Reflections from Hanging Out with a Three Year Old

Post date: Oct 7, 2016 5:20:11 PM

Reflections from Hanging Out with a Three Year Old -- a blog post for October 7

This fall, instead of going back to the classroom, I took early retirement. So, I’ve been doing more reading, organizing, and writing, as well as spending one day a week with my youngest grandson, Mason, who just turned three in May. He’s not only a lot of fun: he has given me the appreciation for life’s simple pleasures—like any time of day is a good time to enjoy a piece of Grandma’s blue foil wrapped Dove candies.

Mason enjoyed our recent picnic by a pond with a gazebo. He helped me make our lunch: a “lunchable” plus baggies full of grapes, baby carrots, apple slices, a yogurt tube, and chocolate milk for him and Diet Doctor Pepper for Grandma.

We’ve gone back to the same pond and gazebo on the Western Home campus for several weeks; he is fascinated by the large flock of Canadian Geese who gather there, resting under trees, nibbling on grass, or flying overhead to land on the pond. Several times as we pulled into our parking space he has said to me, “Don’t go near the geese, grandma…they could bite you.” We’ve been careful and they have mostly ignored us.

Conversations with a three-year-old range from his progress with potty training, daycare friends, family members, and cool animals to possible snacks, but he surprises us with his vocabulary. My husband Mike and I took Mason for a walk around our area’s new construction and he admired the baby trees, before asking us if we knew the word for baby trees—sapling!

Mason and Mike are both little boys in their fascination with all of the big trucks and pieces of construction equipment like the giant cranes used to place trusses in place on the new building around the area: we have a big medical facility being built directly across from our housing development, and a new strip mall being built nearby, as well as several new Villas, and an apartment building and wellness center on the Western Homes campus. There is always something to see: men at work up on the roof, lots of cement trucks coming and going, or signage going up on the new Hobby Lobby.

Mike and I also discovered a great way to meet your neighbors is to walk around the neighborhood with a cute grandchild: on a street with retired people, most of them grandparents, there is almost always someone to chat with, and compare notes.

Mason loves active, physical play in the yard or at a park. When his big brother was this age, I bought a cute little round table and chair set: the table was red and the chairs were red and blue. At 3, Corbin could sit and color, play with play doh, build something with Legos, or put together a puzzle. However, when Mason was about 2, he climbed up onto the chair and then got on the table and jumped off! So, I got rid of the table.

Like all children of any ages, he likes to hear—and give praise. So, when grandma struggles with the cat seat, he says “You did it!” when I finally snap it into place! When he complies with potty training, he grins and I say, “Good job, dude!”

Mason likes to read. One of his favorite books is The MOO book (complete with a button that makes a mooing sound) and while it is short on plot, it is big on visuals. He also likes the Little Einstein books, Curious George, and more. I plan to dig out the Berenstain Bears and my Doctor Seuss books soon.

We both like watching PBS Kids—this channel rocks. Favorite shows include Daniel Tiger, Nature Cat, Dinosaur Train, Curious George, and Peg and Cat. We can watch it on Grandma’s big TV or use the iPad, but explaining why we have commercials was interesting and so was the idea that we cannot tell the TV which one of his shows we want now.

For the past few summers, I watched both boys at least once a week, either spending the night up at their house or bringing them down to my house. We developed some favorite activities like playing with puppets, having pirate battles, building things with Legos, blowing bubbles, tossing a ball around the yard, taking walks, and playing games with my iPads.

So when Mason’s big brother Corbin went off to kindergarten, I wondered how the two of us would get along. It’s been fun to discover Mason’s personality and get to know him, just as I got to spend time with Corbin for his first three years. I think we’re doing well, and he is enjoying the one on one attention. However, I’m also very aware of how quickly time goes by: it won’t be long before Mason joins his big brother going to school. I think he will be ready! Since Corbin has been learning letters and numbers for the past few years, Mason has already begun learning his letters and numbers. He can count to ten, do some simple math and loves to count how many turtles or fish or other animals are in a picture.

Monday evenings and Tuesdays are busy, with Mason here. I am thankful to be able to spend time with him and to provide some help to his parents, just as my parents helped me. We have had a lot of little adventures together. Of course, we’re doing more: building memories, sharing laughter and having fun. I hope someday the boys will look back and know how much we loved them.

Last updated October 7, 2016