On reflection, I’m pretty sure I have more than 19 grandchildren.

On reflection, I’m pretty sure I have more than 19 grandchildren.  There are other members of the family that I’ve overlooked. What about my daughter, Rachel, and her little miniature Chihuahua, Lilly (I call her Lilly Pad because she could almost lie in your one hand if she wasn’t so incredibly fat!) and, of course, her adopted brother, Big Bruce, (Bullmastiff) who has his own Facebook page. (I think Lilly might be jealous.) When I go over to their house, Bruce celebrates the entire time I’m there, gallivanting around, bringing me his favorite chewy to share and slobbering all over the place. When Lilly gets tired of it, she puts him in his place and then rolls over for a belly-rub. I know I’m truly loved by them.  

Then there’s my son, Preston, and his family cat, Fluffy, whom I tended for three months after they moved to Boise and were looking for a home. When they finally picked him up, they accused me of feeding him treats every day and making him fat. Not only that, but they said I allowed him to misbehave (climb on the counter); I say: what – are – grandmas – for?

My daughter, Jenny, tells me that Sassy Cat gets excited when she sees my car drive up and runs in and out, while I’m there, to get attention. Katty-Katty-Wat-Wat usually climbs out from under a blanket, sleepy after sleeping all night and all day. They both make sure they sniff me and get a head scratch before they find a safe place to observe all the activity.

My son, Jared stands back when his small black retriever, Duke, meets me at the door with his favorite toy in his mouth to make sure I feel welcome! He dances around so much in happiness, his tail wagging widely, that Jared usually puts him outside; afraid he’ll break something during his celebration.

What more could any grandma ask for? Such a wonderful display of blissful happiness just to see me! Yes, I’m pretty sure I really have 25 grandchildren!
© 2013 Linda Gatewood