I Heart Granny & Gramps

I spent today with Cate and my folks. It was grand :D

I am adoring watching my parents being grandparents. They are so good at it. And they so obviously LOVE it. Case in point: today mum and I took Cate to work on some of mum's Christmas shopping (mine's done, narny nar nar nar!). At one point mum had Cate in the shopping trolley and was flinging her about, rushing up and down aisles whilst making these great booming pirate cackles that Cate was mimicking for all she was worth. They were having the BEST time, my mum was acting like a loon in public and Cate thought it was delightful.

So did I :)

My siblings and I are struggling to cope with the fact that our strict, no-nonsense parents are big smooshy lumps of love and happiness when it comes to their grandkids. It's hot? Dad rushes out to buy a paddling pool. The grandbabies love trampolines? Dad rushes out to buy the largest trampoline I have ever seen. Cate's gone to bed and she's crying in the cot? My father is the one rushing up the hall to comfort her (my siblings and I were all brought up via the controlled crying method). Cate won't eat her savoury dinner? Mum's rushing to open the custard and scrambling for a sweet biscuit. Cate's bored and being a little minx? Mum to the rescue with a special cupboard of toys *just* for her grandbabies.

My parents routinely spend whole days with their grandchildren where they do nothing for themselves all day. My nephew is two and he spends his Granny and Gramps day in heaven: he plays in the shed with Gramps, he goes for walks with Granny and a million other fun activities in between. The night before Granny and Gramps day, Matty packs his bag and puts it near the front door - he gets THAT excited about his grandparents.

Cate has spent heaps of time with my folks since day dot. My parents rushed to the delivery suite at 3.00am the night Cate was born - they were holding her before she was 2 hours old. She now reaches out to Granny when she sees her, cracks up laughing at Gramps smooshy kisses and spends her time with them delighting in the fact that she's the centre of their universe (oh, she's an attention hog this bubba of mine).

Mum told me today that, when you have a baby, someone should tell you how wonderful being a grandparent is and, that in roughly 25 - 30 years, you'll be one. She said it's the best thing that's ever happened to her...and I know my dad feels the same.

How lucky am I? More to the point, how lucky is my daughter?

PS Up top is my dad with Cate having a ball, my mum reading two of her grandchildren (including Cate) a story and, finally, Mum and Dad meeting Cate for the first time - bliss.