Planning grandson's visit - Opinions?

[Nuts]

Our four year old grandson is coming for the weekend---no siblings, no parents. We have a relay set up: our son drives to meet our daughter half way between their homes (about two hours round trip each). Daughter drives an hour out of her way to meet me (she keeps grandaughter for a girls weekend) and I make the four hour round trip to meet her and get our grandson. Otherwise, it's 4 hours each way for me, this makes it about four hours round trip. Jacob is so excited about the visit that my son called a few days ago and said I need to Skype with him before "his head explodes". So funny. He asks every day if he's going to grandma's today. They finally make a paper chain--he takes one link off every day until Friday!

Here's the question. I told my son that we were going to see if Jacob wants to help by dumping grandpa's urinal (there's a long story about this little guy peeing off the dock). LOL--son says "No mom! The kid's lazy! We'll find a cup of pee in his bedroom!"

Sigh. I guess I'll behave, because he WOULD do exactly what his father fears. I wouldn't want to risk future visits, but I must admit that it is soooo tempting.

Anybody have funny stories about kids or grandkids? Ideas for fun with PALS (besides the obvious PWC rides?).

 

[MaxEidswick]

mine won't come near because of the way 'i try' to talk :-(

 

[Grumpy'sWife]

Nuts, we also have a 4 year old grandson. He is nearby and we see him at least once a week. The cutest thing is that if Grumpy has to be moved or go anywhere he gets in front of the pwc and hollers at the top of his lungs "make a hole, make a hole papaw coming thru" he does this even if we are alone!
Grumpy can no longer move at all and I hated that they couldn't play cars or color together which was their thing. I bought some books with read along CD's and they "read" together. They also "sort" Papaw's ball cards and we are lucky enough to have a nature park with a paved walking/biking path and we take walks there.
The grandson has seen Grumpy's decline from the beginning. He is the only one old enough and close enough of all the grandkids to understand that something has happened and Papaw isn't getting well. He once asked Grumpy why the doctor didn't just fix his legs, it was the first time I saw Grumpy cry after his diagnosis. But the other day at the park another little boy about 5 camping run and said "what's wrong with you, are you sick?" My grandson spoke right up "no my Papaw's legs don't work but thats ok cause he is really smart." Made my day!
I hope you enjoy your visit and that you find ways for them to spend time together that is meaningful for them both.

I will have to say that I would almost have to let him help with dumping the urinal.....just to see what might happen lol....

And Max, my heart breaks for you. That is one of things I fear the most, that they will be afraid of him.

Hugs
~Kaye

 

[poppies]

Nuts, I hope you have a great time with your grandson. I am sure he will be very busy, so good luck! Max, my heart breaks for you. I see how there is a distance from my girls and their dad now and it breaks my heart too. They still adore him, just aren't sure of what to do.

 

[MaxEidswick]

well, I kinda scare myself

IIWII ("It Is What It Is!") ...

 

[DreamsEnd]

Max, I just love you! LOL
Kaye, loved your grandson story, especially he's really smart.
My PALS daughter arrives on Sunday with her 3 wonderful kids, 5, 10 & 14. Mom has prepared them telling them Grampie is the same inside as he has always been but his body doesn't work well anymore. My PALS is concerned as when we saw them last June, Grampie could walk and play and swim with them. Think they'll be fine because of the way dad and mom have prepared them.

 

[affected]

Sometimes involving them helps.

My granddaughter Sophie came out of herself once I got her to help with tasks, and she progressed to wanting to help with peg feeds.

We also got a game going where she would ask him simple questions (and she often stuck to the same questions, she was 5 at the time) and she would beam with pride that she could understand his simple answers. Even if she got the word a bit wrong we would all exclaim how clever she was to be the one with the right guess ...

These brought her out quite a lot as she was daunted at first that he could not speak or move and by the time she left from this visit she was running up and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Even very small tasks at first like fetching something, putting something in the bin, helping set something up can lead to actually interacting with you PALS with you. I know it was a ray of sunshine for Chris.

 

[Nuts]

Another failed attempt...

