Reallly wants to get a ride!

Here is what it looks like when you are almost 1 1/2 and you love to ride on PaPa's mower.  He tried so hard to get me to take him outside so he could ride with PaPa. 

 

Poverty

As a child I lived in poverty with my mother.  At the time I had no idea what poverty was.  I knew there were things that we didn't have.  Very basic things like food and clean clothes.  Being poor was not something I had a choice about.  There were a few kids that my siblings and I were friends with.  There were other kids that were not kind at all.  As an adult I can look back now and understand that this prejudice came from the parents.  Children SPEW the crap we adults teach them. 
I knew then that I was not clean.  By the time I was in elementary school my mother was too ill to take care of herself.  There was no parenting to get us in the tub, to wash clothes or to feed us.  Our house was filthy.  Unlivable with all the filth.  The walls and floors seemed to move because of the roaches.  There was a washing machine in our kitchen but I don't know if it worked.  I don't ever remember trying to use it myself.  I remember the times I would put effort in to washing my clothes by hand.  I would use the bathroom sink and bar of bath soap.  I would hang the wet clothes on the towel rack and couldn't understand why they were still wet the next day.  The skill of wringing out the extra water was not one I had acquired yet. 
I was reminded of all of this while shopping a few weeks back.  A family came down the bread isle that I was on.  There was a man & woman with three young children.  They were all filthy.  The oldest girl was about 6 or 7 years of age. Her hair was matted, she had dirt on her face and her clothes were very dirty.  I am not talking about the kind of dirty that kids end up at the end of the day.  I talking about the kind of dirt that has been on clothes and bodies for many, many days.  Immediately upon seeing her I was reminded of my childhood.  I know that is what I had to look like most of the time.  The look on that child's face haunted me for days.  I have no idea about her family's situation, but she looked so sad.  I found myself smiling at her.  Wishing that she would be able to feel the kindness that I felt towards her.  A silly thought I am sure, but I haven't forgotten the snooty looks I used to get. 
Now I wonder. 
How many adults were aware of our situation when we were children.  Did any of them wonder if we needed help?  I know when I looked at the family on the bread isle I knew they were poor.  How do you help without offending?   All I did was smile at the child.  They were gone before I could get beyond the reminder of my past. 
Be careful how you speak of people in front of your children.  They learn from watching and listening to us.  They will copy their behavior from what they see us do.  If the see us cheat, they will be cheaters.  If the see us show compassion they will learn to look on others with compassion.  If they hear us spew our judgments they will spew those same ugly words.  Children have no choice of their family situation.  Not the poor ones or the ones more fortunate. 
 

Sunshine

I am right in the middle of a four day weekend and so far it has been very enjoyable.  The little grandson has been very entertaining.  I. wish. I. could. retire.  I would stay at home and take care of this little man with no regrets.  He was busy playing outside today and I still love love love to watch him play.  It didn't take him long to figure out how to use his new slide all by himself.

It took a bit of courage for him to let go.  He was nervous and had to think about it for a few moments.  I cheered for him and he did his "I am a big boy walk" as he got up from the bottom of the slide. 

He played with his truck too.  Of course.  He loves his trucks.

What just melts me though is when he needed a break.  He came over and laid down in my lap.

He didn't stay there too long.  He is too busy for that.  But I will take any snuggles he is willing to share with me.  I can't wait to watch him hunt for Easter eggs. 

 

 

 

It is so good!

He likes bananas....... He really likes feeding himself bananas!

 YEA!

 Nom Nom Nom

 

He woke up from his nap to find Aunt Mattie was here to play.

 

 Happy Face

 

 Serious Face

 

 Can't quit grinning face.  He still has sleep marks on his face. 

 

His new slide. 

Like all new things it takes a bit of practice to figure it out. 

  And he is down!

 Down again!

Forward fall on this try. 

 

I think he spotted his Mommy. 

 

OH! MY! How I love this little face.