Swinging Grandma

I spent Sunday afternoon with my son, Tom, and his young daughters. We started with my granddaughter’s soccer game. Each time I watch kids play soccer, I recall what happened when I saw my five-year-old grandson play for the first time. After a lot of random kicking of the ball, the distraught coach blew his whistle and said, “I want everyone to point in the direction of his goal.”

There was much casting about to determine just where there was, but finally they figured it out. Then the coach said, “Don’t just kick the ball; kick it in the direction of your goal.” When it comes to goals, I thought that was pretty good advice to learn early in life. The young girls I was watching Sunday afternoon have advanced far beyond that and can put on an action-packed game for spectators.

Sunday soccer

Our post-game stop was at the nearby park, where a lot of families were taking advantage of the lovely, fall day. One of the youngsters playing with my granddaughter, spotted me standing nearby and asked if I was a grandmother. Obviously, he observed something about my demeanor, even at his early age, that set me apart from the other adults in the park.

Hmm…what could it have been? The cat eye sunglasses, perhaps. Or the limp caused by my broken toe. Maybe if I’d been sporting a funky tattoo or a pair of trendy sandal, I could’ve pulled it off. I’ll know better next time.

The next stop was at Schnuck’s. It’s been decades since I’ve been grocery shopping with three small children, so I was unfamiliar with the current drill. Upon entering, we headed directly to the back of the store, where management wisely offers one free cookie for child shoppers. I’d never before noticed that sign.

Selecting the free kids’ cookie at Schnucks.

As I caught a crumb from one of the M&M-embedded cookies, I wondered why they didn’t offer such treats to senior citizens as well.

As we strolled the aisles, I realized how rare it is to see three generations shopping together. I was amused watching my son compare brands, like the seasoned shopper and caring father that he is. Here he studies the ingredients on the labels of two different oatmeal boxes.