Nana Summers in Atlanta...or at least nearby

         Nana Summers in Atlanta…or at least nearby

         Hello friends!  It has been awhile since Nana shared adventures in the South, but I have returned now in August and feel safe saying that the only snow-like particles around at this time of year make their home in the freezer.  We are hot in the mid-90’s; actually, yesterday, the official afternoon temp, I’ve been told, was 102.  Hailing from the High Desert, I am used to the 100’s, but I must admit that dry makes a difference even at 3 digits.

         Judah and I have been wading into time together since my arrival Saturday evening.  Our littlest Mann is definitely into the BIG two’s and while his language is growing, growing, he is still having some trouble finding the words.  He does have two words down pat however, Mommy and Daddy.  He is full-on in love, a wonderful benchmark, but a bit of a challenge for Nana, a new arrival who wisks him away from his beloveds and even dares to change his diaper.

    

        We spent Monday late afternoon at a UGA pool called Legion.  We arrived at 5:30 since Mommy and Daddy were gone for the evening… just in time for adult swim.  Fortunately, we had food on our side.  By the time Nana retrieved snack from the appropriate blue bag buried deep among diapers and then changed the little Mann into swim diaper, swim shirt and swim trunks, the lifeguard had blown his golden whistle which signaled an end to adult swim and the need for Nana’s pool evasion tactics.  At a steamy 96 degrees, Judah and I did the smart thing; we remained submerged until closing at 7 and then made our way home to dinner and bedtime.   With Judah safely tucked in by 9:00, I poured myself a full-bodied red and enjoyed a ratatouille prepared earlier in the afternoon while our little guy napped.

         Tuesday challenged Nana’s learning curve.  Having been away for a while and seduced by the cool embrace of the “Y” pool, she returned from Judah and Nana’s great “Y” adventure about 40 minutes later than she should have.  My stomach turned queasy when Laura appeared in the driveway just as we rolled in.  While Laura’s manner was quiet and accepting, I realized almost immediately that I had made a foolish novice error; I had missed the “window.”  Sure enough, after food and story, Judah made a BIG TWO power play and refused to go down peacefully for a much needed nap.  This was compounded by the arrival of Laura’s women’s group later in the evening.  Nana just couldn’t compete with all of those beautiful young women, especially with Mommy among them.  Bath time lost its allure…even bubbles failed to quell his frustration.  So we punted…opted for a rinse-off instead, a quick clothes retrieval for both Nana and Judah, and then a quiet Einstein Mozart video in our boy’s darkened room.  Laura had sent the video and a glass of ruby red into the trenches with Darla, a friend and Jay’s administrative assistant.  Fortunately, her keen 30 something eyesight was able to locate the volume control on Judah’s video machine despite the muted lights.  We “watched” together, Judah and Nana, read stories to the lull of his sound machine, and gradually made our way to bed.

         Today has been a new day.  We breakfasted out with Mommy and then broke off for a Nana and Judah adventure at Barnes and Noble.  While most of that visit was centered around the train table, Nana had learned a valuable lesson the previous day and this time kept a close eye on her watch.  With great pride, I managed to allow time for playing with the choo, choos as well as for “browsing” through numerous board books, floor puzzles and DVD’s while still arriving home within the  given ““window.”  I even found my way back to Winterville using the loop road shortcut with just one tiny mistakeJ.  Fortunately, Judah didn’t seem to notice.

         I’m prepared for wake-up…play dough is on the agenda.  The salt, flour, oil, and food coloring are lined up on the counter like soldiers prepared for combat.  I have even perused the cabinets and toys choosing shapes that might work well with play dough and the clean-up too.  I’ll let you know how that goes. 

         Once again, I am reminded that we all must retain a sense of humor and be careful not to take ourselves too seriously.  If we do, Nanas can remedy such a situation by spending time with those special little ones who have captured our love and filled our lives.  Oh, that works for Babus or Papas as well.

         Have a great day…we’ll talk again soon!!

                                                               Love,

                                                               Nana “near” Atlanta

PS  Failed to mention a very special 2 week visit in Cardiff with Rebecca and her boys, Elan and Emry.  Mikhail was present on and off when not attending to work related activities while Michael got to join us for the whole second week.  Emry has taken on a new nickname, Marshmellow Man, so chubby and cuddly.  Elan spent hours in the pool and had his first wet suit experience.  He was “reluctant” but did seem to get more comfortable with the idea after first sporting his new rubber attire at the pool and then spending a second day in the ocean.  Becca felt that bribery was a reasonable strategy, and this Nana learned to never underestimate the power of the chocolate chip cookie.

      A Nana, Babu and Elan highlight was our trip to the Orange County Performing Arts Center where Elan saw his first stage production in a large theater.  We were all thoroughly delighted with Mary Poppins and have been practicing with superkajafrajulisticexpyalydocious when extra bravado is required to get through our day.  Give it a try sometime…I can at least guarantee a smile!!