Lasting Love

Everyone loves grandma

"Grandma's here!" Justin yells as he walks through the door. My mom is following behind him with presents for the kids. I'm sure she plans on spoiling them like always.

Kay and Ben race over to her, and I walk over with Lexie, who she unfortunately hasn't seen in person yet.

"Wow, she's beautiful." My mom takes Lexie from me to hold her "She's such a good mix of the two of you. I love her eyes." She's right, Lexie is the perfect combination of the two of us with Justin's eyes and nose, and my hair and mouth. All of our kids have features that we love.

"Thanks, Nancy." Justin stands beside me resting his arm on my shoulder. We watch as my mom and Lexie bond, and Kay and Ben tear open their presents. They couldn't be more excited.

We decide to take the kids to the park and then for ice cream as a special event since grandma is here. They're ecstatic because Justin told them the ice cream is their dinner.

"I'm guessing they don't get to do this often?" My mom asks me laughing at the kids. Justin is pushing Lexie's stroller and the kids are running around ahead of us. They're used to only doing this after dinner.

"They normally do this after dinner, but today can be different." I watch carefully to make sure they stop at the edge of the sidewalk and wait for us to catch up "We figure they won't sleep today anyway." She laughs.

"Yeah, you never slept when you grandma was visiting. You either had to sleep with her or not at all." I was always very close to my dad's mom.

We reach the playground and Justin plays with Kay and Ben leaving Lexie with my mom and I. She's quiet until she starts to get hungry, so I grab a blanket from the stroller and get her out to feed her. It doesn't take long for her to get quiet, and my mom and I continue talking while watching the kids play.

"They're growing up so fast, it's crazy." She points out the obvious. It painfully hits me that in a few months my baby will be one and my oldest will be in school. Ben will be 3.

"I know," I sigh not wanting them to grow up "I guess there isn't much I can do about it though."

"Just gotta make sure they grow up and turn out to be good people." She pauses for a little to think "But with you and Justin as their examples that shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks, mom. We really try to be good examples for them." I think back to the examples her and my dad set for my brother and I. They might not have been perfect, but they always tried to show us right from wrong. I wish that she would have been here when the kids were born so she could have seen them earlier.

"Let's go for our ice cream!" Justin yells getting the kids to get ready to leave. They run right over to us. Ben is getting tired from playing, so I carry him and Kay walks beside us slowly, obviously tired too.

"Mommy we get sprinkles?" Kay asks for both her and Ben. She likes to talk for both of them.

"You guys can get whatever you want." I lean down next to her and she puts her arms up "Do you want daddy to carry you?" She nods her head. My mom takes over the stroller, and Justin carries Kay until we get to the ice cream place. I stay with my mom and the kids while Justin gets us our ice cream.

"Grandma, you stay with us?" Kay asks sweetly. She almost looks like she isn't about to become the devil child after she eats.

My mom picks her up setting her on her lap "I'm going to stay with you for a few days then I have to go back home." Kay looks upset about the idea of her leaving again after a few days, but she'll get over it eventually.

We all eat our ice cream and watch as the kids make huge messes. Luckily, my mom volunteered to help out with bathtime, because it's going to be crazy. 3 messy kids since Justin decided to let Lexie try ice cream, and 3 very tired adults should be interesting. I just hope that bedtime isn't too hard since they're excited that my mom is here, and are now filled with sugar.

I wash Lexie in her baby bath while Justin and my mom wash Kay and Ben in the tub. Lexie wiggles around every time she hears Kay and Ben giggling letting me know that she wants to be with them. She even splashes me a little then laughs herself thinking that it's funny because I'm all wet.

"You're lucky that you're so cute!" I kiss her forehead as I lift her out of her bath and wrap her towel around her. She looks so cute when she's all wrapped up in her towel, and can't get out to crawl away from me. I watch her try, but fail to get herself out while I get a clean diaper to put on her.

I sit on the floor with Lexie in my lap watching as my mom and Justin attempt to get Kay and Ben dry and in their pajamas. Ben is standing on his towel jumping and dancing around trying to get away from Justin, while Kay has decided that she's going to get herself dressed. My mom makes her go potty first, which she doesn't like, but eventually gives in with the promise of an extra bed time story. Ben on the other hand is still fighting with Justin not staying still so he can get his diaper and pajamas on, and they could be here for a while. I like to call it bed time stalling 101.

"Goodnight, guys. Be good for grandma!" I kiss each Kay and Ben goodnight as Justin and I walk out of the room after reading a few stories. They decided they have to sleep with my mom, but as long as they're asleep I don't care where they are.

I crawl into our bed where Justin is laying with Lexie asleep on his chest and lay my head next to her to finally get some sleep myself.