Today, when I picked up my grandchildren from school, they asked for a sno-ball. We went for a sno-ball yesterday. The sno-ball stand is on a narrow residential street, with very little parking, folks driving in and out of the spaces, children crossing the street, resulting in what seems to me a rather hazardous and stressful situation. I did not want to go back again today, so I suggested an icee, which they agreed to. We took a drive to the convenience store that sells the icees, but - lo! - the doors were locked. The registers were down. I said, "Let's go home and see what we can find."
Today is a humid, quite windy day. My hair is curly or wavy, depending on the weather. Very humid weather makes it almost frizzy. As we were leaving the locked convenience store, after my hair had been blown wild, my grandson asked me, "Mimi, why do you have an afro?" My friends, I'm still laughing about that one. Any ideas out there to help me explain to my grandson why I have an afro? Did I say I was still laughing?
Just tell them that it's your and their ancestry that does it. This has the added advantage that it is bound to go down brilliantly with your ex-daughter-in-law.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I would have worked my way around to different kinds of hair and genes and all that, but every time I thought about it, I started laughing again. And then, it was time to go, and the teaching moment was lost.
ReplyDeleteNothing or no one can brighten your day and totally make your soul sing like a grandchild!
ReplyDeleteJim, this one especially. He's what we call a piment in these parts, a handful, in other words, or literally, a chili pepper, but he's a charmer, too. You can't stay angry with him for very long, because he makes you laugh.
ReplyDeleteAaah, making an adult life in spite of herself is a useful accomplishment for a child. My son could do it. For example at 15:
ReplyDeleteMe (on coming home from a hard day's work): I've been telling you for weeks -- no dirty socks on the living room coffee table when I walk in the door!!! How hard is that? How long, O Lord, how long ...
Him: But, Mum -- I'm not doing drugs!
He lived to leave his socks on the coffee table one more day.
Thanks, Mimi -- nice 'fro.
When my now almost two year old granddaughter, Abigail, was about 10 months old, she was trying to learn how to say my name, "Nana". I heard her practicing. "Na na. Na na. BA na na." And they she fell over in a gale of giggles.
ReplyDeleteSo did I.
Just tell 'em you've got a 'fro because you got soul.
And, you do.
Elizabeth has nailed it!
ReplyDeleteWe could go on endlessly with the children's stories, couldn't we?
ReplyDeleteKate, you like my 'fro, huh? Actually a picture of what I saw when I glanced into the rear-view mirror would be rather frightening.
Just tell 'em you've got a 'fro because you got soul.
Elizabeth and Mary Clara, I love that. I will tell him.
"'cause I am the hippest grandma in the South, that's why."
ReplyDelete"Because we all come from Africa, baby!"
ReplyDeleteJane and Susan, thanks. I'll pass those comments on, too. He will be so proud of his Mimi.
ReplyDelete