Ethan: That's an accident.... And when you build a dukie house, that's an accident.
Me: No, that's not an accident. That's on purpose. Now... if you tripped and fell and the dukie house fell down, then that would be an accident. [unfazed by any dukie discussions at this point of Ethan's boyhood]
Ethan: Building a dukie house is an accident.
Me: No, that's naughty behavior. And very gross.
Ethan: But if you knock it down, it's an accident.
Me: Very good. You know, my cousin Cassie and I used to fall down on purpose and say we did it on accident-purpose.
Nannie watched the kids 2-3 times a week for a few hours to help out. She really wanted to, insisted. She and Papaw had started by helping my mother, the three of them, feeding and holding babies, watching them scoot and climb and crawl. Then, as Emma and Ethan got older and less physically dependent, Nannie approached me about keeping the children by herself. She said she really wanted to be more of a help to my mother, allow her some freedom, and I think she also wanted to spend more time as a valuable and responsible adult who is fully capable of watching over her two little great grandchildren for a few hours.
Far be it from me to stand in her way or to make restrictions for a woman who knows her limits and who has raised two children, cared for 5 grandchildren. When they were very small infants, she would never stand to hold them, only sit. She was always so cautious. I knew that if she thought she could manage a few hours, she could.
Now, the kids gave her a run for her money. They wanted her to play! So she played. She'd tell me about how she's been on a wild goose chase for that one singing Big Bird toy that Emma simply must find or that squawking, egg-laying Easter chicken that Nannie bought for them a few years ago. "Mama hen, back again, squawk and lock and let's begin! I'm about to show you how it's done! Layin' eggs is so much fun! Squawk!" Emma sees Nannie and immediately associates the chicken, and it becomes the object of the moment, the task that Nannie must complete. Once found, Emma loses interest and thinks of something else Nannie must do. She told me about how they want her to get in the floor and play! And she did! Nannie eased her body from the chair to the floor and played with the kids and their toys. When she was ready to get up, she crawled over to the chair...and she couldn't get up as easily as she got down. Ethan asked her, "You can't get up? Why can't you get up?" and Nannie was laughing as she told him, "I'm an old, old woman, Ethan. This old woman can't get up and down like she used to." Ethan cheered her on as she made it to her seat.
Nannie loves to tell me the stories of the things that happen on her twinkie adventures. Once, one set of car seats was in the house and they loved playing in them. Emma buckled herself in and then she couldn't get it undone. Nannie couldn't get it undone either. So she just had to stay in there...until my mom got home. Nannie entertained her in the car seat. "They don't make things simple anymore." The world has done so well at complicating things. Nannie and Papaw have a cell phone, but they don't use it very often and they don't follow the usual cell phone practices, such as leaving the phone on when you're not using it. They don't send text messages, and they don't receive them either. Nannie is not completely convinced that Papaw can make a phone call when he needs to with it. We had done away with our land line since the cell phones are our only communication devices that we seemed to need, and Nannie felt vulnerable without it. Papaw's health is declining and she didn't want to be unavailable if he needed her. So we got a land line. The kids think it's bizarre. It's big. It never rings, and when it does, we don't answer. It's always a sales call or a "message for Frank..." click. But it's a lifeline for emergencies and peace of mind for Nannie. And her son...I know he worries about her from out of town and is probably uncomfortable with her twinkie adventures altogether for the strain it may put on her body and mind. But she handles it. She wants it. And it's so very special to her and to Rodney and to Emma and Ethan. Those few hours on Mondays and Wednesdays are something that they'll always remember.
Then there's the tv. They sure don't make those simple anymore. I showed her how to work the DVR and how to get it back on her channel 8. Sometimes she forgets and becomes overwhelmed by all of the buttons and menus. I hear that. Why does the tv have to be so complicated? If the kids are watching a movie, it is an involved sequence of steps to get the tv to play the regular channels. I had Dumbo playing on the Play Station one day because the kids were really into it, and it helps me get ready in the mornings to distract them with a movie. I rushed out the door when Nannie came before I remembered that I didn't get the tv back in the mode where she could operate it. So they just watched the Dumbo intro of flying elephants across the screen and circus music for hours on end. Ethan asked Nannie to put on one of his Batman masks with him and shoot elephants with his shot guns. So she did! They played Batman and Batnannie hunting flying elephants! Nannie laughed and laughed when she told me about that. All of that dress-up fun made Emma want Nannie to play dress-up princess with her next. So she did! Nannie put on the tiara and Emma put on the dress. What a sweet Nannie. Super Nanny Princess to the rescue! Ethan told me later that Nannie says it messes up her hair, but she doesn't mind. What a trooper. That mask hurts my face after a while. It's uncomfortable. Ethan insists that you leave it on, and none of this raising it to your forehead business.
Since then, Papaw's health has taken another turn for the worse, and Nannie has had to resign her duties as Batnannie Elephant Hunter Princess. Since she and Papaw love our dog so much, we have started sharing her with them. We take Daisy to their house every Tuesday to brighten their day. They love to tell us about her day and how she loves to explore their yard and bark at their neighbors' dogs. Daisy loves to sit in Papaw's chair with him and eagerly accepts all of the yummy human food snacks that he sneaks her. More recently, Papaw has been admitted into a nursing home, and our family is greatly saddened by it. I still take Daisy to be with Nannie on Tuesdays, and I hope she brings her some comfort. I know Daisy loves going to see her Nannie because she gets excited when I say, "Let's go see Nannie!" The kids and I drop her off and Emma and Ethan say, "Bye Daisy! Be good for Nannie!" I ring the door bell and hear Nannie saying, "My baby is here! I'm coming!" She gets her key from its special spot and carefully unlocks the door from the inside. "Come on in here, baby!" she says with a smile in her heart. Life and love go on and on...
