Just when you think you have all your ducks in a row…along comes a goose!
As you know, hubby and I sold the home we had raised the girls in last year and bought a sweet little fixer-upper, just for us. We spent the last year fixing it up and were uber thrilled with the results. Wow!!! We could walk around in the nude, if the mood struck us. We could lounge in the fantastically relaxing Jacuzzi tub, jets blasting -- with the door wide open. Who was going to question? Who would even see? No one!!! It was liberating to be able to just let the jiggly bits jiggle, untethered and unashamed.
We came and went as we pleased. No more checking to be sure the kids were taken care of…they all had their own lives and neither wanted nor needed our constant input into their lives. It didn’t take nearly as long as one would think to get over the empty nest syndrome. Our nest was ours and ours alone and we had it feathered just the way we liked it, thank you very much!!!
And then…along came a goose, in the shape of our beloved 12-year-old grandson. Due to some absolutely heart-wrenching upheaval in his short little life, he has been placed in our custody on a temporary basis. Don’t get me wrong…we love him to death and both of us would lay down our lives for him in a flash…but…I raised three girls, what the heck do I know about raising a boy? Especially a twelve-year-old boy???? Talk about one very intense life lesson! Did you know that boys eat at least ten times more than girls of the same age and that they really do not like it when their Nana kisses them goodbye as they get on the school bus? Well, I know now!
He is great though. Keep in mind that we live in an adult community and have been given special consideration to have him with us for the necessary time and he truly fits in here like an old glove. He keeps us in stitches with some of the things he says and does. For example… “I’ve decided to not go to Bingo tonight, Nana…but tell all the ladies to have fun without me. I just think it would be best to have an early night, since I have school in the morning.” This was said with all sincerity…I swear I didn’t let the chuckle out until I was well out of earshot. This kid is 12 going on 50!
My office now houses a bed with six (yes six) pillows, a masculine comforter, one lovely little boy and a dog…a dresser covered with lego creations, binoculars and baseball stuff…an old desk holds an equally old computer filled with games for his enjoyment, but no internet connection…the floor of the closet holds piles of treasures in the form of legos, pirates, dinky cars and board games. And I sit tucked in my desk chair at the bottom of my bed…I used to think this master bedroom was pretty big! LOL
Life certainly has a strange way of waking you up and forcing you to take notice of what is important in your world…the jiggly bits are just going to have to be patient for a while longer!
