Grand Little Blessing

Me & Pey

Four years ago PCC added a preschool. It’s one of the best decisions we’ve made since moving into the building ten years ago. It took a little time to adjust to sharing the hallway with 50+ preschoolers and their teachers, but now I love it. Five days a week the church building is alive with the cutest kids you can imagine laughing, learning, and loving every minute of their preschool experience.  And this year it got even better when my own 2½ year old granddaughter enrolled.

Several days a week my daughter drops Peyton off at my house early in the morning to ride the “papa-bus” to preschool. Sometimes Pey is a bit cranky, so I let her sleep a little longer on the couch in our living room. Amazing what an extra hour of sleep does for the disposition of a toddler. I put her shoes and socks back on, we brush our teeth (she loves brushing her teeth with Papa), and load the bus… my ’99 Jeep Cherokee.  She usually insists on walking across the bricks that border the shrubs before being lifted into her car seat. I buckle her in, take my place in the driver’s seat and ask Pey, “Are you ready to say our prayer?” She takes my hand, says “Mmm-hmm” with a nod, and I say our daily prayer. She waits to join me on the “amen”.  Then it’s off to preschool singing “Jesus Loves Me” and “Joy, Joy Joy”. I still do all the singing.

I love having Peyton in her preschool class just down the hall from my office. The teachers get annoyed when I check on her too much, but that’s a grandfather’s prerogative. Actually, I don’t check that often, because she’s always having such a good time. One day last week when I dropped her off at her classroom her teacher had quite a surprise for the kids. She had set up a tent in the middle of the room! Peyton couldn’t wait to crawl into the new playhouse. Not even a pause to say “Bye” to her papa.

A couple of weeks ago Pey had a rare difficult day at preschool. She wasn’t feeling well I could hear her crying while I was working in my office. It’s the only time all year I’ve pulled Pey out of her class. Comforting my sick little granddaughter made such an impression on me I wrote a cheesy little poem about the experience. Having Peyton in the preschool is such a grand little blessing in my life.

A Child’s Cry
In my office working, a child’s cry comes seeping.
It draws me away for I know, a sick child is weeping.
I recognize that cry…
To her classroom I fly.
Eager to comfort my precious Pey,
Your Papa is on the way.
Running into my arms at the door
Comforted, she sobs no more.
To the quiet warmth of my office space
I bear her in my arms where she hides her red face.
Refusing the pallet next to my desk,
In my arms alone does she find rest.
I rock her in my office chair
we wait for her mother to get there.
I say a prayer for my little Pey,

Comforting you is my best work today.