“So, Good Grandma, I got a question,” ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow said.
“Ask,” Mrs. Thalia Ludlow said, and beamed on her newest adopted (grand)child, a little Ludlow cousin in need who now was in her forever home just like seven Ludlow grandchildren before her.
“I notice that you are very specific when you give instructions to Rob,” she said. “I mean, like really specific – why?”
“Well, first of all, our Lil' Robert is as close to a twin to Big Robert, known to you as Upgrade Papa, that there can be, so he appreciates specific communication. Upgrade Papa is direct and action-centered, and so is his mini-me.”
“That makes sense,” Glendella said.
“The other thing is,” Mrs. Ludlow said, “Lil' Robert's intelligence is as staggering as his energy, but still bound by the fact that he is five. So, the more you leave room for him to figure out what to do, the more likely it is that he is going to come up with a unique solution that isn't.”
Glendella started laughing.
“George is like that too,” she said, “but you can hear Lil' Robert's mind going in that direction when he talks or does math.”
“Yep,” Mrs. Ludlow said. “He is indeed Robert Edward Ludlow, just limited by being five years old because he is the newest, third Robert Edward Ludlow. Always thinking, and working very hard at turning his thoughts into words and actions, and completely capable of running himself and just about anyone else not ready to cope with him right off the road while he does it.”
“And mean well while he does it,” Glendella said. “He's such a sweetheart!”
“And can love you harder and mess your day up more completely doing it than anyone you know,” Mrs. Ludlow said. “When he was four, he heard me say to George – I think it was a case of mud in the eye – that when you get something in your eye, you need to splash your eye with water ten times. So, Upgrade Papa was watering the yard in the home we were renting then a day or so later, and had the hose on, and Lil' Robert was watching what he was doing. I got some grapefruit juice in my eye and cried out, and they came running – but Lil' Robert remembered what I said, ran back and got the hose, and figured how to wash my eye out, in the kitchen!”
“Oh my!” Glendella said, and broke out laughing.
“And that's why I have to be specific, because Lil' Robert will always find a way. That's going to serve him really well in life, and we give him plenty of ways to develop the ability without getting into trouble.”
“I get it!” Glendella said. “You actually are a good grandma, Good Grandma – you actually love him!”
“I actually do, and I love you too, Glendella,” she said, and opened her arms to receive Glendella, who came gratefully – and then both were nearly bowled over by five-year-old Lil' Robert, running head out
“I love y'all too!” he cried as they went right into the sofa together.
“We gotta talk about running and hugging, and how they are different, Rob,” Mrs. Ludlow said.
“They are?” he said. “I always thought they go together!”
“You and Amanda,” Mrs. Ludlow said, “but you both are getting bigger, and running and hugging is going to lead to oopsies.”
“Is that why Papa doesn't?” Lil' Robert said.
“Yep – he's too big, and remember, you're his twin.”
“Oh, yeah,” he said.
“Remember, Robert: run, stop, then hug. Run, stop, then hug.”
“Run, stop, hug – got it,” he said, and then got reinforcement snuggles from Mrs. Ludlow and Glendella.