GRANDMA TIME

I haven't seen much of my grandchildren since before the holidays began, between both my son and daughter in law returning to work, business, and then a prolonged illness.

But after 10 days of antibiotics and with the threat of our first winter storm on the horizon, I invited myself over, together with Chinese takeout for dinner. Oh, I always have such fun.

Isaiah is now four months old. He smiled widely and rewarded Grandma with happy grins as we bounced and rocked and talked. He has turned into a blue eyed, medium brown haired baby, but he's going to be a lady killer, that one.

Jordan will only allow me so much time with her brother before she decides she wants Grandma's attention. So we spent most of the time in our special games. She had me open a special Bingo game I bought in Texas, and made much ado over the pretty cards that came with the game.

In daycare for the first time, she is discovering the need to use the language she's been accumulating for two years. So she kept insisting what sounded like "ill," possibly "bill," and pointing down the hall. Her Mom said "I don't know what she's saying."

I ran through the possible single syllable words rhyming with "ill." (Try it, bill and dill and drill all the way to will. There are a lot.) Shelley's eyes lit up with "bill." "She's saying Belle. She wants her pull up pants that have Belle from Beauty and the Beast on them, but she has to use up her Dora pull ups first."

Jordan confirmed that guess for us when she brought me her glass that had a picture of Tinkerbell on it and insisted, "Bell."

We read, we played peek a boo, she showed me her favorite toys (a baby doll stroller; the trunk compartment in her tricycle).

In fact, Jordan seems to enjoy Grandma time as much as Grandma enjoys Jordan time.

That bingo game? She packed it in her diaper bag, ready for her next adventure.