January 13 with Kaity

Thursday:  I spent four hours with Kaity today and never once took a picture. She is at that stage where she photo bombs most of my pictures of her ... so I am giving her a break--at least while we are just inside the house hanging out here.

I've been struggling with feeling like a huge failure with Kaity these last few months. She has been given a very cool phone, so she is quite taken with all of the stuff she can do on it--games she can play with friends, videos she can watch anytime she wants, etc. It's difficult to compete with that! I'm not very "entertaining", especially since Kaity is not thrilled to read library books with me, and almost any game that I suggest, she now says is "boring" (one of my most unfavorite words). 

What to do?

Since this "dilemma" was bothering me and I kept beating myself up about it (not being entertaining enough, etc.), I talked to the Lord about it and asked Him what I should do. I believe His answer was exactly what I needed.

It will sound like I have copped out with Kaity--but--I don't think I have. It's just that for right now, she is pretty enthralled with her phone stuff--so why fight it? I am not her parent, I am just her grandma. I decided that when she came over on Thursday, I would get out some stuff for us to do and if Kaity didn't want to do those things, I would just do something else and let her do what she wanted to do instead.

For example, I had gotten out a few of my puzzles that have 100 pieces and suggested that Kaity and I RACE to see who could get theirs put together first. Kaity enjoys competition and I knew Kaity would win because she is really good at fitting shapes together and matching colors. She chose a racecar puzzle and I chose a puzzle that had a farm scene with a pretty horse. After about five minutes of sorting our pieces out (borders and corners), Kaity announced that she didn't want to do puzzles afterall and plopped on the couch with her phone. I continued to work on my puzzle and as Kaity would laugh at a video she was watching, I would ask her what was funny and then she would tell me or show me. I fixed us a nice meal, we ate, we talked and laughed together, and then Kaity went back to her phone. I even got on my computer and edited a few photographs (because I love editing pictures), and I even played the piano for 15 minutes or so. Kaity was all snuggled up on the couch with Belle and a soft blanket--she was perfectly happy. I did casually coax her into playing a Match Game with me before I scooped her out some chocolate ice cream. And then it was time to take Kaity back to Diana's.

Kaity begins intermural soccer next Saturday--I think it is six weeks straight at 10AM. Kaity is very athletic and loves to play soccer--I'm so glad! Emma plans to see every game Kaity plays ... so we are looking forward to doing that!