The past five days reminded me what it was like to be a parent again.
Not that you ever really forget, but my wife and I raised four children, and those kids have all been out of the house for a number of years.
We are now in the world of being the grandparents—six grandkids so far—although we haven’t been that far removed from children since all of our grandchildren live within 20 miles.
Last week my wife and I offered to take three of those grandkids for five days while one of our daughters got a much-deserved vacation to Las Vegas, going with her younger sister.
So we picked the three grandkids up from school on Wednesday afternoon and they remained with us until this past Monday when I took them to school, and officially returned to life with just the wife and I.
One of the things I was reminded of after Monday was how all-consuming it is to have children, especially three of them who are age 4 to age 9.
My wife and I have a pretty good routine when the kids come to stay overnight. I am the guy who gets up early with them since she is not exactly an early bird and I’ve always started my work day by 7 to 8.
So on school days I?wake them up making sure they get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair, have backpacks and homework ready to go, and a good breakfast.
I also make sure they straighten their rooms and make their beds.
My oldest granddaughter, Abby, asked me a few days ago: “Papa, are you a neat freak?”
She is plenty smart and has watched me always do the dishes, always pick up things when I’m finished with them, and always be the one to complain when water is all over the bathroom floor after they take their baths. Yes, I’m a “neat freak.”
Then I am also the one who gets them to bed at night since I can act like I’m being tough with them. Not that my wife isn’t tough with them—she is really tougher than I am—but I think she just likes me being the “bad guy” when it is time for lights out at night.
On Saturday mornings I take the kids out so my wife can get a little extra sleep, with Papa constantly whispering, “ssssshhhhhh! Grammy is sleeping.” We have our regular traditions as many of you do. With me and my kids, and now grandkids, Saturday mornings include a trip to the donut store, followed by the park.
This past Saturday we went to the newly-rebuilt Heritage Park playground and it is a terrific place to take your kids. They have some new features with spinning rides and more. And if you think any parent just goes to the park and says, “go play kids,” you know how wrong that is. I actually think I burn more calories than the kids since I’m the one who has to push them, pull them, spin them, and whatever else is available.
On Sunday we all went to church together and there was an interesting event that showed me how much kids want to be with their parents or grandparents.
Instead of going to class where they certainly would have had more fun, the two youngest kids said they wanted to be in church with us from start to finish. That is about an hour-and-a-half or a little more, but they sat there, with little 4-year-old Reagan snuggling next to her Grammy. Sure enough, about 10 minutes into the sermon Reagan and 7-year-old Zach were fast asleep in the church pew. Guess there is something to be said about church being a place to make you relax.
My wife has a different relationship with the kids in that she spends more quality time with them, sitting down and doing things, always looking for a way to teach them something.
She took them for a walk each evening in the neighborhood and always found a way to turn it into an adventure. After church on Sunday she took them back to the park then on to Covington which was something they loved since there were a few treats and special things to be had.
But the bottom line in keeping these three kids for five days reminded me how difficult and time-consuming it can be to be a parent—and even more so for a single mother, such as my daughter. She does this stuff every day of her life, and while I know she would never change a thing since she has three absolutely great kids, it is still very tiring when you put your effort into it 100 percent.
My wife said late on Sunday that she loved getting the kids for five days and considered it a “privilege.”
But I probably got all I needed from it on Monday morning when I was driving them to school for the final morning.
I had just handed out the sour Skittles—something the “Papa Man” is known for in this house—and Zach said something from the back seat, that made me smile.
“Papa, thanks for making the past few days a blast with you and Grammy,” he said.
And it’s those little things that make it all worthwhile for any parent—or the occasional grandparent–who gets a reminder about years gone by.
Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.