Grandchildren

I love the innocence of childhood.

"First Snow"

We had our first snowfall yesterday. It wasn't much, but we'll take what we can get down here in the South.
When my 5-year old granddaughter woke up and saw the snow she was so excited and wanted to go outside immediately.  "Can I go outside, Mommy? I want to build a snowman." Carrie knew there wasn't enough to build a snowman, unless it was going to be a very dirty snowman, but she allowed her to go outside for a few minutes. Erika put on her coat and hat and happily went out in the chilly morning to get her taste of the first snow. A few minutes later she came back in, brushing off snow and  leaves from her coat. "I made three snow angels," she proudly exclaimed. She was happy.

"Talking in Class"

Erika got in trouble at school for the first time last Friday. Her Kindergarten teacher smiled when she told my daughter that she actually had to tell her to stop talking. My grandchild is naturally a shy and quiet child. She is one of the youngest in her class (her birthday is in early August) but she loves to go to school. Even when she was sick with the Swine flu, twice in the past six weeks, she was so upset because she had to miss school.

"Lunch Money"

When school started in August, my daughter would pack Erika's lunch daily, thinking that my granddaughter wouldn't eat the lunchroom food. Still, all the children in the classroom had to memorize their lunch number. They pre-pay all their meals and then just key in their number at the cash register. After a couple of weeks of taking her lunch, Erika told her mother, "Mommy, I think I want to get a lunch tray tomorrow. I think you need money for that." She had practiced memorizing her lunch number on a scribbled note pad and, and just like the bigger kids, went through the lunch line the next day.

"Santa Claus"

My daughter put up her Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving. The children were so excited and put on their Christmas pajamas and posed in front of the tree, holding hands and smiling from ear to ear. Erika wanted to bake Christmas cookies (already) for Santa and use the red sprinkles because, after all, Santa wears red.

My daughter's father-in-law called one evening last week and asked to speak to the girls. He pretended to be Santa Claus. He asked them what they wanted for Christmas and Erika shyly answered, "I don't know what I want." Little Allie nodded her head and echoed the "Ho Ho Ho!" she heard on the phone. As soon as Daddy came home, they excitedly told him that they had  talked to Santa Claus on the phone! He gave my daughter a funny look. "Paw-Paw" she whispered.