Define: Enabler

I am an enabler, but in the good sense of the word, in the way it was defined before it became associated with addictions and other aberrant behavior.

I want to do things to make my kids' and my grandkids' lives easier and happier. Is that so terrible?

Yesterday I got a mid-afternoon call from Tyler. He and the fam were en route from a weekend in Nashville back to Youngstown. He asked, "did you send Boston a circus coloring book?" I had sent Boston some new easy-reader books last week, and Boston was absolutely convinced that the coloring book on which his sister was drawing/coloring/scribbling was in fact his. And he was quite distressed about it, as only he can become distressed. So at Tyler's request, I got on the phone with Boston to reassure him that I had not sent him a circus coloring book.

You can hear what comes next, can't you? The request that I find a circus coloring book and send it to him. But the most delightful part was the detail he put into describing the book he wants. It would be a "coloring book with circus performers" and include a "funny clown, a tiger, and a striped drum." And it would be a "crayon picture book."

Now really, what child goes into that amount of detail when describing something? "Circus coloring book" would have sufficed to send me clicking to amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com and toysrus.com. But a "funny clown, a tiger, and a striped drum." Well by God I'm going to spend way too much time online, and enjoy every moment of it, to send this child a coloring book that meets his specifications. (BTW, I found at Amazon an "anti-coloring book" that is less about coloring inside the lines and more about drawing and creating. Here's hoping there's a funny clown and a striped drum somewhere inside this book.)

I e-mailed Tyler and Jaci overnight in the attempt to ascertain exactly what he wanted. They each e-mailed me back saying it was Riah's book that was given to her at the hospital two weeks ago and not something I would find in a store. And that he had enough coloring books and didn't need any more.

That's all well and good, but I promised. I want these children to know that when they make a reasonable request of Grandma, it will be done.

Maybe I'm jealous of them. I didn't have grandparents. Well, I sorta had a stepgrandmother, who married my mother's father a few years before I was born. She was an "old maid schoolteacher" and never had children. I got birthday and Christmas gifts from her, always white underwear. Really. I wouldn't joke about that! Her name was Minnie. Heard enough?

I'm having a good day. I did something nice for my grandson. I was born to be a grandma! Call me an enabler or anything else you want, but just make sure you call me a good grandma.