Bitter Sweet...

Today, was our last day as full-time caregivers for Augie.  Our 10 hours a day, 5 days a week gig is up.  It is a bitter sweet feeling in my heart right now.  Yes, this was a hard gig and it was exhausting for two "older than the normal" grandparents.  Yet, it was so much fun and what a blessing.  Getting to be with this little guy on Fridays since last November and then 5 days a week for the last 6.5 weeks, has been more than we ever expected.  More exhausting, more fun, more educational and my goodness gracious, we have laughed so hard sometimes, tears ran down our faces.  His little antics, his laughter, his joy, his changing right before our eyes.  We have watched him go from a tiny baby into this little independent boy who is walking and talking.  Okay, the talking is babble, but we know, he knows exactly what he is saying and we know it is important stuff.

And so, tomorrow he turns one year old and he is walking.  His daycare requirements are those two things.  You cannot keep a busy boy like him from turning one and walking.  So, next week, we leave on a 3 week trip to see Sojo who will be turning 7 and Augie starts daycare.  When we get back, we will still have him 2 days a week. Thank goodness for that.  I am not sure we are ready to hand him over to anyone but his parents more days than that.

And so, that assignment that we chose to take on in August...  Thank you Sean and Katherine for entrusting your most precious little boy with us.  It has been one heck of a ride.  We are so grateful for having had this time with him.  Our greatest prayer is that we have done a good job and have somehow left a positive imprint on his little heart.  Someday, we hope that he stops at the sound of a bird and thinks of his Granda.  Someday, we hope he puts his hand into a water fountain and as the water drips down his hand, he thinks of his Nana.  Someday, we hope he wonders why these things mean so much to him. We hope that he somehow knows that these are special things we did with him and that is why he stops when he hears a bird or hears the sound of water in a fountain.  We know that we will never hear a bird sing or a water fountain flowing without our hearts fluttering.

Happy 1st Birthday, little man.  Where did the time go...