Sunday, February 13, 2022

Lessons Learned While Visiting the Grandkids



LUCY BURDETTE: If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might have seen that John and I traveled to LA recently to welcome a new baby, spend time with the older kids, and cook (a lot!) I hoped you might enjoy some lessons learned from the trip. 







1. Until you really know what’s happening, get up high and keep both eyes open.




2. When you visit a new place, take some time to look around and listen before you start making a fuss. 





3. Sense of style is important, and that might include striped pajamas. Don’t let anyone dim your enthusiasm! 





4. Chocolate makes everything better. (This photo came after the part where John and I had a miscommunication and he washed the chocolate batter pan before I could give it to the kids, even though I had already promised.)





5. Try to be flexible, it’s not all black and white. (This one’s especially for Grammy and Thea.)





6. Grab an open lap wherever you find one!






Any lessons you've learned from your littles and/or furries?

52 comments:

  1. How lovely, Lucy . . . and congratulations on the newest grandbaby!

    Lessons learned from grandbabies? I could probably write pages, but here are a few of the most important ones:

    Whatever you think it is, it probably isn’t.

    Always laugh at the jokes.

    Always listen to the stories.

    Never be too busy to snuggle.

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    1. Joan, I've been practicing most of these--especially, 'listen to the stories'. My little grand-nephew is full of them.

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  2. Oh Lucy, what adorable kids, and a new beautiful baby! So many things I've learned and still have to learn from the grands. Let me see if I can think of a few important ones.
    1. Don't just ask questions that have yes and no answers. Ask the grands questions where they can actually tell you about something.
    2. The best joys really are the simplest.
    3. Kids love to perform for you, like on a musical instrument they're learning. Take the time to let them play for you and don't do anything but listen to them while they're doing it.
    4. Love their pets, except if they have rats. You don't have to love the rats.
    5. Always remember that they grow up so fast, so enjoy every minute you have with them.

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    1. 'Don't do anything but listen'--that's the best advice!

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    2. All good advice, Kathy. It's pretty hard for some of us to love the rats!

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  3. I love it. What a fun post. Thanks for my Saturday night (not quite yet Sunday my time) smile.

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  4. Great post Lucy/Roberta. Best lesson, enjoy them.

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  5. Love the photos, Lucy. I will take your lessons to heart.
    Always be ready to take a walk, read a story, go to the playground, play a game of cards, throw a ball...you don't get those chances back.

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  6. How apropos! - I am spending twenty four hours with my best friend of 45 years helping her with her adorable (and energetic) grandbabies, ages 4 1/2 and 7 months, so their parents can have a quick getaway. We were both completely exhausted last night!

    Lessons learned: sometimes you need to get into a quiet place away from the commotion and just chill (from the baby). Dancing to fun songs from the sixties always brightens the spirit. (preschooler).

    Loved your pictures, Roberta!

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  7. Thanks for sharing. I loved this post. So true. Grandkids are precious.

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  8. ROBERTA: AWWW, those pics and lessons are so true. Spending time with family is a precious gift that should not be taken for granted.

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  9. With his mother's permission, I gave my seven-month-old grandson his first homemade sweet potato fry. Instant love and a bonding moment.

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  10. Your grands are so precious! Looks like a great trip - and I'm with your grandson. What do you mean no batter! Did you make another batch just for the beater value?

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    1. In this photo, they are licking the icing bowl. Luckily that hadn't been washed!

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  11. Lovely start to my Sunday morning, Lucy! Thank you for sharing! And I can totally relate to your grandson's face, re: chocolate pan :-) (Guess who made herself a pan of brownies last night with chocolate chips and walnuts added to the batter? 'Cuz more chocolate is always better!)

    Lessons from all my nephews and now my grand-nephew: when a child comes with book(s) in hand, it's always time to read! Ditto crayons and coloring books, a pack of cards, Chutes and Ladders. And invite them to help--they love to be included--right, Lucy? Even when chocolate isn't included. And, finally, there's no such thing as too many laughs or too many kisses.

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  12. Aw! Lucy, how sweet! I'm trying to think if there is anything better than grandkids and I have decided, nope, there is not! I grew up with one set of grandparents next door and the other set a walkable 2 miles away. My children grew up with one set next door and the other set only a few miles away. My mother was very close to my granddaughter, but my grandson was too young to remember her. She never got to know either my sister's or my brother's grandchildren because they were too far away, and she had given up traveling by then.

