Baby in the house: Grandchildren are a blessing

It's been a long time since there was a baby in my house, or even a toddler! Well, all that changed on Nov. 3.

In July I got a telephone call from my dear granddaughter Shantel that she would like to come up from Atlanta with her husband, Joseph, and my great-granddaughter, Josie, who just turned a year old. Still a baby. Wonderful news.

So we firmed up the plan - they would arrive in Chicago at 1 p.m. on Aug. 11, stay overnight with me and then Uber into Chicago to do some sightseeing.

Of course I got rid of my baby equipment years ago! I never even thought about the next generation after grandchildren - it seemed very far away at the time. But here it is.

I realized I'd need a crib, and other baby-friendly equipment. Shantel said she could just rent it all and have it delivered, but I said I'll check with my friends to see if anyone had the needed items, perhaps for their grandchildren.

Well, this set in motion a whole string of amazing events. Signs really.

First of all, Aug. 11, 2012, was the day my beloved Baheej died - 11 years ago. Shantel was very close to her grandfather Baheej. So she knew Aug. 11, 2012, was the day. I usually hear from her every year on that day. So, the fact that she planned to arrive on that day this year was not a coincidence.

The next development happened a few days later when I saw an announcement for an estate sale close by. I stopped by while I was out running errands. I hadn't been to an estate sale for years. As I parked and walked up to the house, there was a beautiful high chair standing in the front yard.

I asked the homeowner if she had more baby equipment? She said, "Oh yes, a crib and lots of items." All new, which she bought for her grandchild but never used. I couldn't believe my ears! So I got it all - virtually free - for $15. Very kind.

So I was ready. But a couple weeks before they were to arrive, Joseph broke his arm in a bicycle accident. So the trip was postponed until Nov. 3.

Well, November has rolled around and they arrived!

What pleasure it was to have them here! Baby Josie is a beautiful darling and a happy baby. And it was so fun to see Shantel and Joseph as parents.

Well, as it turned out, my house was a good play yard for a 15-month-old toddler. Mainly because my year-round decorated Christmas tree is cat proof and, as it turns out, toddler proof because the decorations are Swedish and Finnish - and unbreakable. Wood and straw ornaments, artificial apples and red beads.

And I have two baskets of cat toys, all toddler proof. So there was nonstop entertainment. Josie loved the cat toys. And I made a nice dinner for Shantel and Joseph after baby Josie was tucked in bed for the night. We had lots of time to talk.

It was amusing with the cats, who had never seen a toddler before! Basically, they hid the whole time - so no problem. The few times the kitties showed themselves when Josie was awake, they skedaddled as soon as Josie spotted them.

The baby crib and high chair worked out fine. On Saturday they went on into Chicago to meet one of Shantel's friends from her Chicago working days (after college), and do some sightseeing. It was Joseph's first time in Chicago.

So the point is: Grandchildren are a blessing no matter what age. And it's always amazing to see them as parents themselves. So it's on to the next generation. My fourth great-grandchild. And I learned a lot about similar interests of toddlers and cats when it comes to Christmas trees and cat toys!

• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard, taught at Wellesley College and is a retired Motorola executive. Contact her at sakhleif@comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com. See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan.