D1, SIL and GD came over for lunch yesterday. D1 and SIL wanted to run to Marshall’s and Barnes and Noble to grab some things so H and I got to watch GD for the first time!
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GS is recovering from an appendectomy. He told me his tummy hurt. I asked him if he needed to try going to the bathroom. He tried. It was then time to get ready for hockey practice. I asked him if he thought he could skate. He said yes, so off we went. He did a few drills and then scrimmaged for an hour. We went home, had dinner, and did his homework. When his mom got home, she checked him out. She diagnosed him without any pictures, but off they went to the Children’s Hospital for confirmation. Confirmed. Surgery went well and he is enjoying extra screen time and being waited on. 
GS’s friends, and their parents, are amazing! They have dropped off so many get well cards and gifts. He is feeling their love.
I’m enjoying a little extra snuggle time.
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Now that’s a true hockey player!
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Few weeks ago GD1 and I had a discussion about kids move out when they are all grown up. I said that’s why her mommy doesn’t live with me any more. This weekend when GD1 came to stay with me, she said, “when I am all grown up, I am going to move in with Po-Po.” I can see she is a planner. She certainly is not going to live on her own.
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My SIL’s brother is a very grown up cardiologist who still lives with his parents. I can just imagine GD wanting to move in with them when she grows up … she loves her other grandma’s cooking (and living with her fun uncle would be a bonus in her view). 
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H lived at home with his folks (helping them with their finances and helping them pay bills) until we were married. At the time, he was 43, turning 44 on our honeymoon. There were no grandkids at the time. It was just the 3 of them since H’s 2 sibs had moved to SF and no one had any kids.
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I read this like four times thinking that the hockey practice happened during appendectomy recovery…. I hope he continues to improve!
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When DS1 was born, I remember thinking that if DH died suddenly, my first choice would be to take DS1 and move in with my grandmother. Thankfully no one died suddenly. (And that grandmother lived another decade and knew many of her great-grandchildren.)
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So….. tomorrow is Grandparents’ Day the grands’ school. I’m going, of course. The preschool through K classes have a Thanksgiving program they’re putting on. Then there’s a 30 minute window to visit classes where there will be (or at least was last year) and grandparent/child craft activity and photo ops.
My problem: 30 minutes isn’t very long and I have three classrooms to visit. I have to go see GS because he’s in preschool (he’s actually the youngest student in the entire school!) and he’s the one who asked me to come. But if I don’t at least put in an appearance in Twin B’s class (where she will grab my hand and cling to me because that her thing right now) she will be upset & will pout the rest of the day. Twin A will also be disappointed if I don’t visit her class, although she will never say so just internalize her hurt feelings.
It would be easier if all 3 classrooms were in the same part of the primary school building, but they’re not. I’m fact, I’m not even sure where the PreK classrooms are.
D1 and SIL had asked SIL’s parents if they would come to GP’s Day (so there would be one visitor for each child), but they declined, saying they had other plans.
I also have to go around to all 3 classrooms to collect all the grands because I’m driving them home immediately after the classroom visitation period. But that’s pretty straightforward because the teachers will hold the grands in the classroom until I come get them.
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Got a bonus day of GS time today.
I returned from a weekend trip to learn he had pink eye and couldn’t go to daycare. DW gave me the choices:
- I spend the day with him at his house and DW does all the Thanksgiving prep at our house
- DW and I both go there and we do all of the Thanksgiving cooking prep there.
- DW spends day with him and I do all the cooking
I went with option 1. It was a fun day of playing toys, watching a little TV and napping (for both of us : ) ).
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It is so nice we have ways to capture our moments with our grandkids. I take a lot of videos and pics of my GDs.
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Back from Grandparents’ Day. It was a rousing success!
The program was adorable.
Twin B (because she is the second tallest kid in the class) stood in the back row for the performance. (Beside her BFF who is the tallest kid in the class.) It was hard to see her, but she was having a grand old time horsing around between songs with her BFF back there. During the songs, she was really selling it…. Future theater kid, for sure.
