US Journal
Monday, May 10, 2013
Jillian to Myself!
Last week, I no sooner got it out of my mouth that I wanted
some time with 1½ year-old Jillian, just
the two of us, than her mom Julie said,” How would you like for her to come to
your house while I go to an appointment next Monday?” “PERFECT!” was my answer,
and today was delightful…just the two of us.
Julie told me today that she was bringing me a tired, grumpy
child and not to be surprised if she soon asked for food or a nap or just
complained in general. She told me not to worry, I would know for sure if she
needed either of those things, and she gave me some food that Jillian liked. I
told Julie that putting babies to sleep was a forte of mine…not to worry! If
she showed any signs of being hungry or tired, I would jump on it! I told Julie
to turn and go…and don’t turn back. What I really meant was, “We’re already
having fun here…why don’t you go on to your meeting?”
I had pulled out my grandsons’ toy basket, and Jillian was
enthralled with the mirror. She kissed and hugged the “baby” in the mirror and
laughed and laughed at me laughing at her! Then we went on a progression of toy
play. Tigger and Jillian’s bear bounced all over the floor and all over Jillian
while she cackled out loud. Books were read again and again. The “Cat in the
Hat” cd had a great song with the characters that was isolated from the movie.
She loved that but didn’t complain at all when the computer went “off” when she
started playing with the keyboard. I knew I had to do something big after that,
so we went out the back door with 2 dog biscuits for the neighbor’s German
Shepherd Rex. Rex is a VERY large dog, and he can get to our fence in the short
time it takes me to squeak the back door open. He has us trained to bring him
dog biscuits every time we go out the back door. I knew Jillian also has a big
dog that barks ferociously; and sure enough, Jillian didn’t flinch when Rex
“asked “ for his dog biscuits and used the same ferocious voice to thank us for
them afterwards. From there, we walked around the house to the front porch and
sang the “Swinging Song” while we swung in the porch swing and watch it start
raining again.
We had just gotten back inside and retrieved Jillian from under
the ottoman where she had gone to get her ball, when Julie sent a message that
she was on her way back. She arrived to find Jillian hardly looking up from
another new book to say hello to her mom. Julie smiled when I told her that
Jillian cried big twice…both times were when she bonked herself with the
sunglasses! I never got the message from Jillian that she was tired or
hungry…so no snack nor nap yet. Julie was super pleased that all had gone well.
Jillian will go to our church’s Mother’s Morning Out program this fall for 3
days each week, and Julie now feels very confident that Jillian will really
enjoy it. I’m sure of that, too. They’ll have so much fun with her, as did I.
Thanks, Jillian!
Two minutes after they left, I got a message from Julie, “She
fell asleep before I got to Burnt Hickory Road!” I wrote back, “I told you I
can put any child to sleep!” J
Love, Nonna Colleen
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