Nicholas Visits Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Patrick!

Since we were away from Nicholas for a few days, we invited his helpful babysitters (Grandma Alice, Grandpa Richard, and Uncle Patrick) to write a guest post for the blog on their time with him.  Here is their report:

Joe and Sarah are off at the American Historical Association's Annual Meeting, and we had Nicholas for four days.

Joe and Sarah left for Boston on Thursday morning, Nicholas got over it pretty quickly and began the work of exploring the house and enjoying the trains, puzzles and books that we left for him.

Each day upon waking up at 6:45 am, Nicholas called out for Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Patrick.

From 2011 January

After a hard day of playing on Friday, Nicholas was glad to see Grandma when she got home.

From 2011 January

Dinner at the Diner, then back to Grandma and Grandpa's. At bedtime, Nicholas got silly, and played a game of "No" with Grandma about going to bed.

From 2011 January

But he was just kidding. Pajamas, teeth, prayer and night-night. He went to bed beautifully, blew kisses and went right to sleep.

Once again waking up early in the morning, Nicholas began his last full day at Grandma and Grandpa's. Joe called from Boston, and we all spoke together on the speaker phone, including Nicholas, who was pleased to hear from Daddy. Nicholas knocked on Uncle Patrick's door starting around 9:00, and kept at it until Patrick got up. We went to IHOP for breakfast. Grandpa ordered pancakes and sausage, and got to eat the portion that he was quick enough to eat before Nicholas devoured it. Then Nicholas tackled some of Grandma's toast.

From 2011 January

The folks at the next table came over to admire Nicholas' red hair and complimented his mother. "Grandmother", she replied, pleased at the compliment.

We are reminded of how much work watching young person can really be - and even more so, we realized, in an adult house where child-proofing is done on the fly. The gates we purchased worked well to at least take the stairs out of our concern. But Nicholas wants to go up the stairs . . . and down the stairs . . . and up the stairs again. We count the stairs (EIGHT stairs from the living room up to the bedrooms, SIX stairs down from the living room to the family room) and Nicholas counts with us: "two, three four, six". He NEVER starts with "one", and he almost always skips "five."

Is Nicholas tiring? You be the judge.

From 2011 January