Nana Holds-From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and welcome back to Nana Holds. Grab your coffee and come on in. We are in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher!

When Bryden first began to help us unload the dishwasher, I didn’t think anything of how he used the actual door as a stepstool to reach all the things he wanted to take out, but as time has gone by, he’s grown so now I’ve got to help him understand why that’s no longer okay. I think the best way is to compliment him on how big and strong he’s become and if he steps on it now, it may break. Speaking of breaking, we have had a couple of mishaps while unloading the dishwasher, so he knows “breaking” something is to be avoided as much as possible.

The first time he broke a crystal glass, we both were so startled by the sound of shattering glass everywhere and when I looked at him, he looked a little scared and simultaneously, panic hit as I realized if he moved in any direction, he was going to step on shards of glass. My voice came out an octave higher than I intended and reached for him and hurriedly scooped him up to avoid him cutting his little feet on the now scattered glass. On the other side of my brain, I’m reminding myself that it’s just a stupid crystal glass and it was definitely an accident, but Bry’s little feelings were already hurt and he began to cry, big giant crocodile tears spilling down his face.

I picked him back up and held him to my heart assuring him that it was an accident and that Nana wasn’t mad. “I just didn’t want you to cut yourself on all the glass.” That seemed to satisfy him. And then I showed him how it had gone everywhere and that Nana needed to vacuum the floor to make sure he didn’t step on any hidden pieces.

Bryden’s response displayed his heart for me to see: “I wanna help you, Nana.” This was one of those times where I truly needed to slow down, grasp for patience and try as hard as I could to see things from his little perspective, which as I write this I realize how foreign that was for me back then but oh, how relieved I am with my whole heart as I acknowledge that I have made great strides of growth in this area.

So as not to burst his good intentions with my lack of understanding, I quickly came to a compromise, telling him he could help me get the vacuum and then Nana would go first and then he could help me. That seemed okay with him, until he saw me begin to vacuum. “Nanna, I do it now?” (I so wish I could play it for you, his sweet tone mixed with a bit of question/begging) to which I would respond, “Almost, buddy, almost,” as I’m scurrying along with the vacuum hose, silently begging the vacuum to do its job and do it quickly!
The good news: we managed to get all the glass vacuumed up without a scrape or a cut!

All these helping-hand moments came in extra handy when it came time to decorate the yard with the fall/harvest decorations. I rewind the camera of my mind and true joy opens the door of my heart and nestles in there bringing a smile to my face. Never has decorating the yard for fall been more fun.

Every piece of yard art brought a different exclamation from him and various expressions that would make even the grumpiest of people smile. Watching him place them where we all decided was just as entertaining and when he would begin to get frustrated with one that wasn’t quite cooperating as he tried to push it into the ground, Papa and Nana were right there to be his helping hand. Oh, the joy of learning to look at things from the eyes of a child . . .

Evinda