Another Friday, another day babysitting the beautiful little girl whose name cannot be uttered out loud (ssshhh: Lailah), the holy terror, the one that demands on a minute by minute basis: “come down here (to the floor, and off the comfortable lazy boy), and PLAY with me now, DARN IT!”, the little one that is trying so desperately hard to give her Granpa a stroke (I know she must have a life insurance policy on me), starting the minute he picks her up at her mom and dad’s place at 10am, thru the entire day, playing with her new dollhouse, her new princesses, her new hot wheels cars, drawing on her easel, always the same, PLAY WITH ME, PLAY WITH ME, PLAY WITH ME, Won’t you come sit on the floor with me, sitting with her, reading book after book to her, “forcing” GranPa to read flash cards to her: PIG, DOG, HAT, TREE, APPLE, JETSKI (no, not Jetski, just kidding), LOCOMOTIVE (no…), finally at 4pm, putting on her shoes and coat and hat and mittens, (noooo, noooo I don’t want to go, I want to play some more with you), driving her up to GranMa Rose’s place, with her falling asleep within the first few minutes of the twenty minute ride there, as we’re singing “Singing in the rain…” together (no, I think it was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, with her teaching me the lyrics). Taking her out of the car seat, walking up the walk to GranMa’s house, laying her on GranMa’s couch, about to let GranMa “tag in”, and she awakes, and I hear the words as I’m walking out the door: “No GranMa, I WANT GranPa”.
Makes. My. Day. Each. And. Every. Time.
Gosh, I love her. So. Very. Much.
(already miss the little skunk/monkey, can’t you tell?)