Grandma Henke

Watching my children be parents is one of my most favorite things to do.   It’s been especially fun to be here in the Seattle area with one family of teenagers and another family of small children.    I remember so many times my mother telling me how amazed she was at my patience and energy … I used to think, “I’m anything but patient and energetic!”

I’m rounding the curve now to where I’m the one amazed at the stamina and endurance parents exhibit taking care of their families.    Kim and I took the children shopping today.   We had two grown ups, two shopping carts, and four children ages 7 down to 10 months.    Kim could have done it without me just as well as with me.   She has it down to a science.    She didn’t even seem ruffled.    I have to admit, I was a little nervous.     I mean controlling that many little children in a store is like tying to control a herd of cats.     We all made it to the checkout stand together and in spite of some disappointed noises coming from the kids when they didn’t get to buy the Halloween decorations of their choice … it was actually poetry in motion to watch her maneuver and handle those four children like she did.   She was like a well organized mother hen.

We took turns when it came time to running in to JoAnn’s Craft Store.   Since the baby was asleep we decided that one of us would stay and entertain the children while the other enjoyed 15 minutes of shopping.  Brett is the babysitter of choice when it comes to waiting in the car while Mom shops … because he apparently plays a lot of games Grandma can’t compete with.   Their favorite seems to be one that involves imitating the noises our bodies make.     They also like to tell original jokes, laugh until they choke, and look at or touch ether other and see who cries first.     We did fairly well, though.   Baby Kai slept through it all and we did laugh and managed to turn the body noises game into singing silly songs.

When we got home Kim hurried and fixed up a delicious meal while I fed the baby (a real fair balance of duties if you ask me).   Then we hurried and did the dishes so we could bottle pickles … but first Kim quickly helped with homework,  bathed all four children, got them in their pajamas, and read them a couple of stories before they pulled out the scriptures.  All this while I fed and tended the baby.    I was starting to lag but she was reminding me a little of the Energizer Bunny.     Oh, and somewhere in all of that she nursed the baby and got the kids to brush their teeth.   

I had five children under the age of nine … I mean I have gone through this!    I was no slouch!   I remember one summer when I bottled ten, count them, T E N bushels of peaches that we picked, tomatoes, apple sauce, jams, pears, and apricots (nectar & just apricots).    While I did that I had to keep the house going and the kids fed … but how in the world I did all is a mystery to me now.     I can’t even remember my own routine half the time let alone try to keep one for anybody else.

Not that it was right, but I raised children during the days of corporal punishment for what are now considered misdemeanors.     That isn’t an option now days so parents have had to learn to reason and explain and role model.    They don’t get to say things like, “Do that and I’ll kick your pants all the way to China and back.”     Well, they maybe can get away with saying it but they could never follow through.     What good is a threat if they know you can never follow through?   How do they get them to cooperate without threats and bribes?

Anyway, I’m impressed.  The grandchildren are well and happy, the mothers and fathers are well and happy, and what needs to get done is getting done very well.     It makes me feel like when I did do it … when I did raise my own children … I must have done something right.  I mean after all, they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

P.S.   I guess Geritol is a bit out dated.   Spell check wanted to change it to genital …