Precious moments

One day a week I have the privilege and pleasure of collecting my granddaughter (5 today) from school and bringing her home with me until one of her parents takes her home for bed.  This gives the Old Bat and I a stretch of about three hours with just little E and - apart from the dog - no other distractions.  We play games - snap and happy families or perhaps dominoes - and E frequently draws or gets out a colouring book and felt tips.  This week she decided she would teach me to dance the salsa, which ended with me being tied in knots.

I know all grandparents think their second generation offspring are the only ones in the world as good as they, but the Old Bat and I are truly amazed at young E's ability.  This week she took a piece of paper and wrote out the alphabet, only checking about six times that she had the next letter correct and twice that she had the letter facing the right way.  Everything was spot on which we thought pretty good for a nearly-5-year-old.

It is always good to see children advancing and the improvements in their skills and abilities but, oh, how nice it would be to slow things down just a little bit sometimes so we can enjoy those precious moments just a little longer.  It will doubtless be no time at all before E considers it was beneath her to try to teach her grandfather how to dance.

Precious moments indeed - and thank goodness for a camera with which to catch those invaluable memories.