I'd better start practicing

I was looking after my grandchildren, Sophie and Elliott, yesterday while their Mum and Dad were out working. Sophie is four and Elliott is fourteen months old.

Sophie is a very knowledgeable four-year-old and not much gets past her. My mother-in-law said right from the start she was an old soul and I’m pretty sure she was right. She could talk under water with a mouth full of marbles and dare I say she reminds me very much of her mother at the same age.

Yesterday I was just starting to get some lunch ready and while waiting for some toast to pop out of the toaster thought I would pick a few toys scattered on the family room floor. Unbeknown to me Elliott had crawled up behind me and as I stood up from picking something up I accidentally stepped on his fingers. As you can imagine he started crying. I hurriedly scooped him up apologizing and kissing his fingers. He was not a happy little boy at all. Mind you I wouldn’t be either if someone had accidentally stepped on my fingers.

As I was cuddling him and trying to sooth him Sophie pipes up ‘Nana, I think you need more practice’.

Obviously in Sophie’s eyes I have fallen short of the benchmark for Nanas. To her I’m just Nana, with no past and apparently not much of an idea of how to look after her and her brother.

So if you’ll excuse me I’ll just go now and get some more Nana practice.