PRESCHOOL GRADUATION

Our five-year-old grandson Asher graduated from preschool last week.  It's so hard to believe that he's arrived at this milestone already in his young life.

The graduation ceremony was all one would expect:  the "grads" marched in wearing their little red caps and gowns to the strains of POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE.  They were seated down front and called up to the platform one at a time to receive their diplomas.

The main difference between this graduation ceremony and others was the question that the preschool director asked each graduate as they received their diplomas:  "___________, what do you want to be when you grow up?"  As you can imagine, there were some interesting answers!

Asher said that he wanted to be Batman when he grows up, several of the boys wanted to be other superheroes, little girls wanted to be Mommy or a ballerina, etc.  So cute all around.

We are so proud of Asher, a cute and sweet young man.  It's a joy to be his grandmother.

BEING A GRANDMA: IT'S NOT ABOUT KNITTING ANYMORE

Here's at least one grandma who no longer knits, crochets, or embroiders!  I actually did those things IN MY TWENTIES . . . but can't muster up enough interest in doing so now.  I've moved on, so to speak.

Oh, there's absolutely nothing wrong with those things . . . if it is something you enjoy.  It's just that I no longer enjoy doing any of them.  I like to read, write, play with my doxie, and spend time with family and friends, especially the grands.  After my next knee replacement surgery (on May 20), and I've completely healed, I'm going to dive in head first and do some serious writing.  My first knee replacement is doing well, but that's not to say that all my stamina is back yet.

We found a baby blanket I had crocheted for our youngest daughter Bethany when she was a baby.  I used the shell stitch and the colors of light blue and yellow.  She no longer needs it, obviously, and neither do we (even more obviously), but I just cannot part with it.  After all, it took me hours to make that blanket, and it means a lot to me--precious memories, for one thing.


 


Being a grandma these days is so much more than sitting in a rocking chair with a shawl around my shoulders, knitting or crocheting away.  It also means spending time with and loving those grandchildren--and I especially enjoy being silly with them.  The time will come all too soon that they might think I just act too silly for them.

I suppose I'll have to grow up then . . . but for now, I'll keep doing silly things that they enjoy:

* "Where's Grandma?" I play this with Asher - I hide my face behind my hands, and when he
opens them, I make a silly face.  He laughs every single time, and I love it.  Who wouldn't?

* Giving a silly running commentary about a commercial on TV, putting my own spin on it.

* Looking at a woman's magazine and making up outrageous stories to go with the pictures of makeup, food, housewares--what have you.

* Dressing up in an outlandish costume and making up a play with the granddaughters as we go along.

* Pretending to be one of Asher's superhero toys - he and I each pretend to be a superhero (Batman, Superman, Captain America, etc,.), and using the toy, we interact with each other.  That boy has quite an imagination for a four year old!

* Playing card games such as "War" or "Uno"  with Annika and Alexa.  I always say I'm going to win, but I often don't, much to their delight.

* Drawing silly pictures for Asher, all the while saying he won't be able to guess what I'm drawing.  Of course he does, and I feign disappointment that he can figure out what I drew.  He loves that!

* "Make up a story" - I'll start out with a sentence:  "Once upon a time, a little girl was playing in her room and heard a loud noise . . ."  Each child in turn adds an outrageous sentence to our story until we all dissolve in giggles.  This game is especially good while riding in the car from their house to ours, which takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.  Some of those outlandish stories still make me smile as I type this!



Well, you get the idea!  Grandchildren just want our TIME and ATTENTION.  I can't romp and play with them for now, of course, but we can be together and I can show them I love them.

That's what being a grandma is all about.

MY MOTHER'S TABLE

 

We recently moved to the suburbs of Atlanta, and in our new home is a breakfast nook.  "Aha," I thought to myself.  "This is the perfect place for utilizing my mother's small table."

A round antique table that opens to an oval shape, it seats four people comfortably.  Unfortunately, the top (a dark stained wood) got scratched in the move, like much furniture does, even with great care and precautions. Not to be defeated, I simply covered it with an inexpensive tablecloth and other decor, and it looks just fine for daily dining, even with the grandchildren.  We are also using my mother's chairs with it.

