SuperGramma

One of the things we long for as grandparents are the visits from family, especially those cute little grandkids. While it’s an exciting, satisfying time, it can also be exhausting.

In my case, we have a house large enough to have everyone over for dinner. But 15 people, including loud preschoolers and babies, makes for a long night. The kids aren’t old enough to send downstairs. Besides, we want to see them. Unfortunately, the noise and confusion bother my husband and I more now than when we were younger.

Some of my family fly in from a distance away and see one another once or twice a year. So we plan for daily outings, daily meals together, daily confusion – you get the picture. This year the sun decided to go on vacation and send constant rain in its place, so our outings were limited. Our kids are all paying for houses and raising families, so budgets had to be considered as well. continue reading…

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This past weekend, I attended Disney on Ice at the Rogers Centre (Skydome) with my 4 year old grandson. The show was two hours long, with a brief intermission half way. Toward the end, he was starting to get restless, but enjoyed most of it.

The “Cars” sequence was his favorite and was right at the beginning. We wished that part had been longer, but each of the acts was a little bit longer than the one before. Other than “Cars” and “Lion King” it seemed that the program was geared a little more toward the girls, with a lot of princesses and fairies. In fact, there were a number of little girls in the audience dressed up as princesses.

Overall, it was a nice afternoon. Grandson was impressed by all the colours and spectacular lighting and costumes. And of course, he wanted their pricey souvenirs of the event. (Having two grandmothers and mom with him ensured at least some little trinket). He left with a Cars twirly thing that lights up and a plastic sword. No, I didn’t get him anything. I’m not about to compete with the other grandma, so I spoil him when we’re alone.

Tips when you attend: continue reading…

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Wednesday morning. That means nursery school for my two grandsons, ages two and four, and I. It also means a break for each of my daughters, both with new babies. And after two hours on my own with the boys, it means I’m exhausted and ready for a nap – some days more than others.

Today was an “I need a nap” day. I’m afraid I don’t know why these women in their 50′s and 60′s want to have a baby. A morning of chasing after a toddler is enough for me. Nursery school takes all of my energy.

Full time motherhood is meant for the young and energetic, although even they need a break. So help out a young mom and entertain a child for an hour or two. Then go relax with a cup of tea and a good book. The best of both worlds!

Technorati Tags: nursery school, grandsons, motherhood

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Below is the text of an article I wrote a couple of years ago, detailing my journey in self-education. At 60 years old now, I’m still learning, still trying to push myself past my comfort level. Why, do you ask, when I could be rocking on my front porch and reading a juicy novel? Because every time I learn, every time I accomplish something I was sure I couldn’t do – every single time, I grow as a person.

My self-esteem grows, not in a proud way, but with a quiet assurance that I can face what the future brings me. My confidence grows, so the next time it’s a little easier for me to take on a challenge. And my sense of self-worth grows – even though I’m old in many people’s eyes, I can still contribute a lot to this here world of ours. My hope is that you too, no matter what your age, will realize what a special person you are, and keep growing too.

Now the article. I hope you enjoy it: continue reading…

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One of my grandaughters, almost a teen, lives not too far away. Yet I don’t see her very often because she is involved with her friends, school, and a budding social life. For quite a while it seemed that there just wasn’t a way to keep in touch with her. She was always too busy for grandma.

But then I started using Facebook to keep in touch with my other kids and grandkids in various parts of the country. That way I keep up with what everyone is doing and get to see all their newest photos. And the above mentioned grandaughter also likes to post on Facebook.

So I started little one line conversations with her there. If she posted that she was worried about tomorrow, I would ask why. And when I found out that it was because of a test or something, I’d ask her about it the next time we talked on the phone.

Before long, the relationship began to warm up, all because I took the time to get to know my preteen on her terms. Do you use Facebook to keep in touch?

Technorati Tags: Facebook, keeping in touch, grandkids

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