Babies with Grandpa

 I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and another today. Both were stressful. But, I thought this was funny from the waiting room yesterday. 

As we sat in the waiting room, there was a couple and a child about six chairs down and across from us. The little girl, three, started whimpering then crying softly putting her head against the father. The mother came back and the child continued crying very quietly. 

Soon, the mother and father pushed their stroller across from where they sat. The little girl left with the parents as they went to their appointment. About three minutes later, I heard a tiny baby crying. I told Tommy that baby is not very old. Well, the child was starting to get louder. A black woman who sat between us and the guy got up and went to him. I was wondering if he would rebuff her. He had a baby in his arms and one in an infant carrier. The woman said something to him and then picked up a little, bitty baby. She tried to quiet him. The grandfather gave her a bottle. 

The child in his arms would not quit crying. She was not loud, but inconsolable. The baby, of course, was working on the bottle. As he walked near us, I told him--when my children about that age were upset, I told them to look for a puppy, or kitty, or cow, depending on what would interest the child. Well, he once asked her if she wanted to look for a puppy. He was not too encouraging and quit. 

In about one minute, the woman one seat down from us, jumped up with a phone and offered it to the child. Grandfather took it and the toddler was quiet. So, we all helped out. We could hear "The Wheels on the Bus." Then, there were other videos according to the owner of the phone. The woman with the baby, talked to the baby, wiped mouth and did all the things a mother would do for the baby. As she talked to him, he was very good. 

Finally, he was talking to a woman in an office right in front of him. She came out. He asked about a patient by name. Then, I heard him say to get her husband to come back. The father did and stood and talked to the older man. He smiled upon the baby. He left again, presumably to go to his wife. I asked him how old the two little ones and older child was--almost two months, almost two years, and the one with mother was almost three. He added that they had two more at home--ten-year-old and fourteen-year-old. Then, the father, grandfather, and both little children left. Hours later, Tommy saw them as he was getting the car for us to leave. Neither man had a child. 

When I saw what was happening with both children crying that were left with the grandfather, I couldn't  believe that someone had left such little children with the grandfather. He did not appear as though he was accustomed to being a caregiver. He might have been the most fun and playful grandfather ever, but he appeared to be in over his head.

My endoscopy yesterday left me with a sore throat and down into my esophagus! Today, the weather was at least 93F with large hail a bit north and west of here. 

But, I will say this, those three children were the quietest cryers ever. It is nice to have something interesting to watch while in a waiting room. One couple nearer the scene and across from us were very clearly enjoying watching them.