It’s been quite a week. I’ve been spit upon, pinched, and had my hair pulled repeatedly. Sometimes I’ve even been subjected to screaming and awakened in the middle of the night. It’s been wonderful.

As much fun as it’s been, I still felt the need to respond to these outbursts, so I would stick my fingers in his mouth or zerbert his neck. When things really ramped up, I resorted to making myself disappear, only to reappear seconds later with an emphatic peek-a-boo. This would bring a stilled, confused silence followed by bouts of laughter.

I guess you’ve figured out that I have been on grandmother duty. I spent a week with my 4-year-old and 6-month-old grandsons (and their parents). I confess, I have kissed that sweet baby’s face when it was covered with so much drool that we both needed to be wiped down afterward.

Sweet, Soggy Boy – Can you see the drool in his neck folds? He’s a slippery one sometimes.

I have been thinking about all the things I do to my grandbabies that I would never do to another person in the world. For instance, I would never:

1. Put my fingers in your mouth. I don’t care how bad your gums hurt; you cannot gnaw on my knuckles.
2. Give you a kiss if your face is covered with drool.
3. Play This Little Piggy with your toes.
4. Let you stand on my knees.
5. Not smack you if you pulled my hair.
6. Put up with you spitting food at me.
7. Taste your food to see if it’s too hot for you.
8. Hold you over my head and say what a big person you are.
9. Read you the same story over and over again.
10. Burp you.

For my grandkids, there are no holds barred – at least when they’re babies. Love covers a multitude of drool.