There’s nothing like an ice storm to test the relationship between grandkids and grandparents.
The infamous weather smackdown we went through in February was a fine example, with folks having to deal with falling trees, icy roads, closed schools and daycares, and power outages lasting days for many of us.
Most parents still had to report to work, so the kid shuffle was in full force throughout. Families were sorting out who could drive, who didn’t have electricity, who was sick, who wasn’t quarantining, and who didn’t have massive tree limbs puncturing roofs.
And it must be said that the children were of absolutely no help at all. Maybe you could get older ones to pick up some twigs, but they were useless when it came to wielding a chainsaw. (And who could blame them? Have you ever read the instruction manual that comes with a chainsaw? On every page you’ll see multiple warnings in bold red type with an alarming number of exclamation points. Years ago I bought one, read the manual, put it all back in the box, and hired someone to handle the job.)
Furthermore, you couldn’t let the children play in the snow because, well, there was no snow. There was plenty of ice, some on the ground where they could slip and break their precious little heads, and some on the trees that could break limbs that would fall and break their precious little heads.
We figured it would be good to get a fire in the fireplace, which the grands absolutely love. Because it’s fire! You get to teach them principles of safety that have to cover handling of flammable material, dealing with logs (real or store-bought), reaching inside the (dark and cold) fireplace to find the flue damper, and trying not to scream when you grab a handful of cobwebs. You must set an example of calmness.
If your house is power-deficient, then you have to bundle your bundles of joy while also keeping them from opening the refrigerator to stare for minutes on end at the melting ice cream bars. Nor can you plop them down in front of the TV to get a few minutes of peace. Nor can you set them in front of the computer, unless you have a laptop with finite battery power that will use your phone’s hot-spot, which drains not only your iPhone but piles up the cellular usage charges. If you’re lucky, however, there might be a cool-looking fireball on a transformer across the street that will bring forth the fire department. That might qualify as the day’s best entertainment as you look out the window, point, and shiver.
It’s possible that along with the children, you’ve also taken in some pets, and again, the grandkids are pretty much useless. Maybe the older ones can fill the water bowl and scoop some food, but you’ll be the one following the excitable dog around the house hoping to keep it from knocking over the china, and looking after the old hound keeping it comfortable. And will those adorable grandbabies mop up the doggie pee in the kitchen? I think not.
But if you don’t have any power from MLGW, you still have the power of being grandparents. And the old-style diversions are still the best, like everyone getting in the bed with plenty of blankets and singing songs, telling stories, reading books, and looking at family pictures. Baby it’s cold outside, but your babies will be all warm and snug enveloped in love. Still, spring can’t get here soon enough.