The Awesome Threesome

One fun thing about getting a little older is grandchildren. I have three; Rob, Annie and Steve, shown here with their mom. Rob is the poster-boy good kid. (Well, he does have a little mean streak in him when it comes to dealing with his younger brother Steve but otherwise he is very trustworthy and responsible--especially for a five year old.) He is a sports nut who loves baseball, football, hockey, basketball, even golf. The ones he doesn't like are the ones he doesn't know about yet. Not being especially large isn't a handicap because he has amazing skills, and I think he will do well in the sports on which he chooses to concentrate. Rob is clever, helpful and very smart. He has learned to do odd jobs around the house for money which he saves, shares with the church, and uses to buy the things he wanted but didn't get for Christmas!

Steve is the kid you must follow if you spot him with a screwdriver. He likes to get into things. He is very much into what Steve wants to do and greatly less so with what others want him to do. He regards school as an encroachment on his personal time and resists efforts for him to consider it "fun." Steve is a smart kid, and knew colors, letters, numbers and simple math very early on. I hope his learning curve continues upward at the same rate, but sometimes he knows too much. Like when he wrote the alphabet out--correctly--on the kitchen wall with a permanent marker, an epistle he ended with "Mommy," thus sparing himself banishment to the desert. But he is truly a sweet kid. His eyes twinkle, often with happiness and occasionally with anticipation.

Then there is Annie, just barely a year old. Her favorite thing to do is eat, followed by emptying out a purse left on the floor. She runs everywhere. Still a mama's girl, she is beginning to tolerate me for brief encounters. Her brothers love her but she truly loves the dog as much as them, and I think it is mutual. Like a cat, she sleeps about 18 hours a day so we have to be quick to spend a few moments with her. Also like a cat, she does not care to be managed. She is a bit of a princess, and has a staff rather than parents. I can't wait for her to be able to talk. I think we will have fun conversations, especially about Grammy.

All three of them are pretty well suited to each other. I hope they all grow closer as they get older and are not just family but friends as well. With so many children often found lacking in life skills it is good to see at least three of them off to a good start. They must have good parents?