Why write a post about a lowly table?  I'm thrilled that you asked, because if that table could talk, there are so many things it could share!  Just eating a meal at that table causes so many great memories to flood into my mind that I had to write about it.

My parents bought that table at an antique shop when my dad was stationed in Bremerhaven, Germany, when I was about ten or eleven.  It first graced the hall of our Army quarters there, a well-appointed, three-bedroom, THIRD FLOOR apartment (there were 64 stairs up to it, and there was no elevator), with all the furnishings provided by the military.  My mother loved that table, often adding crocheted doilies (the style in the fifties), small antique "doodads," and such on it. 

 

We often had to put the table, along with other furniture, in storage because of lack of space when we lived in smaller quarters.  The next time I remember its being in use was in their home after Dad retired from the Army.  With the table opened to its current oval shape, it was used for many family dinners and fun times.  I stated earlier that it seated four comfortably--but at meals in my parents' home, we would pull up other chairs, stools--what have you--sometimes having eight people around it in close fellowship!

SLEEPOVER AT THE GRANDPARENTS' NEW HOUSE!

This pic was taken last night just prior to going out to dinner with our daughter Holly, hubby Philip, and the grandchildren; afterwards, the children spent the night with us here in our new home in Georgia.  We've only been here a little over a week, thus the "junk" in the background.  We've actually made quite a bit of progress on the home front, with just a few boxes left to unpack.  It's been a lot harder than it was when we were younger!

We're taking the grandchildren to the movies this afternoon, after a lunch of sloppy joes here at home, a grandma specialty.  Annika, the oldest at nine, has announced that she will help me prepare lunch, and I welcome that--we'll have fun.  She's not too young to learn to cook, right?  I know she loves to help Holly with meals as well.  Alexa and Asher are content  to just eat the food for now :).

We're so happy to be living closer to all of them.  Life is too short, and grandchildren grow up too quickly, to be hours away.  We want to enjoy them while they are this age, because they'll never pass this way again!  Duke is a very happy dawg, too--he loves playing with the children and being chased.  He's a clown, loving all the attention!



Kisses with Asher

AH, THOSE GRANDCHILDREN!

 

Our grandchildren are just growing up so quickly, and all the grandparents I know say the same thing about their grandchildren.  We enjoy them so much, and I can be as silly as I want with them, at least until they hit middle school.  Then I'll have to behave like a proper grandma--but for now, I can be a clown, a monster, a foreign countess--what have you. 

 

Love these wonderful kids!

 

 

Annika enjoying a summer day

 

 

Asher playing "mirror, mirror, on the wall"

 

 

 

    Alexa posing:  nobody coached her, either!

GRANDMA'S HANDS

Grandma, some ninety-plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move--just sat with her head down, staring at her hands. 
 
When I sat down beside her, she didn't acknowledge my presence, and the longer I sat, I wondered if she were all right. 

GRANDCHILDREN, A.K.A. HAMS AND PRINCESSES

Our three grandchildren "hamming it up"

Their mom was poised to snap this picture when the baby yawned--so she told the girls to yawn, too!  This picture will be priceless when they are in high school (heh, heh).

"Smiley" - our grandson at 6 months

To all grandparents out there:  aren't grandchildren an extra special blessing from God?  I know ours certainly are.  I can't believe how silly I can be, just to get a smile from the baby!  He's become a great mimic, so he and I enjoy making faces at each other.  Others in the family also join in the fun, doing whatever it takes to hear that baby chuckle coming from him.  To me,  a baby's laughter is one of my favorite things to hear.

And the granddaughters love to dress up in their princess dresses (oh, they have several in their princess box, complete with tiaras and scepters).  They often ask me to "announce their arrival at the ball" in my best British accent (which isn't very good, by the way).

As they come through the parted curtains from the foyer, I announce:  "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Miss____, wearing a lovely blue gown of silk, enhanced with a white fur wrap. As she removes the cape to reveal her gown, it features an overskirt of shirred chiffon and flower accents.  With the puffed sleeves trimmed with lace and chiffon, the jeweled bodice with a sweetheart neckline, she now curtsies before you, turning around slowly; please note the matching shoes featuring tiny slender heels and with bows at the vamp . . . " 

After the third time or so, the "announcer" usually begs off!  Such is life in a day with the grandchildren.  What a blessing they are to us.