa and said, “And you thought we were there working.”

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