Lyra

Lyra Ann Byrd was born in New Jersey while her parents worked in New York.  Mother, Donna. came home when she awas 4 days old!  They stayed with us for awhile and then moved to Reno with Dad, Richard, and his parents.  I didn't see her very often, and next thing we knew she had a baby sister, Gienah.  I went to Reno to visit when Gienah was around 5-6 months old.  Lyra did NOT like me, she screamed whenever she saw me looking at her, no way could I touch her, pick her up!  Knowing a little about babies and toddlers, I didn't let it upset me--she didn't know me and I was picking up her new baby sister!  Mom and Dad moved the family to Oregon .  I next saw Lyra when she was around three.  She ran to me and hugged and kissed.  The following several years we wrote, sent photos and the two kids made cards for me.
One day Donna called me with a Lyra story--Lyra came to her crying, a small, almost invisible boo-boo.  Donna couldn't see anything  "What do you want me to do?" Lyra, "I want a bandaid!"  Mom, "I don't have any bandaids".  "Gramma has one!"  So from then on, for years, every card, letter, birthday present contained a box of bandaids. 

Sierra

If anyone has doubts about the effect off Disney-- When Sierra was about 3, she LOVED stories about Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and  Cinderella.  We watched the movies repeatedly!  Then we would act the stories out, whichever was her favorite at the moment.  She would lie on the couch or coffee table with a small bouquet of flowers in her hands crossed over her chest, pretending to be asleep.  Along comes Prince Charming (me) and see her! run to her! kiss her with "True Love's first kiss"!!  She would pop open her eyes, look at me, hug me, and I would lift her to my trusty steed (a rocking horse) and ride away to my castle with her.  And then we'd do it again!! We would spend many hours doing this. 

memories of Nick

Have you ever noticed that some times you make a very naive statement, and then had it come back and bite you?  For example, when I was 18 and newly married, a neighbor of my husband's family had had a "whoops" baby.  She was the same age as my youngest sister-in-law, and was very spoiled and self-centered.  I said, "if we ever go more than 5 years between babies, we'll not have any more"!!  From my mouth to God's ear--we had 4 kids in less than 6 years span!!
My oldest, Shari, waited for one reason or another to have her first (and only) child until she was 36 years old. All the years of watching and observing her nieces, nephew, and friends' children, etc., she had very definite ideas of what was proper child rearing.  She made an effort to see that we spent time with the baby boy at least twice a year, usually Easter time or so and then in November close his birthday.  The year he was about 3, maybe 4 they came out from Texas for the week of Thanksgiving.  We arranged to have a birthday celebration for Nick, invited the aunties and uncles and cousins over for ice cream and birthday cake.  The cake came in and resided on the kitchen table while we all had dinner.  A short time later, someone asked "aren't you concerned that the kids will get  into the cake?"  Shari says"No, MY baby wouldn't put his fingers in the cake!" Meanwile I had snuck around the corner to witness Nick--not putting his fingers in the cake, but his tongue!!