Let me introduce you to my grandchildren

Hello visitors, for anyone that does not know. I'm Wayne's stepmother and friend, and have been for the last 20 years.

Let me introduce you to my grandchildren. I have 3 and they are all boys, these 3 brothers are a joy, very amusing and a bother at times. Caleb is the oldest he is 4, Brandon is next at 3 and Justin is the baby, he is 1. They are all blonde headed and blue eyed bundles of energy and full of questions.

They come to our house from time to time to play with KneeKnee and PawPaw (all grandparents have to have names and those are ours). The boys come in the front door talking and do not stop! That is ok! They have lots of stuff to talk about. They have to tell us about what they have been doing and about things they want to do. They have to ask what things are, even if it is something they have seen a million times. Kids seem to think it is funny to ask "what's that" and point at something like the kitchen table or a shoe on the floor. Now that I am KneeKnee and not Mom it is ok, I will tell them the kitchen table is a pony or the shoe is a hat. They correct me and seem to delight in doing so.

Caleb, being the oldest, is the ringleader. He is in control and the other 2 following, like he really knows best. Caleb decides if they are going to empty the toy box onto the floor or go outback or maybe play with the magnets on the fridge. Usually it is going outside! These boys love to be outside. Once outside they have to point out that every flowerpot, deck chair, and anything else they can think of are still where it was last time they saw it. It is amazing how much they notice that we, grownups, never give a thought.

I learned as a mom the easiest way to answer those question like "why is the grass green?" or " why do birds fly?" was "God wanted it that way" It seemed to satisfy the father of these grandkids so I still use that answer. There are things I do different with these boys then I did as a mom. I get out in the yard and blow bubbles, I watch bugs crawl along the ground and throw leaves up in the air just to watch them fall back down, or set on the swing and read the same book 5 times or even pick out what we see in the clouds. You know when I do that rather then clean the bathroom or mop a floor the sun still comes up the next morning! This is not to say I let these boys do everything they want. I do have rules! They have learned I have things in my house and yard you can play with and I have things that are just for looking at. They tell me how pretty my flowers in my flowerbeds are but they do not play in the flowerbeds. Nor do I let them play with the water hose or get in their pool when it is 40 degrees no matter how warm they tell me it is!

I think these boys are part fish! They love the water. If it is to cold for the hose or the pool Caleb tells me how dirty he is. It is funny to have a 4 year old come tell you " I am so dirty". If he can not get in the water outside the bathtub is the next best thing in his mind.

Brandon is quieter then Caleb. He talks as much but not as loud or as well. I have a little trouble knowing what Brandon is telling me sometimes. If I do not understand what he said and ask, " do you want a drink?" because I may have thought that is what he said he says, "OK". I never know if I guessed right as to what he said or if he is answering my question. Brandon is very busy! He is always moving. Where Caleb will set on the swing and look at clouds Brandon is on the go! He will be in the swing then off and trying to climb a tree or running, not running anywhere just running to run. Brandon also (for reasons no one knows) loves eggs. Not to eat but, to play with! He had some little plastic eggs for Easter and now wants eggs! If he cannot find a plastic one to play with he will try to get the eggs out of the refrigerator and play with them.

Brandon is more likely to talk to or want to play with men. When he comes over the first thing he says when he comes in the door is "where's PawPaw?" He will go to and talk to or want to play with his dad or PawPaw more then his mother or me. Brandon is more ruff and tumble then Caleb is. They have wooden block they play with, Caleb builds things and then plays with the stuff he build (like build a garage and drive his little cars in and out of the garage) Brandon build things like a garage and then drives his cars into the side of it to knock it down and do it all over again. Caleb will blow bubbles in the back yard and watch them float away Brandon wants me to blow the bubbles while he chases them and pops them. Nether one is right or wrong they are just different.

Now the youngest Justin, We call him Fred. That is the name his PawPaw gave him 3 moths before he was born, a sonogram showed it was a boy and a name had not been decided on so "Fred" as been what we call him. He just turned one this month so he does not get to play in the yard much nor dose he talk to us. He does loves the water! He is just beginning to walk so he has to learn what is for playing with and what is just for looking at still.

It is hard for me to think these boys will someday be running this world. I only hope I did a good enough job raising their daddy that he and their mother will raise them to be caring, thoughtful adults. I also hope we leave them with a world worth running.