If you would have told me a couple of years ago how much I would enjoy buying gifts for my granddaughter, I would have laughed in your face. And those of you who've been reading for a while know why ... I don't care much for shopping ... what an understatement, eh? Unless said shopping involves buying things for C.J. ... that kind of shopping I would happily and willingly do all day every day for the rest of my life. I have to admit that I'm not the greatest when it comes to shopping for clothes for her, but when it comes to toys ... now that's another matter altogether. I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had buying toys for her before they came to visit this summer ... heck, I even enjoyed buying her a purse (mainly because I could fill it up with toys and Goldfish crackers). For all the things I've purchased for my sweet C.J. since she entered the world a little over a year and a half ago, there's one small item she loves dearly ... one small item that carries with it a ton of meaning for me ... one small item that is quite probably making a certain guy in heaven smile, smile, smile.
Just like most kiddos, there are certain things that C.J. is particularly crazy over. For example, she adores the Cabbage Patch doll that her Aunt Meghann and Uncle Barrett sent her for Christmas, and she goes to sleep each night by listening to music played by a high-tech stuffed ... ummm ... I can't recall whether it's a dog or an octopus, but it's one of the two ... that her Uncle Brad and Aunt Shelby sent her. But more than any other thing, except maybe her blankie, C.J. loves trains and trucks, both the real ones and the toy ones in her growing collection. When they came to spend a couple of days at my house, we just happened to be outside when the garbage trucks rolled through my neighborhood ... I have never seen a kid so excited to see a garbage truck in my entire life. I found an old book of Matt's called The Truck Book that I gave to C.J. when they were here, and Matt and Becca tell me they think they must have read it to her a thousand or more times.
I was thrilled when Matt and Becca said that I could buy C.J. her first little train set, even though it took me almost two hours to choose between the different engines, cars and tracks ... yes, I spent two hours shopping for one particular item ... hard to believe, eh? I finally settled on a Thomas the Train beginner set, with a battery-operated, blue and red Thomas engine. And C.J. absolutely loves her Thomas the Train set ... I'm pretty sure that means she has some of my dad in her. When she's old enough to understand, I'll tell her stories of when her great granddad used to take me to work with him and let me drive the trains. I'll tell her about the train sets I had when I was a little girl, and I'll tell her about riding the train to my granny's house in Kentucky. I'll tell her about the time I got to ride in the caboose with the conductor and help take up the tickets. I'll tell her how Daddy used to always say that the love for trains gets in your blood. I'll tell C.J. that I think maybe part of the reason she loves trains so much is because she is a descendant of one of the kindest, most honorable men who ever lived ... a man who worked on trains for more than 50 years.
Matt, Becca and C.J. returned to their home in Canada last night after spending a week in Amsterdam. Matt was invited to speak at a conference there, and he jumped at the opportunity to take his little family along to see part of the world they never had before. The flight from Calgary to Amsterdam was nine hours ... nine hours in an airplane with an almost 20-month-old baby, a very busy and active almost 20-month-old baby. Matt and Becca had chosen a flight that left in the evening, with the hope that C.J. would sleep during most of the flight. Nope. Wrong. Not a chance. Long story there for another time, but suffice it to say that my sweet granddaughter only slept a couple or so hours ... a couple or so hours during the time that everyone else on the plane was trying to sleep. The rest of C.J.'s time on the plane was spent playing with her Thomas the Train engine and reading The Truck Book ... that and stealing the hearts of all the flight attendants with her giant blue eyes and white blond hair. As I said, they arrived back home last night, tired but happy, and they had an amazing trip and made memories for their sweet little family that will last a lifetime.
Matt called me early this morning to ask if I wanted to Skype with C.J. ... for as brilliant as my son is, he can't seem to understand that I ALWAYS want to Skype with C.J. There's absolutely no need to ask me if I want to talk to my baby girl ... he could simply call and say "Skype now," and unless I wasn't at home, I'd be on my computer faster than a fly can spit. Even before she could see me on the screen this morning (there was an issue with the camera on their computer, so there was a delay), I could hear her sweet little voice saying, Hi, Ghee! Hi, Ghee! Hi, Ghee!" And you know what? There isn't a sweeter sound on this earth to me than that sweet baby saying her chosen name for me ... not a single sound. I've said it before, but I'm saying it again ... I don't know how grandparents with grandchildren who live far away survive if they don't have the capability to Skype. Words will never be able to convey to you what it does to my heart to see her little face light up when she sees me on the screen ... to know that she knows who I am and recognizes my voice ... to understand that she loves me. It's more than that, you know ... it's understanding and believing that my sweet granddaughter loves me unconditionally for one reason and one reason only. C.J. loves me because I'm her Ghee ... nothing more, nothing less ... I'm her Ghee and I always will be.
So Thomas the Train, Matt, Becca and C.J. went to Amsterdam, and now they are back safe and sound in their home in the far north. Here's to many more adventures ahead for you sweet girl ... for you and Thomas the Train, and your mom and dad, too. And here's a great big giant hug and kiss from Ghee to you ... sleep well, baby ... sleep well, and know how much I love you ... how very much indeed.
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