Weekend Musings and an afternoon off with Anya

I wrote yesterday about spending an afternoon with my adorable granddaughter Anya recently. It struck me during that afternoon (not the first time, mind) what a delightful thing a grandchild is, and how immediately the “important things” of my life–right now harvesting and canning and putting up the firewood for the winter, and putting up food for winter, too–I can drop–like, faster than immediately!–in favor of spending time with this sweet little one.

It’s not only Anya, though. Yesterday afternoon, for example, little Mack came to me. He had been sick and was just beginning to feel better, and was wanting to do something with me.

“Please can we just go do something adventurous?” he asked, plaintively.

I had the rest of the day loosely scheduled in my mind: make supper (homemade pizza, as is our Friday usual) and then clean up the kitchen, take a shower, and then collapse on the couch and watch a new episode of White Collar with the fam. Then, to allow our luxe Ejecto-Couch to shoot my through the basement ceiling into my own sweet bed in the room above.* It was a good plan. Plus, I was already tired because of an early morning.

But Mack’s pinched little face wooed me, and I dropped my plans–like, faster than instantly!–in order to go hiking with him for the last hour of daylight. It meant that we didn’t start making pizza until dark (after 7:00), supper was late, and I was still cleaning up the kitchen at 9:30. I could barely move by bedtime, I was so spent. I barely could drag my weary carcass to the Ejecto-Couch, much less keep my eyes open long enough to take in that White Collar episode.

But I didn’t regret changing my plans one bit.

When my sweet daught-in-law Sonia sent me a message, asking if I could keep Anya for the afternoon, the until-then-vitally-important tasks that I had planned suddenly meant nothing to me. OF COURSE I would love to have a playdate with Anya. Nothing else really mattered.

Of course I realize that I am in an enviable position, here, being able to stay home with my kiddos and being able to drop my responsibilities, um, quite often. I know that not everybody has this freedom, and that I may not always have it, either. You never know, do you? But for now I’m thankful for it. Very thankful.

Jesus loved children, and although I can’t pretend to know the mind of God, I can see why, at least with my limited earthly understanding, children were so precious to Him. Jesus took children so seriously that He told the disciples that whoever welcomed a little child in his name welcomed him; and whoever welcomed him welcomed God. (Mark 9:37) Jesus did not just brush off children when they wanted his attention. He took the time. He loved them.

Sometimes it’s not easy (or even possible) to just drop everything, but sometimes it is easy to do, isn’t it? Sometimes my plans really aren’t that important, and forging a strong bond with my children and grandchildren is very important to me.

Spending the afternoon with Anya, watching her take delight in such a simple thing as “frowing” a rock into our little muddy pond, and then another one . . . and another one . . . and yet . . . another one . . . is a relaxing and restorative experience. Time slows and the cares of the day just melt away. We were just wrapped up in her delight, in the sweetness of her smile and the dearness of her little self. But I’ll stop waxing on about it, I’ll share a few pictures and I’ll let them do the talking for me today.

Here are little Mack and Amalia on our "adventure."

Here are little Mack and Amalia on our “adventure.” The light was fading, so you can’t see my son’s big grin through the dusk. But it was there, believe me.

It really takes so little to bring a big grin to my little boy’s face. Is there a person in your life, your house, your neighborhood, that is needing an adventure with somebody who cares for him? Today might be the day. It doesn’t take long.

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Anya loves her Uncle Mack so much . . . here she is grinning at him, as we get her shoes and jacket on for our adventure outside.

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Little Mack had collected the pink plastic pot full of stones to throw into our pond. Anya started with one at a time, and then got so into her “frowing” that soon she was throwing handfuls. The stones didn’t last so long after that.

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Anya doesn’t mind a bit that her Amma hasn’t had a shower yet today or that I pulled on her Grandpa’s jacket because mine was in the wash. All she cared was that I kept providing stick after stick . . . after stick! . . . for her “frowing” and also kept her from falling into the mud at the water’s edge.

