That Grandparent Thing

    My kids have 4 doting Grandparents who live in the area. They see the kids at least once a week, but each time it's like they spent a month wandering in the desert and the kids are an extra large bottle of water. And Heaven forbid they go longer than a week in between visits, they are a like a bunch of twitching addicts looking for a fix. I think that I have got this whole grandparent thing figured out.  This extreme love is from  joy of an answered prayer. No, not a loving prayer about their children's future.  I'm talking about the Parent's prayer of serenity. That prayer that is said when the kids have you wanting to pull your rapidly greying hair out and you can feel an ulcer forming. You feel like you are about to lose it so you utter:

Lord, give me Strength!

And please let them have a kid who is exactly like them one day!!

  I have come to the conclusion that things aren't exactly what they seem in the hospital room when they first lay eyes on that precious bundle of joy! They are definitely giving the baby a once over to see which parts look like their son or daughter.... But there are parts of their exclamations that are left unsaid!

Oh look, he has your eyes! Bet they will never be able to see their backpacks or shoes before school

Her mouth looks just like her mom's! Bring on the back talk

Awwww! Definitely Daddy's ears! Definitely gonna have selective hearing! Bwahahaha!

    How did I come up with this theory? I had a whole lot of time to think about it as I spent many, many, many, many, many, many, many hours swimming in the pool with the kids and spent many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many hours trying to calm my nerves after each and every struggle to get my little fish out of the pool.  What does that have to do with anything? Well, I was quite the little fish when I was a kid. I was never too cold and could swim for hours. I now get to experience their pain and suffering x2!! I see that smirk on my parents' faces each time the kids beg me to go in the pool and they get to sit back and relax! NOT COOL!

    Another "Ah ha, oh crap" moment happened when we took the kids to the boardwalk. I was feeling so nostalgic and super excited for the kids to experience the place that held so many fond memories. It was the WORST! There were people EVERYWHERE and trying to keep track of the kids was super stressful! Then there was all crappy toys that cost a billion dollars and break after a week.  To the kids, they are the most amazing toys in the history of amazing toys!! Can we get it, Mom? Please? Please? Why can't we get it? Please!?! It's too expensive? But I want it so much! That awesome mermaid that Sydney got.... It had 2 right arms and broke before vacation was even over! I texted my mom and told her that the boardwalk was not so much fun as an adult. She felt so vindicated because I finally understood all the pain and suffering we put them through at the shore!
     They raised us so I guess they deserve the chance to gloat when our kids pull some of the stunts we pulled on them. We just gotta endure until we reach the promised land of no rules, backwards dinners (frozen yogurt store and then dinner), prize drawers, giving in to temptation to buy just one more thing for them, and laughing when you shouldn't because your grandbabies do no wrong!