April 1, 2013;

Today I got told about my absence from posting for a few days but I was and am so tired.  It's definitely not because my life has lacked activity because that's what exhausts me.  Easter was exhausting especially since I enjoy cooking, but try to get everyone around the table.  That was not going to happen.  First of all my table isn't big enough which is why I suggested the large picnic table outside but after a day of cooking, 3 people sat down to eat.  What exactly has happened to family dinner.  I see pictures of it and I watch movies with scenes that include it and you would think my daughters would expect to do it since they grew up that way.  But nooo, the parents apparently don't make the kids who are not hungry sit down for dinner because who wants to spend time training their children to have table manners and respect,  and some of the adults, well they just don't want to yet.  So, me and my two oldest sat down and ate what took me all day to prepare and the day before shopping.  That was frustrating to say the least.  To make a large dinner, then break it down put it into containers in the fridge, mind you it's the day after and there is nothing left.  What I should do is make the food pack it up, put it in the fridge and let them dig in, Weird!

The day before Easter is spent shopping for food, last minute basket items and a couple outfits for each child, there are seven grandchildren.  Which brings me to my shopping expedition at K-Mart.  My daughter had chosen 2 bathingsuits for 2 of the granddaughters, now I like tankinis and bottoms with the matching shorts and so does my oldest so we picked out what we thought were cute bathingsuits, until......one of my granddaughters showed up at the store to get a bathingsuit to go to the river in with her friends.  We saw her and told her we were buying her another bathingsuit and she didn't need to get another one.  My oldest explained to her that even if she picked a suit out it could not be a bikini.  Now I'm going to tell you the story before I tell you her AGE.

We went to check out and found ourselves in line directly behind her, her friend and her friend's older brother who was paying for the items they shopped for.  In her hand I see a bathing suit so I asked her what's that?  She explained oh it's my bathingsuit they're going to buy for me for the river.  Really? I said so I asked her to see it.  Lo and behold it's a bikini, a teeny tiny bikini.  I said I told you I'm buying one for you, why are you making Chris (her friend's older brother) buy another one and why a bikini (dumb question).  She begins to whine it's for the river he said I could, so I told Chris, no she's not going to wear a bikini to the river I'm buying her a suit, it's right here I'll give it to you when I check out.  He said it was fine he had no problem with cooperating, however the girls, who were standing in front of me (directly in front of me) began a conversation.  I want this one, so her friend, by the way her name is Katie, said well just put it up there my dad will buy it for you, you can keep it at my house to go to the river in.  So she's trying to slide it over to Katie and they do manage to get it up to the checker, mind you I'm watching the scenario play itself out, I wondered that possibly they didn't see me standing directly behind them or they thought I was deaf and dumb?  The checker then says to Chris, this too pointing to the suit?  He looks at both the girls and says your grandma said no I'm not going against her.  So the bathingsuit gets put back, I buy the other one, give it to Chris.  Now you would think that would be the end of the story right????  Uhhh NO. 

Apparently, when they get back to Katie's house a fit is thrown by my granddaughter about how much she hates the suit and wants another one. So much so that Katie's father (Shorty) goes back to K-Mart and buys (guess what kind) yup the bikini.  So she goes to the river in her little bikini.  Now you think that's the end of the story Uhhhh NO.  Late that evening she comes home in the bikini (mind you I still haven't told you her age) and I ask her wheres the suit I bought you.  Oh right here and I notice the tags are still on it ANNND she's wearing the bikini under her clothes, so I ask her what do you have on?  Oh a bathing suit.  Really, where did that one come from?  Oh Shorty's.  I don't understand you wore this to the river?  Yea.  And when did you buy this? Before we went to the river.  So you bought this one after you left K-Mart?  So you came back?  Yea on our way to the river Shorty stopped at K-Mart again.  So later I corner Katie and find out my lovely granddaughter threw a fit and cried to not wear the suit I bought and Shorty took her back to the store to get the suit she wanted. 

In this one incident I learned that my granddaughter had lied to me, her friend was willing to help her buy the suit right in front of me if it could happen and manipulate her friend's father all in order to wear a teeny weeny bikini to the river in a boat.  Cute huh??  

And how old is this granddaughter of mine???  7.  Seven years old. Yea that young and that manipulative.

I had to have the talk about modesty and why it's important and why lying to grandmother is unacceptable and what could happen to little girls at the river.  7 years old.  This child is the product of a teenage pregnancy and therefore spends half the time with her mother and half the time with her (well grandmother on the other side because dad's young and doesn't score high on any IQ test).  The paternal grandmother owns a bar, which my granddaughter spends a great deal of time in and since the bar has bar and grill on the sign, apparently according to the law this is fine.  According to grandma on that side that's fine, bikinis are fine and all sorts of other things are fine.  I know that it would appear to be a losing battle, but it's definitely a battle I more than happy to wage every day for the rest of my life.  She's my granddaughter, she doesn't like me right now, but I'm very good with that and besides she's my granddaughter.