I Glued Myself to a Troll

and other adventures in grandparenting.

Photo by one-handed Nonni

When I retired from teaching after almost thirty years with young children, it was because my daughter was about to have a baby and I wanted to take care of her. I had raised my own three children while teaching full time and had never had the chance to stay at home with babies.

So I said goodbye to finger paints, children's’ books, art projects, and outside play. And jumped into a life of finger paints, children’s’ books, art projects, and outside play.

I was pretty much in my element.

I’ve been the Nonni in Chief for four years now. My little Ellie had grown into a happy, chatty four-year-old and has been joined by a two-year-old brother.

My life is fun.

I’m 63 years old, and I still get to watch Disney movies. (Sure, sometimes we watch the same movie 8765 times, but whatever. It’s all good.) I have gray hair, jowls, and wrinkles, but I still get to dress up and dance around my house like a fool. I have been known to have ice cream for lunch.

Pretty sweet gig, right?

But it’s not all fun and games here in the world of toddler daycare.

Take this morning, for example. We were playing with a box full of trolls, handed down to the kids from their older cousin…