Spending time with my toddler grand-daughter Sophie, is always a treat.
Hubs and I had fun for hours with her just last week while her parents went off to work a venue that made it difficult to have this very gregarious,
bird trainer-in-training,
stay in one place without getting distracted by other children and her birds.
The four hours seemed to fly that afternoon at the Caddo Mills Ranch.
Sophs and I love to be outside so together we explored the gardens.
With shouts of “Mam” and finger pointed firmly in the general direction of away-from-home she’d shrug her shoulders, raise her hands palms up and tilt her head to one side,
clearly asking, “where’d they go?”
“They’ll be back!” came my answer.
A game developed where she ran a little,
yelled “Mam!” to which I’d say,
“They’ll be back.”
She’d shrug and run off into the grass and start again!
I’d learned my cue.
Eventually her welly clad feet led me to the place where squash, okra and carrot-tops grow.
She stopped.
A little girl among the broom corn.
We visited the cool interior of the new barn where a commissary had been set up complete with sink, cement counter tops, a fridge and freezer full of frozen rats, mice and heart.
Housed there were her animals that, up until just weeks ago, had shared the living room in the main house with Sophs and her toys.
She went around and said hello to the inhabitants, two screech owls,
“Hoo, Hoo, Hoo…”
a bearded dragon and a big black python.
We didn’t linger!
We headed for the Tiny House next door and basked in more cool air before deciding to eat a snack on the front porch.
Then she took a few turns on the swing, giggling when I caught her feet before taking a water break with Elray.
Then it was time for a swim.
At the end of the afternoon it was dinner time for precious Sophs so we went inside and heated up some pasta and veggies and she enjoyed a happy meal before bath-time where she showed me her ‘holding water in her mouth’ skills.
Sun-dressed up we brushed teeth and went back to the kitchen to wait patiently for the Parentals.
And when they arrived we took her outside to wait on the deck…
she was over-the-moon with joy!
“Mam!” she shouted and ran straight passed her Dad to be swung off the ground by “Mam!”
Happiness shone on her face as she helped them put her birds away.
“Hoo, hoo, hoo.”
Such a treasured Sophie Day.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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