Grandparents - gotta love 'em & those grandkids !!

For the grandparents!!!!

1. I was in the bathroom, putting on my makeup, under the watchful eyes of my young granddaughter, as I'd done many times before. After I applied my
lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you
forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!" I will probably never put
lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper
good-bye...

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He
asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for a
moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old
slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard
the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin.
Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room,
putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she
heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"



4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own
childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing
made from a tire, and it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our
pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl
was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd
gotten to know you sooner!"

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said,
"No, how are we alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word
processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he
asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I
decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it
was. She would tell me, and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I
continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think you
should try to figure out some of these, yourself!"

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the
lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects.
Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy
whispered, "It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us
with flashlights."

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not
sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised, "mine says I'm 4 to
6."

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother,
"Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The
grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's
interesting," she said, "how do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied
the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a
teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. It means carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day
when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck
was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one child. "No," said another.
"He's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a close.
"They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh," he said, "she
lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then,
when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

14. My grandparents are funny. When they bend over, you hear gas leaks,
and they blame their dog.

Going back to Belize

I will finally be warm again...

I will get back to better eating habits...

the piles of cookies and treats will not be in front of me all the time...

(although I tried to make them disappear whenever I saw some!)

I will get back to my own schedule...

and pace....

I will be away from the TV...

(since we don't have one in Belize and I watched too much of it here!)

I will get back to work...

(although I have been coordinating things from here for classes coming up in the next couple of weeks in Belize!)

Things will be much quieter...back in the jungle...

Food will cost more but have far fewer choices.

Gas will cost much more but there are far fewer vehicles.

I will be happy to see friends there...

and miss friends from here...

My visit to the states went way too fast!

It seems strange to be saying, "Well, I will see you next December!"

But, at the same time, that is the reality of our calling.

A lot can change in one year.

Children grow seriously taller in one year.

They talk a lot more and about different things (about video games and movies, etc. etc. which they think I understand...I don't!)

Cultural shifts have happened here in the U.S. I noticed in the shopping magazine on the plane that 2 things stood out:

1) there were lots of personal solar chargers for the vast array of cell phones, iPods, gaming units, etc. etc.

Apparently, we need to keep powered up!

2) there were lots of "spy" products being advertised !

Apparently, there is a growing interest in watching, recording, every one, every thing, every where...and it is not just "Big Brother" that is in on the action now.

Living outside of the U.S. brings these things to my attention as I have not seen most of this since last year's visit to the states. It also brings to mind, that old saying which has been true in every generation,

"The times, they are a changing!"

It is comforting to know that we have one sure solid base to rely on, which does not change

and in that changelessness, brings hope and love and mercy and grace to all who will receive these great gifts. Thank You God, for being who You are to us!

Ray