Grandparent love

(This morning's wake-up time? 4:19! FUN!!)

We brought Elijah to Grandma and Grandpa's house while Dan and I went out for dinner for his birthday the other night. Dan's parents are great with Elijah, as they are with all of their grandchildren. They have fun toys at their house and they are always so willing to get down on his level and play with him and give him undivided attention. Plus, they just have a loving, warm home, and he definitely picks up on that.

When we came back from dinner, we encountered a little boy who was beaming with happiness. Grandma and Grandpa's house is such a fun, comfortable place for him and that was so evident in his demeanor and in his actions.

I went into the basement and saw that Elijah was in the far bedroom with Dan's mom. He peeked out at me and then shut the door. He started doing his usual PEEK-A-BOOOOOOO-ing from the other side of the door and then he started saying, "Bye Mama! See ya!" When he came out of the room, he grabbed my hand and asked me to help him walk. We zoomed across the basement floor at about 15 miles an hour (this kid can move his legs FAST if he wants to!) and he raced up the steps on his own and crawled over to the piano. He and Grandma had been playing the piano while singing a song (with actions!), so he wanted to show us.

It was so cute. He played the piano while standing, so he would walk back and forth and push on the keys as he sang in his cute little sing-songy voice. When he was finished, it was time for cupcakes so we went to the dining room and got situated at the table. Now, remember that this kid has never enjoyed cupcakes or cake or anything with frosting on it (it's a texture thing). I set a cupcake in front of him and he devoured it. He asked for another cupcake, so we gave him one more and devoured that as well. We had to stop when he asked for a third.

After dessert he zoomed around in "Gamma kishen" and was so completely comfortable and in his element. When it was time to go, he was sad. This is the first time he has ever been sad about going home. He has a really cute little sad voice that he uses sometimes, and he used that when he said "Bye" to Grandma that night.

For so long, we were worried that the only place that would make Elijah happy was our home and that the only people who would make him happy were Dan and me. It is so amazing to see our little boy enjoying another home and other people so much. I love that he has such a genuine bond with his grandparents and that their home provides such comfort for him.