Like Puppies at the Pound...

Aiden watches for me through the big window in his classroom. He is so happy to see me that he runs at me yelling ,"Gramma!” throwing his arms around my thighs. "Why don't we go outside and take some action shots, sweetie?" He takes my hand to lead me outside.

I brought my camera to take his picture at the new school. I said “Smile, Aiden” and he gave me this twisted forced camera smile. I said, “Knock it off, handsome. Just show me your dimples.” And he did, while hanging from the jungle gym and flying down the slide. Just a few weeks ago he was afraid of trying these things, now he's an expert.

All the attention starved children at his school come outside to follow me all over the playground, wanting me  to take their picture, wanting to talk, wanting me to notice them. I’m some sort of grandmother archetype to the under 4 set. They act like attention starved puppies at the pound. It’s too sad. Except for a tiny Asian girl had just woken up from her nap, sort of hysterical, with snot all running down her nose into her mouth. She looked at me and screamed.

Aiden and I went straight home where we watched an hour of Berenstein Bears, then vacuumed and emptied the diswasher, two of Aiden’s favorite activities. We set the table and started making a  dinner of vegeburgers and tomatoes. I cut the tomatoes into a half way slice and gave Aiden a butter knife to finish going through them. He loved it.

My son, Randy walked in and Aiden said, “Dinner’s ready."  Once again, Aiden wants me out the door pronto. I think he can't take the heady stimulation of all of his parents and me all at once.

He yells, “See you tomorrow, Gramma," as he pushes me out the door.