Prayer for My Grandchild.

May you, dear child of the winter solstice,
Born on this clear blue winter’s day,
Have a heart so warm and loving
That it blows all the chills away.

May you, dear child of this shortest day
Grow to be so joyously bright
That in your dear sweet presence
All bask in warm, clear morning light.

May you, little babe of Tim and Prue
Bring them such deep sense of pleasure
That through all life’s frost and cold
They are filled and warmed beyond all measure.

And may you, little babe, little girl,
Precious gift from God above,
Forever dwell in the pure warmth of faith,
Snug in the arms of God’s great love.

Eleanor.

Because she was so bright and shining,
Theirs to love and to adore,
For her they  just had to choose
The beautiful name of Eleanor.

Eleanor and the Shiny Piano.

There is a girl in the piano’s shine
And she looks exactly just like me.
Whenever I crawl to that same place
It’s the same little girl I see.
She has my doll and has my toys
She sits so quietly and makes no noise.
Whenever I want her she’s always there,
She wears my clothes and has my hair,
She has my smile and shares my stare,
And finally she even has my glare,
Especially when at last I see
That she does nothing but copy me.

Eleanor and the Little White Dog

A little white dog sits on the bookcase
On top of the big red dictionary.
When my Pa’s hand goes behind his back
He nods his head and barks at me.

He has a little black nose and a pointy face
And his coat is snowy white,
A little red vest that says “Guide Dog Pups”
And eyes that are black and bright.

I think he’s funny and very cute;
He makes me smile and laugh,
But though he barks and nods his head
His voice does seem a lot like Pa’s.

Eleanor Looks at Books

Hush! Tread quietly and don’t disturb
For here is a moment to always treasure
For Eleanor Miette, though she’s less than one,
Is looking at books and chatting with pleasure.

Hush! Tread quietly and softly retreat,
Tiptoe gently away from this place,
For who for a moment would ever disturb
That look of pure joy all over her face.

Hush! Tread quietly and don’t disturb,
Yet linger a moment for one last little look
For this little girl though she’s less than one
Is lost in the world of a wonderful book.

Eleanor and Lizzie.

Some people indeed have unusual pets-
A pig, a python, a fish or a frog-
But none of them can ever compare
To the commonplace, marvellous dog.

You think she's dozing by the hearth
But she’s always got one eye on you.
She knows exactly how you’re feeling;
She knows exactly what to do.

When Eleanor is upset then Lizzie
Places her muzzle on Eleanor's knee,
Looks at her with gentle soft eyes
And gives her wonderful sympathy.

One day Eleanor will come home from school
And Lizzie's greeting will make a dull day bright;
Her ears will go sleek, she'll bark with joy
And shake and wag in pure delight.

Can you take a python for a walk?
Is a frog a blind man’s guide?
Can a fish be taught to sit and stay?
Will a pig lie faithfully by your side?

For slithering snake the answer is no
And also so for fish, frog or hog,
But Eleanor knows the very best pet
Is the loving, loyal and wonderful dog.

Eleanor at Eleven Months

Bend, little baby, and kiss
The picture of Teddy in your book;
Love and hug your soft toys;
Reach for them with adoring look.

A miracle is each day unfolding.
Eleanor's heart is rapidly changing.
Now with toys to fondle and play
She grows in loving and caring.

She laughs and sings as she turns the pages
And then her chatter turns sparklingly bright;
Look! The pages with pictures of children
Are filling her heart with special delight.