Grandmas

Grandma’s Blog

2/10/18

     What is a Grandma?  We all can answer that question with various answers.  My daughter would answer this question with, and has told me that the restaurant is always open at my house.  When the grandkids come to my house, yes they can eat all day and night long.  The fridge is stocked with pickles (the good ones), olives, whipped cream, grapes, ice cream plus other frozen treats can be found in the freezer.  We also have an endless supply of fish crackers.  How on earth can they consume that huge box of fish crackers so fast I ask?  I think that my two dogs and my two grand dogs must help out.  Landon is just learning that things to eat within the dogs reach belong to the dogs.  Weston when he was little would carry around snacks that Riley would jump up and steal, and then cry and scream that his snack was gone. 

     Pat loves having the grandkids come over.  It is not just the hugs and snuggles.  It is the left over snacks.  We don’t have ice cream stocked in our freezer, yet last week I caught him with the biggest bowl of ice cream.  He was finishing off the ice cream that Jocelyn had bought at the store last week when she was visiting.  He took her grocery shopping, since quote “All I had was rabbit food in the fridge.” 

    I once told a young mom at church, I can’t believe these kids expect to have three meals a day when visiting.  She laughed and thought that comment was funny.  I only make Pat one meal a day, a semi big one at lunch.

     OK grandmas are the house restaurants open all the time? If you are reading this and you do not have grandchildren, think back to your own grandmas.  My grandma Em baked and always had homemade goodies to eat.  She made red velvet cake with the good cream cheese frosting for my birthday, and every Sat was baking day. I would walk over to take home food and eat some along the way.  My favorite was apricot kolaches,  my grandma Em was Czech from South Omaha, and lived a few blocks away from us.

     I am guilty of not making the grandkids homemade items that they like. I tried once to make homemade mac and cheese.  They just complained and said it did not taste like moms mac and cheese.  I now serve them the box mac and cheese they so love.  I don’t bake with sugar. The candy I eat is choc. 72%, so it is not very sweet tasting.  Easton once asked for a candy bar.  I said sure honey.  He spent some time trying to wash the taste out of his mouth.  I just had a small piece of dark choc. 72 %, and I only had to take a drink of water to wash the semi bitter taste down.

      I can’t talk about grandmas without talking about shopping.  Last week while Jocelyn and Angie were here, we went shopping for shoes.  Jocelyn only had over sized boots to wear, since her other shoes were left in the car on the way to Grand Island.  Julie her mother, takes after me with her spending habits.  She bought Jocelyn an oversized pair of cute boots to grow into from a thrift store or consignment store. Angie my oldest does not take after me, since she has a closet full of shoes.  Angie needed a pair of workout shoes to wear.  I am laughing right now, just wondering how her workouts are coming along.  I think that is why I can find really nice workout clothes from thrift stores and cheap.  Jocelyn and Angie did find some really cute shoes, and it was buy one get one half off. I told Joc that the shoes were her early B day present. Her B day is in the summer.  I know you grandmas do the same thing.  We do not spend a lot of money on presents for our grandchildren.  I have picked up souvenirs for the kids from thrift stores.  When Jocelyn was born, I picked up a whole bunch of baby clothes from the thrift store that I was volunteering at.  Julie informed me that they were outdated, but they were so cheap.  I quit buying clothes or toys, and just give grandkids money.  Once while on vacation Katelyn asked for a Bible, so she picked out one plus a carrying case.  Easton later asked for his own Bible for his B day.  I am waiting for Wes to improve in his reading ability, so he will ask for one.   

     My grandma Bussell would give me books I never read (because they were not Hardy Boys mysteries) and handkerchiefs I did not use except for maybe Barbie clothing.  Did she not know about tissues/ Kleenex?  She also gave us that hard candy that one bought in the 60’s but did not eat. It just sat in  olive green candy dishes on end tables.  Maybe you munched on a piece while watching the Lawrence Welk Show on a black and white tv.  Grandchildren we did not have color tv back then.  We had to go to the nearby candy stores and buy our own candy cigarettes and junior mints.

     My grandma Em took me on the bus, since she did not drive to shop downtown at Brandeis, huge department store back in the day. I still remember the olive green dress that I wore a lot, and I still have a ruby/diamond ring that she gave me in 8^th grade. I am sure I have other treasures from the past that she gave me.  The grand girls love playing in my makeup.  They learned how not to crunch up the lipstick after using lipstick.  They also love trying on my jewelry.  They would ask for some and I would say, “Wait until I die”.  I stopped saying that and now say their finger needs to get fatter so the rings fit.  They both have jewelry that I have bought for them on our trips.

    That is another thing that we do with the grandchildren.  We take them on trips, making memories that hopefully I will remember.  I did tell my doctor at my yearly checkup that I think I have Alzheimer’s, but he just laughed.  I do blog or write about our trips with the kids, so they can read the writings to me as I sit in the rocker at my nursing home.  That is one reason we took out nursing home insurance years ago. 

    How many of you grandmas take your grandchildren on trips?  I see a lot of your photos on Facebook as you travel.  It is harder to take trips with our 2, 6, 8, 10, 12 year olds.  They are so busy.  Just this past week, church, Super bowl party, homeschooling, Valentine party with co op, swimming lessons, dance lessons, and archery.  I may be missing something.  Julie is so busy running her websites and making things to sell or just selling over stock that she has.  Landon shot a 300 in archery to get a piece of candy this morning.  He is two.  They live over 2 hours away, so we keep track of what they are doing from Facebook pictures. 

     Grandmas keep sharing those grandkid pictures.  We all love seeing them, and hearing your stories when we get together.  Just today I saw a good teacher friend’s granddaughter’s picture that she was tagged in, since she does not post much.  I also saw a cute picture of my brother in law combing his granddaughter’s hair during a visit to Omaha from CA.  Keep on sharing pictures and stories.  I know not all are grandmas, so enjoy your nieces and nephews, dogs and cats, job stories, etc.  Remember your grandmas, living or no longer here on earth.  My friend who died 1/28/18 was a great role model of what a grandma can be.  She was the grandma of 40 plus grandkids, along with one great grandson.  I will be able to watch her grandkids grow up and marry and have their own children, as most attend our church.  My own two girl’s grandma Louise died 1/27/18.  They are left with their memories and stories.  I wonder what stories and memories my own snuggle bugs (as I call them) will remember about me when I pass on and go to sleep with the Lord until He returns for the dead and then living.  I was just going through some paperwork today and was a year off from my date in my mind.  It was April 1974 that I realized I was a sinner saved by the blood of Christ dying on the cross for us.  It was grace by faith that I can spend eternity with my husband, children, and grandchildren.  Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.  Grandparents you can share this gift with your grandchildren plus others.  I know it was the best gift I ever received.  Angie just recently just wrote about receiving this gift of eternal life back when she was about five after watching a scary show on tv.  She also shared that her second best gift was the cemetery site we bought her for Christmas a few years ago. They had a sale going on, so we bought three plots.

    Grandmas what will your grandchildren remember about you as they share stories and memories.  Enjoy them as much as you can.  Maybe even send them a message, or if they are around give them a hug.