Grandsitting

I love babysitting for my grown children's "children". Spending time with Ava Grace and seeing the daily changes that occur in her mobility and vocabulary is delightful and causes me to realize that due to my own age and mileage I've begun to take many little things for granted. The amusement that can be found in a paper towel roll for instance is remarkable.

I think the best aspect of being a grandparent is getting to be the "fun" person in a little one's life. And while we currently only have one human grandchild (with one on the way) we also have a granddog with which/whom we enjoy spending time.

Last Thursday, our son and his wife drove to Indiana for a family reunion, allowing us (George and I) to keep Blue, their very strong, very energetic two year old black lab.

All was well until last night. Not having a fenced yard, we devised a make-shift dog run. It worked beautifully for four days, but then the unthinkable happened. Sometime last evening between putting meat on the grill and going out to check on it, Blue escaped.

I can't convey the terror of the moment with adequate words, but suffice it to say, little else matter (including our steaks, the food inside on the stove, the guests who were expected at any minute, etc.,). George left on foot, running through the neighborhood, Steven took off in his truck, and I searched by vehicle as well. We went in different directions, leaving Leslie and Ava Grace to man the fort and call us if our wayward granddog returned.

I crossed the highway and drove down an unpaved, scary road not too far from home, calling for Blue. A Blue look-alike barked from behind an abandoned looking trailer and for a moment, I thought I'd found him. Upon closer inspection and the threat of being ripped to pieces by a not-friendly dog, I left that street and drove to a neighbor's house to ask her to be on the lookout for our M.I.A. dog.

She said they'd been outside for the past hour and that Blue had not come their way. My heart sank and I began to fear the worst. I simply could not fathom telling David and Nichole that we'd lost Blue--who is really, truly, their baby.

As I thanked my neighbor, I looked up to see a black, floppy puppy bouncing across the field toward me. I caught him by the collar and held on until George arrived to help apprehend/man-handle/restrain the strongest lab in history. While gripping his collar, I sustained a cut to my ankle, a shoulder dislocation, and a small pinky finger wound, but his desire to escape was no match for my determination to hang on! (I should probably confess to a slight exaggeration on the shoulder dislocation, but the other two injuries really happened).

Thankfully, wounds heal and we had a happy ending. Our beloved granddog Blue is now safely back at home where he belongs. His great adventure nearly gave us all heart failure, but I'm happy to report that the Paramedic's say we'll be fine-- eventually. And that means that we can Granddog-sit again one day--if David and Nichole will ever let us!