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2026 Reflections – while “Edward” which is what Emma calls me because that’s all she heard my wife shout before i got y new hearing aids – EDWARD! EDWARD! and now my wofe is teaching Emma’s brother Lucas to continue to call me Edward and nnot Granddad! And while I am no longer rocking Emma to sleep – Lucas has succumbed several times ti the charms of Mr Bojangles!
“Boom, boom, boom.” That’s the sound of love, rhythm, and a sleepy toddler in motion.
I’m trying to get more enthusiastic about writing again — and to do so in a more timely way. Over the summer I did better, but now that the school year has begun, my wife and I are back to full-time babysitting for our granddaughter Emma.
Emma is our fourth grandchild, the daughter of our daughter Elizabeth and her husband Marcus. Elizabeth is a school psychologist in a district about 45 minutes north of their home. So, we babysit from around 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — a long day for us Grandparents!
When we finally get home and dinner’s done, I’m usually wiped out. Writing feels like the last thing I want to do. But I’m going to try a new approach — to write more posts wrapped around my day. Hopefully, this is the first of many.
How Rockin’ Granddaughter Emma to Sleep Goes….
On a typical day, Emma takes a two-hour nap sometime between 11:00 a.m. and noon. Before that, I usually take her for a walk around the neighborhood — a mile or two, depending on how it goes. The goal? Keep her awake during the walk so she’ll sleep better afterward.
The other day she fell asleep mid-walk, so today I kept my eye on her. Every time her head started to droop, like she was about to doze off, I spoke to her — and her head would pop right back up! We managed to finish the full mile, and she’s now peacefully asleep.
The Rockin’ Grandaughtrer Emma Routine
Once it’s nap time, I rock her — first while standing, then transitioning to a rocking chair. I also sing to her. (I think she stays awake just to hear me stop!)
First up is one of my all-time favorite songs: Jerry Jeff Walker’s Mr. Bojangles. I sway back and forth singing “boom, boom, boom” to match the beat. When Emma was younger, she’d say “boom boom” herself when she got sleepy!
If she’s still awake after that, I move on to Aztec Two-Step’s Baking, and if she’s really holding out, I finish with Harry Chapin’s Taxi.
This past Monday? She held out all the way to Taxi before finally surrendering to sleep.
The Rockin’Playlist for Grandaughter Emma
Here’s a playlist of the songs I sing to her. Someday I’ll have to explain that I rocked her to sleep with a song about a street dancer in a New Orleans drunk tank…
Granddad Needs a Nap Too
Since I can’t take a photo while I’m rocking her, here’s one Grammie took right after a nap — when Granddad needed one just as badly!
