I hope everyone remembers that today is Grandparents Day.
This is a personal, self-serving shout out to MY parents, who are (arguably) The Best Grandparents On The Planet. There are all kinds of grandparents out there, and they all have their very own style. My boys are so very blessed to have a set of very hands-on, down on the floor playing with you, spoiling you rotten, loving you unconditionally grandparents. From their special blankets that Grandma knits them (which have to be replaced periodically because they get holes in them from being "loved to death"), to the holiday baking traditions and Christmas Eve at Grandma's, to Grandpa Days filled with movies & Half-Priced Books & Chuck E. Cheese, to paying waaaay too much $ to have their grandkids do chores around their house, to singing "Happy Birthday" to them on an answering machine every single birthday....these two clearly enjoy their role in my kids (and my nieces) lives. They relish their time with their grandkids, that much is obvious. And it really does make a difference to the boys that two other people (besides their parents) think that they are just the most amazing humans on the planet, and love them absolutely "no matter what."
I hope that you are blessed with parents like this for your kids. And I hope you have many fond memories of your own Grandparents. I have no memory of either of my Grandpas. They either died before I was born, or when I was very young. Yes, I've seen photos of them and heard stories. But I really have no experience with the whole Grandpa-thing. But boy, did I have a fantastic Grandma. (seriously, just writing this has brought tears to my eyes). My Grandma Neumann was something else. When they made her they seriously broke the mold. I have so many memories of begging to skip school so I could go along with her and her best buddy Josie to the mall (which they did every Tuesday). I remember asking her to "peel out" of our driveway and leave "scratch" in her old orange Mustang, which she was usually happy to oblige. I remember numerous sleepovers at her house, and never making it thru even one. She always had to call my parents and have them come get me in the middle of the night- I was such a baby! I remember all her little Christmas elves that she used to display all around her house. I've got those now, and I'm not quite sure how I'm going to preserve them, but I'm workin' on a plan. My only regret is that she died very young in a nursing home of multiple sclerosis and all it's complications. I remember years of her complaining of pain and problems walking and going to doctor after doctor, test after test, only to be told that it was all "in her head." There was "nothing wrong with her." This was before they knew much about multiple sclerosis or how to diagnose it. I really regret all those times she must have felt very alone, in pain that no one really believed, and got tired of hearing her talk about. I'm sure she wouldn't hold it against us, that's not the kind of person she was. But still, there are regrets. She was an amazing example for me of a strong woman, who supported herself without a husband, at a time when not a lot of women did. She passed all those great attributes onto my Mom, who is equally amazing and as good a Grandma to my boys as her Mom was to me!
Happy Grandparents Day to all the Grandparents out there. And to the Grandparents of my boys - we love you so very much, and appreciate all you do for us!
I would also like to acknowledge Dottie Park. Dottie was a great "Mamaw" to my kiddos for 15 years. Dottie died nearly two years ago, giving my boys their first experience with death. She didn't get to spend a lot of time with them in the last few years, due to declining health, but I know without a doubt how much her grandkids meant to her. They loved their Mamaw, and are still struggling to understand that they won't ever see her again (at least not on this planet). Zach snuggles up in one of her old blankets every night. It's his "Mamaw blanket". And I appreciate the fact that his Mamaw is covering him with her love every night, whether she's alive or not. I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing day with their family today. God bless.
We're having a lazy Sunday. Slept late, had breakfast at 11:45...you know, one of THOSE Sundays. The best kind. When I finally DID get into the kitchen, I whipped up the most amazing Pecan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes! Seriously good, and really easy. It was a mix from Target's Archer Farms brand. If you ever see 'em on the shelf, I HIGHLY recommend picking 'em up! After breakfast Zach got on the computer and discovered a fun little website called FruitSnackia. They have a bunch of video tutorials on how to make things out of Fruit Snacks - beards, flip flops, a watch and more (crazy, right?!). RIGHT up Zach's alley. Thankfully, I stocked up on various Fruit Snacks a few weeks ago when they were on sale at Tom Thumb, so we had plenty of supplies. We had fun making Fruit Snack Watches. Zach says he's going to wait to eat his until Delicious O'Clock! :)
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