Millie see Cece naked?

It was a shock and a delight (she made me laugh) when over the holiday one of my Millie's request was to see Cece "naked." I am not from that time when we bared all, around our kids. I had already struggled with a similar request when, at one, she had grabbed my shirt and raised it to blow bubbles on my belly.

I immediately went into a whole host of thoughts:

I need to set limits over her over boundaries;

Why am I so up tight about a natural exploration of a human body:

Is this really my issue as not liking a sixty year old belly the way I liked my twenty year old belly;

I am back to; 'Do I accept myself as I am.";

What am I going to do about it if I don't;

Why should any of this be her issue?

I still couldn't go with the belly bubbles at  age one and found that at age two I could remember how artfully my mom had been able to totally change clothes right in front of me without me ever seeing a thing. 

I can't wait to see what other limits she tests! 

I can't wait to see how she opens my heart to being more open..

Cece's Grandparenting Guideposts

I am in that new world loving those times I get to be a grandparent. It feels as though each time is a little different for me. My granddaughter, Millie, has changed a little, I need to know a new routine, I want to check special needs and new habits. I do love not having to be in the driver's seat on all those parenting decisions, but being able to sit back and follow her parent's style of parenting.

Life as a Grandparent has gotten to be more fun, with the second grandchild, Sage, (the first child from my oldest son). Now I am learning new operating instructions. The dynamics of honoring each parents beliefs about how to parent when the six of us get together is great. I get the best seat in the house as I don't have to take a position unless asked.

I have started developing my own rule book for grand parenting.  I'm going to think of it as Cece's Guidebook. Hopefully each experience will help me craft my role as a grandparent. I know my role is to love and be loved and in that process to help however I can when I can. 

One of my friends shared her favorite grandmother  experience: going to see her daughter and waking up with her grand daughter cuddling in bed with her. She loves that one on one leisurely time that is unhurried before the day begins. I now think of just being together as delightful. 

It's a whole new kind of love.