Answering to a new name
This week I'm fifteen miles from home, spending the week with our two Texas Littles. Their other grandmother, "Grand Jan", who is with them five days a week while Daddy and Mama work, is away at the beach for a much needed vacation.
I'm trusting that she'll come back eventually, as she promised.
Seeing her vacation photos of those Florida sunsets that light the entire ocean to a blaze of orange - if she does indeed come back, it will be a testament to how much she loves her grandkids.
I prepared for this week by going to the Dollar Store and stocking up on sand buckets, bubble guns that whirl and light up, and sidewalk chalk. I also referred to my old standby, "Sanity in the Summer" by Linda Dillow and Claudia Arp. It was my go to for summer planning 30+ years ago, and I still pull it out every summer, as I get ready for what I hope will be intentional time with our eight Littles. Copies are still available on Amazon for under $2.00 plus S/H. My first read of this book started a family tradition of what we called "kid day", one day each week when we took off the entire day and did what amounted to our kids 'summer bucket list', before anyone else had heard of such a thing. Our kids, who aren't kids anymore, still all talk about the fun memories we made all those summers ago.
So our plans include: trips to the library, including story hour, painting rocks and leaving them in the local parks, bubble parties, building sand castles, picnics in the parks, fishing with Papa, baking cookies / brownies, face timing with their cousins 2000 miles away, and a snow cone or two thrown in for good measure.
The week will fly, and before I know it they'll be back with Grand Jan. Before I know it, they'll be grown up and this second take at loving on little people will have passed by as quickly as the first go round did. So I'm remembering to soak it in, see it as the privilege it is, and cherish the moments. No doubt when it's done I'll be ready for a much-needed rest, but right now I'm enjoying it, even if it means needing a bit more sleep at night, and taking a few more Aleve.
Speaking of growing up, Daniel (almost 6) and JaeBeth (7 1/2) announced to me today that they have renamed me. I've been 'Grammy' to all eight of them for almost sixteen years, and as of today these two have decided I'll be "G-G". Not sure how they came up with that, but as long as I have their hearts, I don't really care what I answer to.
I'm trusting that she'll come back eventually, as she promised.
Seeing her vacation photos of those Florida sunsets that light the entire ocean to a blaze of orange - if she does indeed come back, it will be a testament to how much she loves her grandkids.
I prepared for this week by going to the Dollar Store and stocking up on sand buckets, bubble guns that whirl and light up, and sidewalk chalk. I also referred to my old standby, "Sanity in the Summer" by Linda Dillow and Claudia Arp. It was my go to for summer planning 30+ years ago, and I still pull it out every summer, as I get ready for what I hope will be intentional time with our eight Littles. Copies are still available on Amazon for under $2.00 plus S/H. My first read of this book started a family tradition of what we called "kid day", one day each week when we took off the entire day and did what amounted to our kids 'summer bucket list', before anyone else had heard of such a thing. Our kids, who aren't kids anymore, still all talk about the fun memories we made all those summers ago.
So our plans include: trips to the library, including story hour, painting rocks and leaving them in the local parks, bubble parties, building sand castles, picnics in the parks, fishing with Papa, baking cookies / brownies, face timing with their cousins 2000 miles away, and a snow cone or two thrown in for good measure.
The week will fly, and before I know it they'll be back with Grand Jan. Before I know it, they'll be grown up and this second take at loving on little people will have passed by as quickly as the first go round did. So I'm remembering to soak it in, see it as the privilege it is, and cherish the moments. No doubt when it's done I'll be ready for a much-needed rest, but right now I'm enjoying it, even if it means needing a bit more sleep at night, and taking a few more Aleve.
Speaking of growing up, Daniel (almost 6) and JaeBeth (7 1/2) announced to me today that they have renamed me. I've been 'Grammy' to all eight of them for almost sixteen years, and as of today these two have decided I'll be "G-G". Not sure how they came up with that, but as long as I have their hearts, I don't really care what I answer to.
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