Conversations with Grandboy

I'm still with Son and Grandboy and will be until the end of the month. We're having a good time together and it's very different living with a 3-year-old when you're 61 than it was when I was 29. Mostly, I think I'm paying more attention to his quirky little personality and savoring moments with him. When you're a mom, those opportunities aren't as available to you, but being a grandmother is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

I've been sharing some of Grandboy's and my conversations on Facebook because he's hilarious and delightful, and it occurred to me how often we writers save up these kinds of exchanges to use as fodder for stories. Grandboy is a character and he's probably going to show up as a character in a future book. I know my fellow wranglers have used kids and grandkids in their books--if not as characters, at least as personalities of characters or names of characters. It's a natural inclination--we write what (and who!) we know.

Writing down the conversation not only immortalizes them for both Grandboy and me, but it also helps me to create characters. When and if I need a precocious toddler in a book, I've got one here, all written for me already. I haven't lived with a little one for a lot of years--this is great research and I'm willing to share it with my fellow wranglers. So, just in case you don't follow Grandboy and me on Facebook, here's a couple of samples of the brilliant conversations we've been having. Enjoy!

As we're getting pjs on:

Nanny: Okay, arm in, doodlebug.
Grandboy: Why you call me doodlebug, Nanny?
Nanny: Because I love you--when I call you doodlebug, that means I love you.
Grandboy: You should just say I love you. I know that better.
Nanny: Okay. I love you.
Grandboy: I love you, too... doodlebug. <big grin>

 On going to the potty:

Grandboy: I need to go to potty.
Nanny: Okay, come on.
Grandboy: No, Nanny. You stay. I do it all by myself.
Nanny: Okay. Do it by yourself.
Grandboy (turning around to give me a hard stare): Stay here, Nanny, I need privacy.
Nanny: I'm staying.
Grandboy: Okay. Thank you.

We did end up needing a little bit of help, but he's definitely a big boy!

On brushing teeth:

Nanny: Come on, let's brush your teeth.
Grandboy: Okay. Nanny, you do the ahh and I'll do the cheese.
Nanny: What?
Grandboy (opening his mouth wide): You do the ahhh. (Then giving me a closed-mouth toothy grin) I do the cheese.
Nanny: Ohhhh, okay. Nanny brushes the inside and you brush the outside.
Grandboy: Yes. You do the ahh, I do the cheese.
Nanny: Works for me, kid.

Son told me later this was how Mommy taught him to brush teeth--love it!