I unabashedly love my grandchildren. As I write this, I am painfully aware that I do not have a relationship with two grandchildren who are not mine by birth. But, that's another story to be posted at another time.
My two grandchildren progeny of my youngest son, Tyler, are Elizabeth Suzanne and Elijah Ty-Anthony. There aren't enough words to express my adoration and complete love for them, so I will leave that as that.
It is true Elizabeth and I are close...we do a lot together, or at least we did before she became a teen. It's natural for her to want to be left alone...not bugged and not interrupted when she is in her room. I respect that. We are still close, but she is growing and maturing and ... growing away. This, too, is part of the maturation process. So goes life.
Then, there is Eli. Eli and I are from two different planets. He's from planet Geek and I am from planet Grandma. Somehow, the two planets find each other in the vast universe of house and when they come together (not collide)...it's pretty darned cool.
Superbowl Winners!!
Russell Wilson jersey...he's a HAPPY CAMPER!
Eli is our genius, somewhat ADD/ADHD all American boy. His hair is always toussled, he runs around in his white socks that soon become gray with holes, he wears geeky T-shirts, loves is a rabid Seahawk fan and quotes stats...loves Superheroes (clarity, here---Marvel Superheroes)...plays video games, has conversations with his on-line buddies, relates to computers and math and numbers and sequences of number, he nails the Rubics cube in less than 30 seconds and can do it with his eyes closed - he said the secret is in Trigonometry..and he adores his Uncle Jeff (my oldest non-married, son), has to be reminded to take showers and wash his hair and loves his mom and dad. Yup...pretty darned special. But what else?
Eli is sensitive beyond being sensitive. He never raises his voice (except to tell his on-line buddies to play harder and smarter). He recoils from adversity and is not confrontational. At his tender age of 11 he can still cry and tries very hard to hold back tears when he is sad.
Eli is always willing to help and always does what I ask him to do. Somehow that's expected. But, what is different about Eli is that he will ask if there is anything he can do to help. Sometimes, when he does that, I am blown away as I DON'T expect it. It's part of what he does that makes him so very special.
We share mornings. That's our time together/alone. Lizzy's still in bed, John and Jeff have gone to work and Eli and I get his lunch and his back pack ready to go to school. We load his bike into the car and go. But what else is so special about mornings? Conversation.
I've learned more about Eli than I ever thought was possible. We watch the news and talk about what's going on in the world (if there are really ugly things going on..we watch sports..I want him to go to school without being concerned with bombings and terrorist organizations - he deserves his wide-eyed childhood). So, we talk...mostly he asks questions or makes statements. It's up to me to carry on the conversing, so I am somewhat rhetorical to get him to keep talking. Some days, it's not necessary. He's full of questions and answers as he talks about the earth, global warming, science, movies, sports or what latest event in school made him laugh..like two kids getting bloody noses in science...he thought that was cool because it happened in science. He followed that up with science should be studying spontaneous nose bleeds.
Eli reminds me of his dad, Tyler. Sometimes, it's scary that they are so much alike. But, the intellectual genius that is Tyler is evident in Eli. They are cut from the same cloth and I love it. Looking and interacting with Eli is a walk down memory lane...that can make me smile or cry...I barely lived through his dad at times. Where Tyler was a challenge that I did not altogether understand, Eli has come along when I have, hopefully, obtained a bit of wisdom and understanding of the differences in the way people think or behave.
Eli and his dad. This is very special..very precious.
Eli is my morning buddy who rises out of bed, hits the floor with his feet - one with a sock and the other naked....and says, "Good morning, Grandma. Do we need to make my lunch? Are you making me a smoothie?"
I know when it is time for him to move back to Vancouver, WA to be with his dad and closer to his mom, he will be a very happy boy. I know that when that happens, I will be happy for him. Sad for me, but so happy for him.
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