Twin A was in the front row on the opposite side of the stage. Last year she was stiff and out of sync with the other kids for hand wavy and dance step portions. This year she was in sync. She didn’t look scared to death this year either. Much more comfortable. The only bad part, her turkey crown wouldn’t fit over the bun so it kept slipping forward over her eyes.
GS was at the end of the stage opposite where I was sitting, He was in the front row, but looked like he had no clue what he was supposed to be doing. He spent most of his performance time turned around looking at the screen overhead (with pictures and words for the grandparents sing along.) He just wasn’t feeling it and looked unhappy to be there.
Classroom visits were organized in this order by the school. Grades 1-2, preschool, JK, then K So I went to preschool first. GS saw me, yelled “Grandma!” and came over to throw his arms around me and gave me the biggest hug. Unlike his sisters who saw me in the audience, he hadn’t and wasn’t sure I was there. He just hung onto to me like a stick-tight. Sadly, I couldn’t stay for the craft activity, but let the assistant teacher know before I left that GS would need someone to help him. Since Twin B had been in that class the year before, she knew I had other classes to visit.
I went to Twin A’s classroom next. She was working on a building project and barely looked up when I got there. When I sat down next to her to talk about her project and the show, her first words were: Why didn’t you come see me first? Ouch, some hurt feelings there….
Finally, I got the Twin B’s class. She was busy working at her classroom job, checking people out of the classroom as they left with grandparents. She grabbed my hand, turned her job over to another child and then showed me all the activity stations in her classroom. We packed up her backpack, said goodbye to her friends, said goodbye to the teacher who reminded Twin B to show me the classroom fish–which she did and told all about how Mr Fishy got his name. More rounds of visits with friends before we could finally leave. (Can you tell this is my extrovert/social butterfly child with a million friends?) We then crossed the hall to collect her sister and back down the hall to get GS.
We timed it perfectly and made it to the car line right as mom pulled up.
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All of us with first trip to Legoland in FL (Orlando area) on Monday. DD1’s family (with 5 kids ages 9 months to 7 years in age) had a direct flight San Antonio to Tampa (in Tampa Tues - Sat then flight home). DD2 lives in Orlando. I asked DD1 if flying was ‘less stress’ and for them it was just more ‘concentrated’ - especially as DD1 worked a full day on Friday and is the main ‘organizer’ – and there were a number of families on their Southwest flight and SIL said “we were not the noisiest”. GS1 is the only one that has flown before (for his trip to Disneyworld) - GD1’s Disneyworld trip was when they lived in AL, and she had that time around Thanksgiving when she was 4. They waited to be the last off the plane, so were able to get their baggage and go with no wait at the rent car counter.
We drove down on Sunday from N AL and stayed with DD2. This is the first time sleeping on her inflated mattress in the office, which actually was pretty comfortable (Aerobed name brand) - for me, better than the rollout couch and DH seemed to sleep well on it too. The flying group had 2 full car seats, two booster seats, the baby in her carrier, terrific stroller, 7 YO had a kid rolling suitcase (older two stayed with DD2 for 3 nights so that was good for that stay) while the parents had more of a break with just having the younger three for hotel stay nights and morning breakfast. Baby 100% breast fed on this trip since mom is available 24/7. Dad was free as active-duty military and had discount for kids and his car was free parking. Buying our tickets online saved off the gate price of $120/adult.
Kids were great age for Legoland. The older 3 had a lot of ride activity, and the 2 YO really especially enjoyed the two climbing/slide areas near the Lego Movie site and the Adventure/Pharoah site. She was having so much fun climbing, sliding, exploring for as long as we were in that area.
