SUMMER WITH THE BOYS

My parents, who lived in Las Vegas, would keep my son and his cousin for a few weeks in the summer. I would drive from Altadena to Vegas early on Saturday morning to drop my son off for his summer vacation with his grandparents. My son, who is now forty years old, still recalls fondly his summers in Las Vegas with them. So, now that I’m a grandmother, I get to return the favor. My husband and I have been keeping our grandsons for a month each summer for the last three years. The first year, we only kept the oldest grandson, who was almost eight years old. The second year, we tried to get away with only having one grandchild, but my son asked if we could also watch the youngest one. The youngest grandchild was four years old, OMG!

After my husband and I discussed how the heck we were going to watch a four-year-old for a month, we told our son that we would be delighted (ha ha!).

Delighted is not the only word I would use to describe our summers with the boys, but it is certainly a word I would use. Tiring, exhausting, annoying, adventurous, and fun are other words. Spending that much time is a gift not to be taken lightly because there will come a time when they will not want to spend their summers with us.

When I was a single parent for the first fourteen years of my son’s life, I wasn’t able to do a lot of the exciting things I do with my grandkids, but as a retired grandmother, I can do so much more. Our summers are full of eating fast food, going to Big Bear and Wrightwood, swimming, going to the park, bike rides, going for walks, playing ping pong, and stargazing. This summer, we spent a few days at a resort in Indio where they spent their days and nights in the swimming pool. My youngest grandson said we needed a couple more days there. We are definitely going back next year. However, the best times are the times that don’t require any money. It happens when we are sitting around the kitchen table playing Uno or gathered as a family having a movie night. It happens when I feel the youngest grandchild sneak into bed in the wee hours of the morning, reminding me of his father when he was little. Watching the boys playing with their Paw Paw, or when the little one starts dancing, with a big grin on his face, and announces that he’s dancing because he’s happy. It’s in those moments that you wish with all your heart that you could live in that feeling.

The boys went home last night. This morning, the house is quiet, and I miss them already, but I had the best sleep last night!