“I have learned that if you must leave a place that you
have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep,
leave it any way except a slow way, leave it the fastest way you can.
Never turn back and never believe that an hour you remember
is a better hour because it is dead.
Passed years seem safe ones, vanquished ones,
while the future lives in a cloud, formidable from a distance.”
Beryl Markham, West with the Night
Do you remember this commercial?
It was a commercial for Airtran
It was one of those laugh out loud type of commercials..
maybe because I was a parent and could only imagine what “that” was like…
Picture it…
you fly your elderly parents in for a week of family time—just
so they can meet their new twin grand babies.
Little do the unsuspecting grandparents know…
you have an ulterior motive.
You’ve booked a trip for you and your husband.
As soon as the grandparents ring the bell, so excited to meet their new grand babies,
you quickly hand each of them a baby.
Your father thanks you for flying them in as they are so excited to be
with you for the week.
HA!
Suddenly a taxi pulls up, your husband flies out of the house with bags in hand…
you turn to your parents, before hightailing it behind your husband, exclaiming
“we’ll call you when we land…”
“Land?!” your elderly father questions.
By now the taxi is speeding off as a shuffling grandfather trails sadly behind,
with baby in arms, imploring “DON”T LEAVE US WITH THE BABIES!!!!!”
Well, this past week seemed a little similar…
however, we were not blindsided.
We had been asked long time back and we had whole heartedly agreed.
We’d keep “the babies” for almost a week!
Thankfully we aren’t shuffling just quite yet and we were indeed
willing participants.
However…
two toddlers…one 3 and the other 2, for 5 days…at our ages…
well…we powered through it…and in the middle someplace,
we forged some great memories.
The Mayor is jumping in the pool all by herself and holding her breath.
All the while the Sheriff works on finding his comfort zone…preferring
driving a golf cart, or even a small back hoe as his own personal
mode of transportation.
Exhausted when it came time to say good-bye—reluctantly, we
whispered….don’t leave us…
I do hope one day they may remember the happy moments we shared…
Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do.
Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.
Alex Haley
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
We had two but just for the weekend Julie. But 5 and 10 years old. Amazing how the five-year old gets tummy ache at dinner time!
We did have them for nine days in 2019 immediately after returning from our 40th wedding anniversary trip to the Florida Keys. We were chilled to perfection when we returned from the Keys but not nine days later!
I would imagine not David!!!I would have been crazy!!— Autumn always seems to need to go potty each time we sit down to supper her potty training does seem to become a bit manipulative— she’s a fast learner 😝
Is potty training a grand-parental responsibility Julie?!
No but when she’s here without mom and dad— it seems to fall to me to be certain we make it in time!!!! 🤣
Lucky Grandma!
The BIG business is what gets me— but it beats the diapers
Regarding comments about Auburn’s potty time. It is probably true that she needs to go potty when sitting down at the table. Her little mind just recognizes what has been forced to hold because her life is altogether too busy! Lovely pictures and text of your delightful little ones.
They’ve been a handful!!! 🥰🥳
Love the bubble photos. I don’t remember that commercial, but have twins. (Now 41 years old) and one 18 months older (then another 6 years younger). I remember my mother-in-law used to say, “Love to see them come and love to see them go.” I was a bit offended by that then, but I sure get it now. We have TEN grandkids 13 to 6 weeks (by 3 of our kids). Just spent a weekend with two boys ages 8 & 9….loved to have the time with them and loved when it was over. Great quote, by the way. I hope we sprinkled some stardust this weekend.
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As a widower my dad was never there when I needed him physically to help out if mine was sick and I still had to go into work— but he did help out in other ways that was greatly appreciated— all of which makes sense to me now — ode to hindsight— if we can just get everyone out of diapers and calm when eating out, it will be glorious! 🥰🤣
So when the parents dash out the door, You arrange for a set of friends to greet them at the door when they return. Your friends tell them the “old occupants” cleared out in a hurry, and no, you have no idea where they went, and no, they left no forwarding address. Then sit back and watch the fireworks begin! Just remember, I am evil.
That’s hilarious!
We had to say no to grand dog sitting this year and I felt guilty for a while, but soon got over it. It’s funny how God puts those walls up when we reach 75 or more. He seems to know more than we do when it’s time to stop. Our bodies would never be capable of chasing down a runaway dog anymore, much less a couple of active toddlers. I’m sure you made lots of wonderful memories for all concerned.
It goes farther than that..when we get to a certain age, travelling to see them is nearly out of the question. When we were 45. driving 500 miles in a day, or flying for 5 hours, was not an issue. Today, both of those are nearly impossible. So they need to make a greater effort to come to us.
Yep!!
Hummm— dog/ toddler…
I don’t know who’s worse— 🤣😂
Precious! Aren’t they exhausting?? I used to watch my grandkids when they were toddlers and I remember thinking, ahhh, so this is why we have the babies when we’re young. That’s a pretty good design! 🙂
Very good design— as exhaustion seems to be perhaps not a strong enough descriptor 🥱
I love the bubble photos. They capture the colors so well. And I hope the sheriff did not tear up your lawn too badly.
I do love the bubbles— we’re having to have work done on the front porch if this pig in lipstick house and the crew parked the back hoe in the cul de sac and James is so taken by anything mechanical or tool related— so we grabbed the photo op moment 😎
Beautiful photographs! Beautiful grandchildren! But that commercial–don’t give my daughter any ideas! J.
If you randomly receive travel tickets to visit family with small children, do no accept 🤣
We already have a trip planned for next month. We’ll just see how that turns out… J.
What a funny commercial and also what cute moments with the kids!