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Absolutely I enjoy the loving relationship between Anya and her Auntie Amalia. Auntie would do anything for Anya, anything, and Anya seems to know this. 🙂

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Little Mack demonstrated how big and how strong he is by throwing bigger and bigger sticks into the pond. Also small limbs. I was impressed. I told him that all that muscle would certainly come in handy when it was time to haul firewood. Then he wouldn’t smile at the camera.

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I couldn’t get over the beautiful reflections on our little muddy pond. Is the tree above the pond, or inside it? What do you think?

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Amalia: “Mom, she wants more sticks . . . ”

weekend musings

That’s it for now, Gentle Reader. I hope your weekend has an adventure or two, and that it’s a memorable one !

*Oh! About the Ejecto-Couch: this is something that I’ve asked my (smart, all of them, not to mention inventive) children to invent, many times, for me. A couch that will eject my weary carcass, straight up into my warm bed, at bedtime. Think how handy it would be on those nights when I am just too tired to get myself there on my own power! They’re all so busy . . . but I’m hoping that this Christmas will be the one that my new Ejecto-Couch will be under the tree . . .

(Kids—I have sketches, remember!) 🙂

I’m sharing this post with blog hops over at The Prairie Homestead and Frugally Sustainable. It’s good clean fun, join us!

18 thoughts on “Weekend Musings and an afternoon off with Anya

  1. Anita-Clare Field

    Just adorable Amy, You know I am pretty much the doting Auntie too. I’ve loved every minute of sharing the lives of my niece and nephew thus far and continue to do so and so I know exactly how Amalia feels. What a wonderful afternoon you all had.

  2. Amanda HelmiBM

    How delightful Amy! It would seem we share a love of adventure and little people. How wonderful is it to watch their faces in wonder as they discover new sights, smells and tactile feelings. I thought that it was a reflection of the tree at first, then two photos down, it looked as though the tree was growing inside the pond, so I was a bit torn. But I will settle with my original thought of the tree being reflected. Thank you for this beautiful and heart warming post.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      THank you Amanda. I’m glad you like that photo. The sight of that tree just perfectly reflected in the pond just blew me away!

  3. Ann-Marie

    Oh, that’s looks like such a lovely day!
    Most of my time at home is spent in front of the computer these days. It’s so nice to just stop sometimes and play with my 4 year old son.
    Thanks for sharing your lovely day.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      Yes, Ann-Marie, it’s so important to move away from the computer often for our own sake, and that of our loved ones, too!

  4. robertz

    Wonderful blog, Amy. I find a similar think visiting my relatives as they get older. I have a million things to do, but spending several hours just sitting and talking brings them to life. That is more important than anything. Time spent with those we love is the best gift we can give.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      I’m with you, Robert, and older people appreciate the time just as much as the little ones do. THanks so much for your comment!

  5. Alana (@RamblinGarden)

    When my son was small, sometimes I would take him down to the Susquehanna River (just a few blocks walk from our house) to trow stones. We would sometimes take a picnic supper, too, and eat in a nearby small park, if the weather was nice. You are a good Grandma and now it’s time for your loved ones to come through with your Ejecto-Couch. Or, maybe a portable transporter. Beam me up!

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      Ohhh, a portable transporter. Excellent. Then, of course, we wouldn’t have to build that Ejecto-Chute through the basement ceiling. OH I HOPE MY KIDS ARE READING THIS (crossing fingers mightily).

  6. Chef William

    Its great that you have the time to enjoy such an adventure. I am a little selective with time spent with children and would never have a day at it unless I had other “big People” along to lend a hand “I don’t do the diaper changing” and it’s great if my wife is there because after a few hours she will get all of us to take our naps…I love nap time and will take one even when the grandchildren don’t happen to be with me. Lucky for me my dog is always ready to share nap time. I wish you luck with that ejecto couch. I would settle for my big old over stuffed recliner right now. It’s only 3000 miles away..ah the things we miss.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      Chef, can’t you move your big ole’ overstuffed recliner down to Mexico? At least you’d be assured that the bad guys with guns wouldn’t try to steal it from your truck!

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      GreatGord, we love Wallace and Gromit. You’re right that the Ejecto-Couch sounds like part of one of their sketches. “The crackers, Grommit! We Forgot The Crackers!!”

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