While I tried to mention a time or two that he was with his grandparents, I still felt like people might wonder if we had a falling out and he was estranged from our family at the tender age of 6.
Well, don't worry too much about the little guy. He had plenty of adventures of his own and he was of course sorely missed!
When J's parents came to visit in their RV last month Z hit the road with them. You can imagine the dream come true of getting to chill on couch watching movies while chowing down on refrigerated snacks as the mileage simultaneously racks up on the odometer. The lap of luxury!
Shortly after their trip from Ohio to Texas they packed everything up again to head to South Dakota. This time they had an extra grandchild with them which made it even more of a memorable family occasion.
In the Dakotas Z got to see Mount Rushmore and while he was there he got a couple souvenirs. One of which was written by the last living person to work on this historic monument. Z even got to meet him and get his signature.
Their main purpose of the trip though was to go to a family reunion which included a celebration of J's aunt and uncle's 50th anniversary. After a few other festivities they made their way back to Texas. It's a lot of traveling for sure, but it sounds like it went well.
Back at the Texas hub Z gets to swim in the pool all day and then play xbox and watch cable tv at night. He stays up until the am hours and wakes up in the pm. He eats a buffet of lucky charms and chocolate chips pancakes. All this on acres of land housing horses, dogs, kittens, and wildlife. I try not to think about it too much and let him enjoy being spoiled, hoping that it's not beyond repair. He has a very special bond with his grandparents, which is something I never had, so I want to allow him that experience. On the other hand I worried that he would not transition back into the routine of having to share with his siblings, have a bedtime, and do chores. We don't operate with a military style structure that's for sure, but it's Disney Land either. The good news is, when Z returned I think he was ready to be back at home. It's been a week since we were reunited and he's been so mature and grateful. We've had endless snuggles and chats. He has been more helpful toward his little sister and talking respectfully to me for the most part. YES! I can exhale now. Before he left we kept threatening to pull the plug on this trip because he was dealing with a lot of behavior issues. I have truly shed a couple tears over some of this stuff. All these parenting choices are enough to give me a heart attack sometimes. It's can be so tough!!! And that's not even enough exclamation points.
I thank the Lord that Z has two sets of godly grandparents that can impart kingdom values into him and show him some sweet and wonderful memories along the way. What a gift. Z has been making these annual trips with the grands for a while now and I imagine it's a tradition that won't stop anytime soon. Like I said, I didn't have those kinds of experiences as a child, since my grandmothers passed away before I was born, but when I hear other people talk about the summers on the granpappy's farm, or road trips with their memaw there is a glimmer in their eyes that you don't find with any other conversation. It's a relationship that can't be matched.
Did you have special traditions with your grandparents? Or maybe you had some else in your life that kind of filled that role? Here is a quote from my dad that sums it all up
It wasn't hard to see
That the favored spot of children
Is to sit on Grandma's knee"
2 comments:
This picture of Z with grandma is great. Love the post.
N.W.
Gosh...I'm behind again and will try to catch up over the next couple of days! I'm glad Z had such a great time and has a special relationship with his grandparents. My grandfathers both passed away before I was born, but I have some memories with both grandmothers and a great-grandmother. I hope to be close to my grandchildren one day! :)
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