Since I’ve been back from Washington DC poor Keelen has ended up on the short end of the “Grandma” stick. I figured after I testified, that would pretty much be the end of it and life would go back to normal. I couldn’t have been more wrong and I am largely to blame. In an effort to keep the story about the soldier electrocutions alive, I posted comments with a link to my page anywhere I could on the internet. I had envisioned that people would come to my page, read my posts about the soldiers, leave comments and that would be it. But that’s not exactly how it happened. Since I’ve been home, I’ve had numerous requests for radio interviews and newspaper articles. I have either been on the phone, on my laptop or on the road to a meeting. This all means that my page and the hearings are getting exposure. And that’s good!
But, poor Keelen has been emotionally abandoned. And that’s bad! I have been so tied up with my page, emails and interviews he has become “cuddle deprived”. Since I got home on July 12th I am guilty of the following things.
1. Plopping him in front of the TV and letting him watch as much Spongebob as he wants. I hate Spongebob.
2. Letting him play in the bathtub until he is all wrinkled and waterlogged.
3. Actually feeding him Hamburger Helper.
I took him to a business meeting on Monday. Mondays are not pre-school days and I didn’t want to just dump him off somewhere because he was inconvenient. I told him if he behaved and let Grandma take care of business I would by him a toy on the way home. Yes…..I succumbed to the “bribe toy”! At least it wasn’t candy!!
Thank God for the office staff. They entertained him so I could focus on my meeting. THANK YOU!!! He was put to work delivering faxes and date stamping! He has a blast.
On the way home I stopped at a local toy store to buy the promised gift. Keelen picked out a Helicopter model. It seemed easy enough. Snap together with a few screws. For ages 3 and up. How hard could it be. I told him I would help him put it together. I was figuring 15-20 minutes….tops!! For ages “3 and up” I DON’T FREAKIN’ THINK SO!!!
Now….I am fairly mechanically inclined. But I am not a helicopter engineer. The instructions resembled some cryptic artifact from an Indiana Jones movie. The parts were not numbered and it was difficult to figure out what went where. The screws were so small I almost needed a magnifying glass to see them.
After about 30 minutes of frustration, I TRIED to take a break and talk Keelen into finishing it later. But, he wasn’t going to have any of that. Big ole alligator tears started to well up in his eyes….he was so disappointed. “But Grandma you promised!” You can’t argue with that. So I sat back down on the floor and two hours later……well just look at the picture above.
He’s been very patient with me. He deserved a couple hours of quality Grandma time and he got it.
Sometimes it takes a five year old to help you keep your priorities straight!!!
Ms Sparky
Well someday he’ll be bragging about how much you did to obtain justice, and to prevent tragedy.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
John-can you give me some indication of when the complaining stops and the bragging starts. It’ll give me something to look forward to!! LOL
The complaining stops and the bragging begins somewhere around his 35th birthday. Sorry.
Those alligator tears are a killer!
Ms Sparky’s Respnse:
Then you have a ways to go as well! LOL
Hey Deb
Yes those toys for ages three and up will get ya every time. I think he will forgive you when he sees how much good you are doing. I’m PROUD to tell people what you are doing and that you are part of my family!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
Linda