Amid the Holiday Bustle Don't Forget to Laugh

Fun with the Grandies!

There are always laughable moments when during holidays and sleep overs with Nana and Papaw.  We took our three grandchildren to Landis Valley Farm Museum’s night of Christmas carol singing around the bonfire. And to a live nativity scene at the church next door.

Overheard from the back of the car while on the way:

Jude - (23 month old in rear facing car seat looking out back window):  “Hee mohn! Hee mohn!”

(translation:  see moon! see moon!)

Rae – (4yr old in a front facing car seat, not seeing what Jude is seeing):  “Hey, that’s my song.  I sing “A-men.” Not you.

Conversation on the path to see the live nativity:  

Nana – “Rae, do you remember the story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus?”

Railynn- “baby Jesus?”

Nana- “Yes, we’re going to see a manger scene, with baby Jesus and his family…..”

Railynn- (interrupting) “We’re going to see God!?

A second later, Railynn turns to Jude and tells him we’re going to PBS to see God.

On the way to the bonfire: 

After working our way through the crowd while anticipating aloud how cool the bonfire will be and towing along three young kids, the 6yr old girl knocking over a lovely luminary and the 4yr old girl saying, ‘but, Nana I don’t wanna burn in a fi-rah, and the littlest boy keeping up a running commentary as we pass buildings that all look like barns to him - ‘bahn mooo tracker hortie bahn cokadooiedoo tracker papaw hortie pap.’   We finally arrive at the bonfire and of course the 4yr old immediately has to go potty.  We walk back the way we came to the building with restrooms.  Signs direct us to the rear of the building so we make our way past window boxes of women’s dresses from the 1800-1900’s.  Railynn stops and stares, transfixed….

Then this no-frills, wear-what’s-comfortable little girl says, “These dresses are FAB-e-us!”

Later that night, we stand in front of the live nativity scene. Railynn doesn't get it.  She laments that she’s cold and wants to go home.  I distract her by pointing to the angel standing about 3 feet in front of us.  “Look, Rae, an angel!”  She doesn't see any angel, so I put my hands on the sides of her head and turn her face in the angel’s direction.  “He’s the man wearing white with the sparkly halo on his head.”  To which she responds, loudly of course, “That’s no angel. He doesn't have any wings!”  After expecting to see God this must be too great a letdown!    

As we walk away, Avery says, “I don’t think baby Jesus wore a coat and sucked on a Nuk.  But, it was too cold for the pretend Jesus to be naked.  He would have been cold and cried and that wouldn't have been good for a poor baby.”

Other random funnies:

I look around the house and see an explosion of toys everywhere. Forgetting I had an audience, I sigh and exclaim “What a mess!”   Avery shrugs and answers matter-of-factly “I guess you get to be a mother now.”

          

While playing with Barbie dolls, Railynn told Avery that her ‘dad’ is going to work at PBS.     (PBS must be delighted with all this endorsement!)

Hours after the girls left, I opened my freezer to pull out fixings for supper and found icicles.  Apparently, Avery came in from the snow and asked Papaw for a pan to put snow in.  

Papaw- “Why do you want a pan for snow?”

Ave- “I need a pan of snow to keep my icicles fresh!”

Papaw- “A pan of snow won’t keep them frozen.  They need to stay outside where they can stay cold.”

Ave- “But I can’t Papaw, I need to take care of them, inside. They are so cute and they are my little friends.”

Papaw- “Well, you can’t keep them in here in a pan of snow. You need a freezer.”

Ave- “Okay, Papaw, thanks!”   And she put them in our freezer.

I just may keep those friendly icles in my freezer all winter as a reminder to love and laugh..... 

Joyfully,

Sharon