A VISIT FROM SILAS, OR CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Grandpa and Silas

A visit with Silas, our 21-month-old grandson, was like Christmas in July. We anticipated the fun for weeks, making preparation upon preparation. The visit came upon us, and all too soon it was over. It’s okay. It was time for everybody to get on to the next thing. But transitions have always been difficult for me, and I will miss him. (I will miss his parents, too, but let’s face it – they don’t change as much as he does between visits.)

When I was young, I had lots of nieces and nephews, and I was always eager to play with them. “Don’t rush at the little ones,” my mother said. “Let them come to you.” This proved to be good advice.

The uncles' old Tonka fleet

When Silas arrived, I greeted him, and then I sat down on the porch step. Soon he came up to me and took my hand. “Grandma,” he said. When I didn’t get up, he took my hand again, and I realized he wanted me to do something. I got to my feet, but he was already running (Silas runs everywhere) across the yard toward the barn. I wouldn’t expect one so young to be interested in the barn, but clearly, he wanted to check it out. I took chase, but I was well behind. He ran around the south side of the barn as if he knew where he was going and didn’t stop until he was on the east side where he caught sight of Grandpa’s bright blue 4-wheeler.

Checking out the Tonka dump trucks

“Blue,” he said. “Blue”

“Red light,” he added, pointing to the taillights. “Red light.”

And then he saw it – Grandpa’s overturned Jeep wheelbarrow, its upturned front wheel just waiting to be whirled. “Wheel,” he said, and whirl he did.

The barn is not my favorite place, especially at this time of year. I kept thinking about rattlesnakes and wanting to move Silas away from this area. Just then his mother showed up, and she was successful in distracting him.

As the family left, we agreed that Silas will not need the high chair when he visits again. Mike and I have dismantled it. And Mike took down the netting I put up around the upstairs banister to keep Silas from accidentally slipping through.

The photos here recap some of the highlights of this special visit. KW

Gardening with Grandma