    I'm not at all sure who benefits the most. Let's call it a tie!

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    1. We are sad that they live on the other side of the country, but try to make the best of our visits...

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  13. This is so lovely, Lucy -
    From me: Remember, this too shall pass, so savor every moment. Which is something you are obviously doing. And I get no greater pleasure than watching my daughter mother-ing her kids, and my other daughter aunt-ing.

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  14. Lovely post, Lucy! The grandparent grandchild bond is so special. When a tiny person climbs onto your lap and says”I love you, Nana” then all is right with the world

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    1. Thanks Rhys, I was not super-close to my grandparents, so this is special

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  15. Thank you for the love and the chuckles on this Sunday morning, Lucy.

    May that young person maintain the spirit that enables them to wear those gorgeous striped PJs long into the future..the world needs more of that!

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  16. Love the interaction with your grandchildren.... and the freedom and joy in their faces. Creating memories with them is so essential.

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  17. What great photos! I am completely in love with the striped pj's! And that helmet. I gave one in all black to my grandson when he was a little older than that. Fierce.

    Zak is turning 17 this week, and I'm feeling all nostalgic, anyway. We used to wrestle on the floor, with massive giggling, and I miss that time. Now he's big enough he could fling me off my feet and yell, "Take down!" I learned that from my own mom, who even now at 92 would still get down on the floor to play with the littles if she could.

    Is there anything more fun and enchanting than to enter into a child's world? Tea parties, jousts with unseen foes, and Barbie extreme sports, all just pure joy.

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    1. Wonderful to have such a relationship with your grandson Karen!

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  18. Your pictures are beautiful. Love the cat watching from above. You can't help but smile looking at your granddaughter's picture. Washing the bowl before it was licked clean - what was John thinking?

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    1. To be fair, he did holler out to me, 'are you done with this?' I didn't pay enough attention:)

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  19. LUCY, I love this! Thank you for sharing.

    Yes, I learned something very interesting from a younger relative who is so smart. Even at the age of 3. Two examples off the top of my head.

    1). There was a neighbor with a child the same age as this kid. I'll use NK to refer to the neighbor's kid and K to refer to my relative. When NK came over to play with K, NK tried to boss around K and K would not "obey". NK said "If you do not do what I say, then we cannot be friends". K still would not do what NK wanted. K always showed courtesy and respect but would not follow NK's command. K was NO pushover! LOL. And guess what? They are still friends. Even at the age of 3, K knew how to set healthy boundaries!

    Second example:
    When K and her parents went to a Halloween event, K was dressed as Snow White. I think K was about 3 or 4 years old. Some mean kids at the Halloween event said "I will give you poisoned apple". K said "That is not a nice thing to do." The lesson here is that K was never afraid to stand up for herself!

    Children often notice things that adults do not notice. I was just reading (again) one of my favorite mysteries. The protagonist and her colleague had a disagreement. The colleague believed that children should be seen and not heard, which dates back to Victorian era thinking. The protagonist did not agree and said "Children should be seen and heard".

    I often think about what the world would look like to a new baby. I loved the photos and thank you for sharing your stories.

    Diana

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    1. Those are wonderful stories Diana. and the comment about what they notice is on target! They are like sponges at these ages...and that baby is watching and waiting.

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  21. We had a moment when my grandson was about 15--he was listening to music on his earbuds, and I said--it's okay if you turn the music on so I can hear too. And I asked him to tell me about what he was listening to, and why he loved it. We had such a great time! SO--#grammylistens is a good thing.

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    1. Love this, Hank!

      One of my favorite memories is of driving in my daughter's car with her and Zak, and the three of us singing "Uptown Funk" at the top of our lungs with Bruno Mars.

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  22. Lucy, the pictures are adorable! But the striped pajamas are absolutely the best. All such good advice from everyone. I would add only, "Don't be afraid to be silly."

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  23. Based on real life experience with my then three year old son, never turn your back on them if they're carrying a rubber mallet.

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  24. I love this so much! Great pics, Lucy, thanks for sharing. Made my day.

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  25. Love these joyful photos and your comments--brought a big smile to my face. Thanks for sharing these with us.

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