Special Needs Grandmother

Before I head into this week’s post I want to thank all my loyal readers for always looking into our lives.  It is a feeling that is hard to put in words when I have many people who love to read about our life with Anna.  With this said I took a needed week off.  I have done this only twice in three years on this blog journey.  All is well, work was taking all my emotional energy.  I never have to force myself to write this blog so I don’t.  I take a break when I need it.  I needed one last week.  All is well again at work, and I am recharged.  

I am a special needs grandmother.  No, my granddaughter does not have a diagnosis.  She is typical.  What I have come to realize is that all my identities lead me to be a special lot of things.  There is very little we do as Warriors that doesn’t overflow from our special children.  When I visit or babysit Elsie I have to decide if Anna is coming.  I have to plan and I have to include her which makes me a special needs grandmother.  What car we take, how long we are out, what I need to do with both girls at the same time.  How we will juggle two, etc. We handle it great. But you can never be without the extra responsibility it flows into all we do.

If me and my Paul take Elsie out we take Anna.  What else can we do?  Not really fair to give her parents a break like grannies do and then ask them to care for Anna.  So we take Elsie and Anna and we have our hands a little extra full.  

Being the role of a special needs granny helps me to be prepared.  I have baby wipes with me all the time for Anna so they help Elsie too.  I have a great changing area for Anna which is dual for Elsie too.  I have things I would not have easily if not for Anna and I feel genuinely this makes me a special needs Warrior grandmother.  

We have to share Elsie and Anna’s time.  We recently took Elsie to her first water day at the indoor pool here in our town.  She was excited to float in her tube in the lazy river.  She looked at Anna and I think her little brain is trying to figure things out.  She likes to watch her but is realizing at almost 20 months that she is unique.  Like she has never tried to talk to her, but she talks to us, she already sees her as a bit different.  

I’m waiting for the day and it won’t be too long that Elsie wants to push Anna around and wants to help with things for her.  It has always been a benefit to have a family member that needs more help .  It can show the rest of the family that things are not always guaranteed.  I think Elsie will grow up better because she has Anna in her life, Aunt Anna.   

And funny, Paul and I are laughing all the time seeing how easy Anna is compared to an almost 20 month old!  No chasing, no temper tantrums, no bed time sagas, no visits that involve chasing a toddler.  I am blessed in many ways and enjoy this new role which overflows into my Warrior role.