MOTHERS’ DAY- PART 2

So now my kids are grown and out of the house, and 4 are married and I have grandchildren. This is a very different place from where I was from 1980-2005, which years encompass infancy, childhood and early adolescence of all my kids. They all kind of grew up and cleared out, one way or another. Then I saw that there really is life after kids, quiet after tumult, order after chaos. For a few years. And then my kids had kids and it all changed. Oh well. At least, as they say, I can give them back when they cry!

But there really is such delight in hanging out with little kids. I have been spending time with a 2 year-old dynamo who is visiting with his mum from Israel. Yeah, he is known for being, shall we say, a little too physical with other kids, as well as having a great pitcher’s arm for throwing unwanted food across the room (we are working on this). But his zest for life is enchanting. We are lucky, the weather has been lovely and sunny, and he has really enjoyed our back yard, especially the in-ground trampoline which kids of all ages gravitate to. I am proud to announce that he has actually coaxed me, Booba, on to the trampoline, and I am equally happy to report that my pelvic floor muscles are better than I thought they were. OK. Moving right along.

So every day is full of discovery for him, and every day his vocabulary grows- he is bilingual, and when I ask him to say ‘please’, he usually says ‘Bevakasha’, which is a cute trick. If he hears Hebrew spoken, he will speak in Hebrew, but a lot of the time it does sounds like Two. OK, he had a meltdown in Target today. He picked out the toy I was buying for him, (an Elmo, surprise) but then almost imploded trying to get it out of the packaging while I was trying to explain the concept of paying for something first. The nice man at the checkout gave me scissors to help free Elmo, and Shalom Al Yisrael. For a few minutes. We won’t talk about the Cupcake Fiasco shortly after.

Isn’t it a funny thing, how small children NEVER learn anything good from each other? Only naughty things. Picture 2x 2 year olds, each with a new Magnadoodle and a gorgeous, cream topped cupcake. I mean, why just pick up the cake and eat it, when you can take the stylus of the Magnadoodle and use that as an eating utensil? And when one tot does it, of course the other must put down her spoon and use the stylus too. Why not?

The Stylus-fork

It’s been fun, but I am knackered. This really is a young woman’s game. So no matter how wonderful it is to have the grandies over, it is always such a relief when they leave! (Sorry kids, but it’s true. I hope you will see for yourself one day.)

My mother used to say, when the grandchildren come, you say ‘Baruch HaBa!’ (Welcome!) and when they leave, it’s ‘Baruch HaShem!’ (Thank G-d!).

And on that note- Happy Mothers’ Day! To the mothers of my grandchildren, who so delight and exhaust me, and to all the hard-working mums out there. It’s all worth it in the end!