Dutton Chronicle

Monday, January 14, 1996, came just as any other day and I dressed for work in warm layers of clothing as the ancient brick school house, remodeled for administrative staff, never reached temperatures comfortable for human habitation. I began my day which, before it would end, marked the birth of my second grandchild, Jessica Marie Moore, my daughter's daughter--a very special event.
On a fine breezy morning more than three years later, I sip steamy coffee remembering my recent visit with Tanis in Pennsylvania, and enjoy my green garden with yellow Rudebeckia and sparkling white summer phlox blooming near the patio. While a cardinal sips water from the bird bath and locusts' songs fill the warm July air, I can still hear my grandchild's voice, "Grandma, will you push me?" Swinging very high, Jessie is distracted by the cawing of a crow sitting on a nearby pole, noisily talking to another much farther away. "Go away, crow!" Jessie commands, but the crow ignores her. She stares and listens assimilating it into her young mind as she does with every new sight and sound, as if studying it in every detail. Moments later, sitting in the sand box, we watch an ant trying to drag a dead fly up a sand hill. "Gee!, I said, "He can't do it. He needs help!" Jessie takes a stick and tries to help the ant, but only manages to spray it with sand. "Look!" she exclaims, another ant!" Together we scoot the second ant to help the first one, but they only fight with each other rolling round and round in the sand.
Jessie mixes a sand birthday cake. "What kind of cake are you making?" I ask. "Strawberry cake. Here you are grandma," she says as she hands me a bucket of cake. I tell her, "Um--mmm. What a good cake! Yum, yum, yum. What are we having for dinner?" In her 'outside voice' Jessie yells, "Chicken and Noodles." She throws some sand into her jar and gives me a puzzled look, "I don't know how to make chicken and noodles, Grandma!" "Well, what's in it?" I ask. "Chicken," she yells shoveling chicken into her jar. "Noodles," more sand into the jar. "Mushrooms," more sand and vigorous mixing. Together we eat dinner. Then, she wants to drive her toy jeep. After I hook up her battery, she backs it out of the shed. Shoving it into high gear, she zooms round and round the yard narrowly missing trees. Jessie is a good driver compared to other three year olds who use trees, porches, and fences as a means to stop. But this IS her second year of driving, so she is good at it. After she swings her baby bunny, we have lunch. Jessie talks nearly continuously and almost always in her 'outside voice.' She needs reminding to use her 'inside voice.' When she is not talking, she is singing and her repertoire of songs is vast. She knows songs her mother taught her and songs she learned in preschool and from videos. So, after a noisy lunch, we settle into quiet time and watch "A Bug's Life."
Jessie is currently fascinated by lightning bugs, bats, and snapping her fingers. Last year, she mastered blowing bubbles and walking on curbs. She knows her colors and can count thirteen objects. She can sort coins by size, picture, and name. However, she has already learned to cheat because if you tell her that this one does not belong because it has a face, she turns the coin over and says, "Yes it does!" :))
In the late afternoon, her mother comes home from work and we take her swimming at Mimi's pool (her other grandmother). After donning her floaties (inflatable swimming aid), Jessie heads for the diving board. Boldly she walks to the edge and without hesitation, jumps in. Popping up like a cork, she swims by kicking her feet, to the ladder and goes to the diving board again. Her mother adjusts her arms into a diving pose, she bends over, and dives into the pool. She enjoys it and does it repeatedly. Jessie also goes down the sliding board. She yells to her older cousins, "Come on guys. It's fun," but they refuse as they do not share her daring nature. She and her cousin, Jackie, repeatedly jump off the side of the pool trying to splash grandma sitting near the edge.
In the evening, Jessie and her mom, dad, and I, settle down on the sofa to watch a video. She munches on a snack and watches the Black policeman say to the Japanese policeman, "Can you understand the words comin' outta my mouth?" This is very funny and Jessie does not forget this phrase which she often repeats, at the top of her voice, until I go home.
On Sunday, we go wading in the "tubing creek" which is a shallow, but rather swift waterway, with fish and crawdads, and tons of people and dogs cooling off in the 98 degree temperature. Before swimming, Jessie gets an application of sunscreen and in true three-year old fashion finds it impossible to hold still. Frustrated, her mother chastizes her, "Jessie, quit rolling around like a grape!"
Thus, my six days a year with my granddaughter and her family pass in idyllic happiness with warm memories to keep and to share.

