Although unique in personality and temperament, each one of my grandchildren possesses the strong family trait of having a wacky sense of humour. Raised without creative limitations, these incredible creatures are always plotting, using their imaginations to come up with some over-the-top activity, making the time I spend with them extremely entertaining.
Desiring to live in the moment with them has found me steering clear of normal. Instead I conjure up nonsensical escapades we can experience together. My crazy love for them compels me to be silly and frivolous and willing to go to extremes, something I didn’t necessarily do when I had the responsibility of being the parent.
I’ve adopted a motto: “Whatever happens at Grandma’s stays at Grandma’s.” This has impacted how I spend time with my grandkids. At our annual Grandma/Grandpa party this year, we took the scavenger hunt to the next level. Clues were immersed in bathtubs and bins full of spaghetti, jello, and chocolate pudding! While making crafts, we were elbow-deep in goop attempting to make an extravagant piñata that would hold even more treats than the year before, and a bigger and better volcano that would erupt with more force and make a greater mess.
Baking is another favourite activity—or, more to the point, pre-baking, whereby the batter goes through a serious taste-testing process, oftentimes not even making it to the oven.
When it comes to finding bizarre things to do, this summer was no exception. We walked along the lake’s edge, catching crayfish in our nets and drying them out in the sun until the awful smell was gone, after which we carefully picked up the fragile carcasses and pressed them into wet cement, thus solidifying their fate—and our memories—by creating a weird yet wonderful stepping stone for the garden.
Relieved of the task of having to discipline the children allows me to be the superhero in their eyes. With permission, we can soar above the parental rules and connect with each grandchild in a magical way via these playful encounters.
I am grateful for the gift of this crazy love, as it has taught me to participate with joy and abandon in so many childlike antics with my wacky and wonderful grandchildren.
