Our 4th grandchild, Quentin, was born 10 years ago today. And what a joy he has been!
Jose and I cared for him Mon-Fri from the age of six weeks to his 1st year, and we loved every moment. Watching him learn about the world and about himself was so much fun. There was wonder in seeing all the colors of the rainbow, listening to music, feeling grass and rocks and other items with different textures for the first time, learning how to roll over and to crawl, not to mention the amazement of his own voice and the voices of those he came to know and love. Parents experience this, of course, but there is a newness to it when you're older and a grandparent.
It became apparent at a very early age that Q was going to be extremely adventurous and fearless. He loved the water and always wanted to be thrown so he could splash down. He loved to jump in piles of leaves, which he did with abandon, jumping in on the fly and coming up laughing. This is one of my favorite pics of him.
Q is now an awesome swimmer, loves karate, creates Ninja courses in his backyard and runs them over and over to improve his time, enjoys hiking and imagining all sorts of scenarios (some involving Big Foot), can rock pushups with Papa (he can do 70+!), loves school and the things he learns, and is a gaming expert.
Through it all, he is smart, kind, very sensitive, loving, and considerate. His parents have raised an amazing young boy who is growing up to be an incredible man.
All six of my grandchildren are so special and loving, with unique personalities that are all their own and beautiful to see. I love them all to infinity and beyond!
I am highlighting Q today because it's his 10th birthday (how is that possible!?!) and because his joy of life and love of adventure, always wanting to explore the world around him, his thoughtfulness and the way he treats people, and his inquisitive nature, are all lessons on living in the moment, appreciating the world around us, and loving ourselves and others. . . lessons I never want to forget. Happy Birthday, Q, and thank you for the reminders. Grammy loves you!