“You can do it, Gramma! I know you can. Just keep trying!”

It wasn’t what I had expected for a birthday present from my 4 year old grandson Oliver, but I couldn’t have asked for anything more timely. I’m not usually one to be concerned about aging. I like to think of it like my Dad used to say, “Gonna be great fun…I’m just heading into my 2nd (or 3rd) childhood!”

But with the traditional family ribbing of being ‘older than dirt’, it was a welcome break in my day to spend the April 2015 afternoon in child-like wonder enjoying Central Park & Arboretum with Oliver. We made an exercise circuit of swinging, sliding, climbing, teeter tottering, pulling up, and tangerine eating. Well, it was more like who could suck the juice out of a slice faster and get back to swinging…

On one go-round as we quenched our thirst under the picnic table’s canopy of shade, Oliver ‘spied with his little eye’ (do you know that game?) where the buzzing we’d been hearing was coming from. A giant bumble bee was flitting from one pink magnolia blossom to the next. Suddenly my cell phone was grabbed from the table and Oliver buzzed around the garden area trying to capture a shot of the huge bumbly!

It kept zooming away before he could get it in focus for snapping. Over & over again he tried. Not at all disappointed, he matter-of-factly reached out for help. “Here. You can do it, Gramma! I know you can. Just keep trying!”

Wondering if we ever got the photo?

Yes! We tag-teamed it, handing the camera back and forth until Oliver captured the in-flight moment he had NEVER given up on. (It’s upside down & sideways and I LOVE it!)

On the way home we stopped at the newest neighborhood Kroger store where its 1-year celebration was in progress. After sampling some fruit, cheese and punch, Oliver led me to sit on the in-store patio furniture, slid these festive birthday sunglasses on us and whispered in my ear, “I have something you’ll like for your birthday! Want it now?” Then he gave me the bestest hug ever! And took this birthday selfie so I’d remember the moment. How could I not?!

Have you ever received encouraging words ‘out of the mouths of babes’ or been gifted unexpected birthday moments that you’d like to remember? Let’s start jotting them down today to add to your family mini-stories collection!

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JOYfully jotting,

Katie

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