Well, our weekend with the grandson didn't happen. It's pollen season on the East Coast of the US, and he started coughing and hacking Thursday. The last time he was here his folks had to rush him to the hospital because of breathing problems and he was diagnosed with Asthma. The time before that I sent them home because all three kids were coughing and had runny noses (and I'm not exposing Grandpa to that). Sigh. My DIL was concerned because I hadn't been taught how to give Jacob his meds and breathing treatments. I'm torn between understanding completely and agreeing with my son--there was nothing that we couldln't have worked through in one Skype call.

Oh, it gets better. My son knew Jacob would be furious (at four he's a force of nature) so he told my grandson that he had to stay home, not because he was sick, but because Grandma was sick. Coward! Just for that, the urinal is definately back on my list!

 

[4tloml]

Just for that, the urinal is definately back on my list!

Love the way you think, Nuts!

Tillie, such sweet pictures--Everyone looks pleased in the last one!

Max, no speech generator with funny voices? BigMark posted somewhere about getting his programmed "to shock," :wink: so maybe a little programming for the grands? Or even letting the grands program some themselves? (Ooh, new toy!)

Kaye, awesome little grandson--smarts must run in the family!

 

[affected]

sorry the weekend didn't work out *sigh*

big girl panties and take the rap ... :lol:

@ 4tloml thanks. Yes you can see in the early part of the feed Sophie wasn't quite sure, she had avidly watched me for some days. She would keep an eagle eye on the syringe and make sure I didn't let it run out. By the end of this feed she felt quite proud and it really started her being comfortable with Chris.

She lives about 1000km away, so had only seen Chris once before this after diagnosis, so it was hard for her to understand the huge changes after only a few months.

 

[MaxEidswick]

>Max, no speech generator with funny voices? BigMark posted somewhere about getting his programmed "to shock," so maybe a little programming for the grands? Or even letting the grands program some themselves? (Ooh, new toy!)

I probably won't see her again as they are moving to Hawaii :-(

 

[Janie H]

I have a 6 year old nephew who is amazing! I always kept him on weekends before I got sick, I can't speak at all but I'm still his favorite aunt, he does all the talking, he brings me gifts every time I see him, he gave me a action figure yesterday, makes me cards and brings me necklaces and candy, he crawls up in my lap and talks my ears off. My own grandson is good to me but I never would have thought I would have such a blessing from this sweet little boy.

Janie

 

[cheerleader]

His treatment of you says a lot about who you are Janie! Suspect you well deserve his love and devotion!

 

[Janie H]

Thank you! That means a lot.

Janie

 

[Nuts]

You all are amazing--thank you!

There aren't many people outside of this forum who would dare tell me to pull up my big girl panties--Tillie, I love you! Thank you for the pictures. I don't share a lot from here with hubby--I think it's hard for him to hear, but I showed him those pictures. He doesn't express his worries very often, but I know that the prospect of not being able to eat really bothers him, so his reaction was mixed. I saw the a twinkle in his eye when he realized that your grandaughter was feeding Chris and enjoying helping. Again, thank you!

Kaye--I love the story! Make a hole for papaw--I can just see Jacob yelling that! What a great job for a little guy! We don't see our grandchildren nearly so often as they are 4 hours away, but we do Skype. I'm hoping they stay comfortable with hubby. Actually, my "job" when they are around is to video them with him.

Poppies--They are all coming this weekend: two daughters, son, and all three of the grandkids. The adults are supposed to be helping around the property while I watch the kids and grandpa supervises the projects, but now I'm thinking that it's time to turn the tables and let Gramps hang with the kids hang while I ramrod the chores. We won't have the one-on-one time that I'd hoped for, not with the aunties here also, but we'll arrange another visit.

Sherry--How did your visit go?

Janie--cheerleader is so right! What a wonderful testament to both you and your nephew.

4toml--Me and my big girl panties might just teach all three grankids about urinals now!

Max, I'm so sorry. 4toml might be on to something, though. How about skype with voice generation. How about favorite cartoon voices? Come on, you are the tech guy here. Let Mark lead you (but not too far--you two going off the rails together would be dangerous) and then apply those ones and zeros to good use!