My beach house has four bedrooms, a living room, a family room and a dinning area, plus lots of outside space. Last week when my children and their children were here, it shrunk to about 200 square feet, but today it is back to its normal 2,000. How did that happen you might ask?
They went home!
Instantly we went from talking (and crying) and the patter of feet of all sizes to total silence except for the sound my fingers make on this keyboard. I hate it!
What is a little crying at 1:30 AM when it is coming from your grandson, not to mention the occasional thud of grandson number one falling out of bed, or that petite voice calling “Pa” at 6:00 AM? Heck I am up anyway and it is far better than an alarm telling me I have to go to work. I do not think I will go to work again, wait, I just retired (sort of).
Then there is the four-legged grandson, at the rate he sheds he will be as bald as me in about six months. I am thinking of saving all his hair and putting it to some kind of productive purpose. I have already filled six vacuum bags. But I even miss that 95-pound lump at my feet and I have nothing to trip over when I am cooking.
I have no one to play with, no bubbles to blow, no balloons to bounce, no baseballs to throw and no one to go fishing with. It seems I need my kids and their kids to be a kid again myself.
Don’t get me wrong, a little peace and quiet is nice some of the time and reading something more stimulating than Good Night Beach is ok too, but heck there will be plenty of time for peace and quiet.
Give me the melodious tones of “I think he needs to be changed.” You have to tell me when you need to go potty,” “Where did you get that from?” and the proverbial, “Stay out of the cabinets.”
The summer of 2008 may only be a third over, but I am already looking forward to 2009.
