Bella
At bedtime Mommy told me that we were going to visit my Grandparents on Daddy’s side. I was confused. What did Mommy mean? Mommy told me that these are Daddy’s parents. It still did not make sense to me. Daddy is an adult. How can he have parents?
This morning I woke up and Mommy dressed me in my favorite dress. I played for a little bit inside (so that my dress did not get dirty) and then it was time to go. Daddy, Mommy, and I loaded into the car and headed off to Grandpa and Grandma’s house. It was a long drive. I stared out the window looking at the trees and fell asleep! I woke up in Mommy’s arms as she gently carried me into the house.
I was soon awake and hugged tight by both Grandpa and Grandma. Mommy brought me some of my favorite toys and I played on the carpet. Grandpa said to me “Do you want to see something special?” I nodded and Daddy, Mommy, and I followed Grandpa up the stairs. When we got to the second floor, Grandpa lead us to another set of stairs! We climbed the stairs to the third floor (or what Daddy called the attic). Once at the top of the stairs, I was in awe! The room was pink and everywhere there were trains. Shelves of trains, tables of trains, dozens and dozens of them. “I have been collecting since I was a little boy,” Grandpa explained. He then flipped a switch and the train on the table started whistling and chugging. It was magical! Grandpa had the biggest smile on his face.
Bella’s Mom
This past weekend we went to visit Bob’s parents. I had to chuckle when I told Bella where we were going. From the confusion that she has two sets of Grandparents to the fact that Bob has parents, the poor kid had the most puzzled look on her face. I felt this deep sense of compassion for her as I recall struggling with the same concepts at that age.
The following morning, I was running around getting everything together for this visit. Bella was so good about playing quietly and keeping clean while I pulled things together. It was a long but smooth ride with no traffic. Bella fell asleep on the way there. Nap checked off the list!
Bob’s parents were so happy to see Bella and she adapted well to their affection although she was still a little groggy from her nap. I was observing Bob’s father as Bella was playing. I could see he was looking for a way to connect with his Granddaughter. He winked at me and then asked Bella “Do you want to see something special?” I knew right then where we were going.
The moment we reached the attic floor I saw Bella’s face transform from curiosity to pure joy at the sight of all the trains! Bob’s father started telling Bella tales of his train collecting and to top it off he turned one set on. Bella squealed with delight. It was magical! Bob’s father had the biggest smile on his face too. Bob and I smiled at each other. In our hearts we knew this is his father’s way of saying I love to you Bella and it is a memory that we believe she will never forget.