Adorable

Tonight The Hubby’s grandfather came over for dinner.

Gramps just recently turned 85. He has five children (one of whom passed away), 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. That’s a whole flipping lot of people, but he loves each and every one.

He’s an amazing bank of information, from birthdays to stories of his time at war and from words of wisdom about raising children to details about what’s going on with other members of a pretty large family.

And, my daughter is in complete awe of him.

Every time we see Gramps, which is usually at least every couple weeks, Miss Olive excitedly reaches for him.

Even when she was itsy bitsy, The Ladybug would lay peacefully in his arms staring up at him, checking him out ever so carefully.

Miss Olive's very first visit with Gramps.

One of the many other visits along the way.

Tonight, Olive rode with me to pick Gramps up while The Hubby finished up dinner. She chirped excitedly from the backseat after he climbed in the car and the entire drive back to our house.

As soon as he sat down in the living room, Miss Olive launched herself out of my arms and onto his lap, where she sat still, content just to lounge for a few minutes. “Still,” by the way, is a rarity for my little one, who is typically a bundle of energy.

My snapping a few photos was enough to make her jump from his lap toward the camera, then on to investigate some toys. But, she was determined to show him each thing she picked up. “Ahh. Ahh,” Olive yelled, waving her Little People Mommy above her head to make sure Gramps got a good look at it.

The Ladybug’s attention was kept by her toys for only a few moments at a time before she’d crawl back to the big chair Gramps sat it, climb up his shin, grip his knee and reach either to hold his hands or poke the tip of his nose (she just learned to ID everyone’s nose).

It was, in a word, ADORABLE.

Later this week, her great-grandparents on my mom’s side will be coming into town.

I’m thankful Olive gets to spend time pretty frequently with Gramps, and at least now and then with her other great-grandparents. It sounds weird to say, but I think little ones and older folks often share a common bond that other people just don’t have. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but you can see it when they’re hanging out. They get one another.

Olive is one lucky Ladybug to have walking pieces of history, like Gramps, to learn from.

Miss Olive (whose smiles I could not manage to capture on camera tonight) happy to be hanging out on Gramps's lap before dinner tonight.