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	Monday, January 14, 1996, came just as any other day and I dressed for work in warm layers of clothing as the ancient brick school house, remodeled for administrative staff, never reached temperatures comfortable for human habitation. I began my day which, before it would end, marked the birth of my second grandchild, Jessica Marie Moore, my daughter's daughter--a very special event. On a fine breezy morning more than three years later, I sip steamy coffee remembering my recent visit with Tanis in Pennsylvania, and enjoy my green garden with yellow Rudebeckia and sparkling white summer phlox blooming near the patio. While a cardinal sips water from the bird bath and locusts' songs fill the warm July air, I can still hear my grandchild's voice, "Grandma, will you push me?" Swinging very high, Jessie is distracted by the cawing of a crow sitting on a nearby pole, noisily talking to another much farther away. "Go away, crow!" Jessie commands, but the crow ignores her. She stares and listens assimilating it into her young mind as she does with every new sight and sound, as if studying it in every detail. Moments later, sitting in the sand box, we watch an ant trying to drag a dead fly up a sand hill. "Gee!, I said, "He can't do it. He needs help!" Jessie takes a stick and tries to help the ant, but only manages to spray it with sand. "Look!" she exclaims, another ant!" Together we scoot the second ant to help the first one, but they only fight with each other rolling round and round in the sand. Jessie mixes a sand birthday cake. "What kind of cake are you making?" I ask. "Strawberry cake. Here you are grandma," she says as she hands me a bucket of cake. I tell her, "Um--mmm. What a good cake! Yum, yum, yum. What are we having for dinner?" In her 'outside voice' Jessie yells, "Chicken and Noodles." She throws some sand into her jar and gives me a puzzled look, "I don't know how to make chicken and noodles, Grandma!" "Well, what's in it?" I ask. "Chicken," she yells shoveling chicken into her jar. "Noodles," more sand into the jar. "Mushrooms," more sand and vigorous mixing. Together we eat dinner. Then, she wants to drive her toy jeep. After I hook up her battery, she backs it out of the shed. Shoving it into high gear, she zooms round and round the yard narrowly missing trees. Jessie is a good driver compared to other three year olds who use trees, porches, and fences as a means to stop. But this IS her second year of driving, so she is good at it. After she swings her baby bunny, we have lunch. Jessie talks nearly continuously and almost always in her 'outside voice.' She needs reminding to use her 'inside voice.' When she is not talking, she is singing and her repertoire of songs is vast. She knows songs her mother taught her and songs she learned in preschool and from videos. So, after a noisy lunch, we settle into quiet time and watch "A Bug's Life." Jessie is currently fascinated by lightning bugs, bats, and snapping her fingers. Last year, she mastered blowing bubbles and walking on curbs. She knows her colors and can count thirteen objects. She can sort coins by size, picture, and name. However, she has already learned to cheat because if you tell her that this one does not belong because it has a face, she turns the coin over and says, "Yes it does!" :)) In the late afternoon, her mother comes home from work and we take her swimming at Mimi's pool (her other grandmother). After donning her floaties (inflatable swimming aid), Jessie heads for the diving board. Boldly she walks to the edge and without hesitation, jumps in. Popping up like a cork, she swims by kicking her feet, to the ladder and goes to the diving board again. Her mother adjusts her arms into a diving pose, she bends over, and dives into the pool. She enjoys it and does it repeatedly. Jessie also goes down the sliding board. She yells to her older cousins, "Come on guys. It's fun," but they refuse as they do not share her daring nature. She and her cousin, Jackie, repeatedly jump off the side of the pool trying to splash grandma sitting near the edge. In the evening, Jessie and her mom, dad, and I, settle down on the sofa to watch a video. She munches on a snack and watches the Black policeman say to the Japanese policeman, "Can you understand the words comin' outta my mouth?" This is very funny and Jessie does not forget this phrase which she often repeats, at the top of her voice, until I go home. On Sunday, we go wading in the "tubing creek" which is a shallow, but rather swift waterway, with fish and crawdads, and tons of people and dogs cooling off in the 98 degree temperature. Before swimming, Jessie gets an application of sunscreen and in true three-year old fashion finds it impossible to hold still. Frustrated, her mother chastizes her, "Jessie, quit rolling around like a grape!" Thus, my six days a year with my granddaughter and her family pass in idyllic happiness with warm memories to keep and to share.
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