Wisdom
"-But then the cable went out and I have no idea how the movie ended!" Carly told Sam as the two women waited for their coffee orders at Moonbucks. "I mean the guy figure out his girlfriend was cheating on him with his uncle's snowboarding teacher? Did the dog find his way back to the animal shelter? I'm gonna have to spend all night trying to find the name of the movie online so I can finally see the end!"
"So you say you're too busy to help me hunt down those fancy corn dogs I like, but you have all the time in the world to search for stupid movies?" Sam said, rolling her eyes as she grabbed her latte.
"Yeah, basically," Carly said as the two headed out of the coffee shop. "Anyway, want to head to the mall? There's a sale at Pottery Barrel and I need to pick up some new towels."
"Can't," Sam said as they got into her car. "Freddie and I got the grandkids this weekend."
"Oh that's right!" Carly smiled.
"Yeah, it worked out perfectly," Sam nodded. "Emma and Quincy went up to Vermont the same time as Jason and Eileen did, so all the grandkids get to spend a fun weekend with grandma and grandpa. We had to fight Gibby and Tasha for Savannah and Katrina, though. They wanted them to stay with them. But I had a few 'words' with Gibby and they agreed to let them stay with us."
"Is that why Gibby was limping yesterday?" Carly sighed.
"Maybe…maybe not," Sam said simply. "But those two went down to Oregon last month to see them! They had their time! Plus Jason hasn't brought Cole around in almost a year. This weekend is gonna be the best, Carls."
"Yeah, lucky you guys," Carly said bitterly. "You and Freddie can have a nice weekend with your grandkids while I'm just sitting around with none because my daughter refuses to give me any!"
"Come on, Clarissa will have kids eventually," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "Ashton and Tyler don't have kids yet but you don't see me freaking out on them, do you?"
"Ashton's engaged! It's only a matter of time before you have even more grandkids crawling around the place!" Carly pointed out.
"You're ridiculous," Sam grinned. "Clarissa's only twenty-eight. She has a million years to have kids."
"By the time I was twenty-eight I had already had her!"
"Yes, but you hadn't just finished medical school, had you?" Sam reminded her.
"Well, no…not exactly," Carly admitted. "Eh, you're right. I'll have grandkids one day. But if she still isn't at least seeing someone by the time she's thirty-five, I'm adopting my own grandkid."
"Whatever you say," Sam laughed. "So am I dropping you back off at your place or do you wanna come over?"
"I'll come over," Carly said. "I might as well live vicariously through your grand-parenting."
….
"I brought candy!" Sam announced later as her and Carly stepped into the Benson home.
"Candy!" Emma and Quincy's six-year old daughter, Savannah, exclaimed, running over to Sam. "Where's the candy, grandma?"
"Here you so, sweetie," Sam smiled, handing Savannah a large chocolate bar.
"Candy me?" Jason's two-year old son, Cole said as he toddled over to Sam.
"Yes, you get candy too," Sam said, scooping the toddler up and giving him his own chocolate bar.
"Thank you, grandma, you're the best!" Savannah said, taking a huge bite.
"Aw, they're all so precious," Carly cooed, rustling Cole's blonde hair.
"Sam? Hey, you're home just in time," Freddie said, coming into the room carrying Emma and Quincy's second child, six-month old Katrina. "Lunch is almost ready. I made steamed veggies and crackers with kale dip."
"Yeah…cancel that," Sam cringed as she took Katrina from her husband. "I ordered pizza. It should be here in a few minutes."
"What?" Freddie exclaimed as Savannah and Cole cheered. "Sam! Pizza's not a nutritious lunch. And-hey! You gave them candy?"
"You want some, grandpa?" Savannah offered. "We can share."
"Oh, um, no thank you, Savannah," Freddie said quickly. "Why don't you and Cole go wash up?"
"Okay," Savannah said, taking her younger cousin's hand as she led him out of the room.
Freddie waited until they were out of earshot before turning to Sam.
"Candy and pizza? Really?" he hissed.
"What?" Sam said, playing with Katrina in her arms. "Kids like that stuff."
"Yes, well if kids also liked jumping off of bridges, would you let them?" Freddie said.
"Are you saying you want to take them bungee jumping?" Sam grinned.
"I-No!" Freddie said. "Sam, you can't just give the kids whatever they want while they're staying here. They still need proper nutrition and rules and-"
"Blah, blah, blah," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "Freddie, that's the kind of stuff you're supposed to worry about with your own kids. Not your grandkids. With you grandkids you just have fun with them. It's like parenting without the discipline!"
"Yeah, I'm sure that the exact definition they give in the dictionary," Carly smiled as she watched Katrina play with Sam's hair.
"Sam, grandparenting isn't just about fun," Freddie said. "It's about responsibility still, and passing on our wisdom to the kids and making sure that-"
"Pfft, with that sort of attitude we'll never get the Favorite Grandparents title," Sam scoffed.
"Favorite grandparents?" Freddie repeated. "Sam, it's not a competition."
"Yes it is!" Sam said. "Don't you want to be the grandparents the kids are always excited to go and see? Don't you want to be the ones they beg their parents to come and visit and the ones they brag to their friends about?"
"Well, yeah," Freddie admitted. "But that's not gonna happen by us letting them do whatever they want."
"Oh, so you think the kids are gonna be so excited to go visit the grandma and grandpa that make them eat vegetables and take naps and make them watch educational television?" Sam said, raising an eyebrow. "You know Gibby and Tasha are already trying to swoop in on Savanna and Katrina. Last week they bought a trampoline."
"They-They did?" Freddie frowned.
"Yeah," Carly nodded. "And I heard Gibby talking to Spencer the other day about getting a cotton candy machine."
Freddie gasped. "He didn't!"
"They're tough competition, baby," Sam said. "And Cole's other grandparents own a pie shop. A pie shop. You know how hard that's gonna be to compete with?"
"I-Well…" Freddie said lamely.
"But hey, if you think feeding them healthy food and wisdom is gonna keep us on top, then go ahead," Sam said. "Have it your way."
"Grandpa? Do I still have to take a nap after lunch?" Savannah asked as her and Cole returned to the room, all washed up. "I'm not sleepy."
"Er, well…no," Freddie said. "In fact…when that pizza gets here, why don't we all take a trip over to the petting zoo?"
"The petting zoo?" Savannah cried, her face lighting up. "I love the petting zoo!"
"Pet zoo!" Cole squealed happily.
Even little Katrina, who of course, had no idea what a petting zoo was, looked thrilled.
"Yes, we'll go to the petting zoo," Freddie smiled. "And afterwards why don't we all go to Funk E. Festers? And then get some ice cream!"
"Yeah!" Savannah said eagerly.
"Fun!" Cole said, jumping up and down.
"That's right, fun," Freddie said, picking up Cole and putting him on his shoulders. "Much more fun than some stupid trampoline, right?"
"Huh?" Savannah said, confused.
"Never mind," Sam said quickly. She turned to her husband and gave him a small smile. "That's more like it, nub."
"You better just hope we can keep up with all this," Freddie whispered to her.