Older 4 saw the Lego movie with the parents (I believe it was 40 minutes long) while DH and I watched the baby/stroller. Heights on the map for the various rides for rides/activities so the 4 YO had plenty, and the 6 and 7 YO enjoyed the things they had too. Adult with each child so it was nice that there were 5 of us adults and we could rotate and take breaks. You can bring in food there, which was great as we had deli sandwiches, chips, and drinks with the stroller - picnic basket with food with the stroller. There were a few games with guaranteed prize, 3 fish tries for $10 - so I had the older three each have one fish caught and the prize went to the 2 YO. Later I bought something the 7 YO picked out (a plushie girl Lego character), and I got two keychains for each boy (one for each was a neat character and you push the character belly for the light which goes out of their feet) - spent the same on the older three kids.
We got there a bit after Legoland opened and stayed until close to 6 pm closing time. Baby and 2 YO had a long nap in the stroller. We were fortunate to have not too hot day - a little breeze, and mature trees for shade. For dinner we stopped at a Culver’s which is always a good treat. I love their butter burgers and all got what they liked/wanted.
Tuesday, we went for a bit of looking around at Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney) and had sandwiches at a good place there. Good to have a little less activity; DD1/family left from there to go to Tampa, and they are staying at our niece’s home. DD2 and we are arriving later today. DH is making up the sweet potato casserole and the caramel-cinnamon rolls (first batch; will make up another batch with nieces’ daughters and the grandkids probably Friday). DD2 and her BF of 6 years currently live/work in different cities (he has lived in 4 different cities 5 other time periods), so they will leave Friday morning for their own time together.
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Wednesday DD2 and I went to Disney Springs to eat at a place she had never eaten at (relatively new to Disney Springs - Summer House on the Lake), and I was interested too - I had seen an article or a one page write-up about it – the food was very good and we were pleased. We did more shopping and were able to make up the personalized Lego little people for older 3 grandchildren. The machine at Legoland was not working on Monday; it turns out it was helpful having DD2’s expertise with her quickness with the screen to personalize at the Disney Springs Lego store, and she found the little pieces to customize each one.
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We have a Tonie box. SIL set it up on his phone in less than 15 minutes. We haven’t had to ever make changes since. So set up once–that’s it.
Grands play with it every day. One of the best gifts I gave them.
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So… Twin B told her Dad she wants a phone for Christmas. She just turned 5. When asked what she going to do with it since she can’t read yet, she replied< “Text everyone!”
(Phone is sooooo not happening.)
Her other wish for Christmas is human sized hamster ball.
Also not happening.
They live 2/3rds up a steep hill. D1 say she visions of Twin B putting her sister inside and then pushing it off to roll all the way down the hill (about a 1/2 mile to the bottom)
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Those are very cute! ( but I think I would block out my grandchildren’s names before posting).
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GD1 (now 7 but 6 at the time) said she wanted a phone for her birthday - evidently, she does know an 8 YO that has a phone - but IDK specifics on why her classmate or friend has a phone. She got a play cell phone and was happy with it. Had big explanations by parents on the real cell phone beforehand. I get it - she sees her parents looking at their cell phones (they do not bring to the dinner table thankfully….)
My radiation oncologist said they were the last ‘hold outs’ with cell phones - all the classmates had them – I believe 8th grade.
DDs (now 29 and 31) were in middle school when cell companies charged for texting, and some kids were obsessed with short texts to their friends every chance they had. At that time, parents would actually know from billing the extent of texting. DDs didn’t receive cell phones until they were driving and had a need for a cell phone - but I doubt if parents can hold out until then in our culture today.
BTDT when they were 3 because they had a doctor set that included a pretend cell phone. Mommy told them one of the most important tools a doctor has is their phone. (Doctors use them all the time to look up stuff on UpToDate.)
Grands were never quite satisfied with pretend cell phones because the fakes ones don’t connect to the internet or allow them to text emojis and stickers to grandparents and other relatives.
But Twin B still isn’t getting a real cell phone. (Among other reasons their school prohibits them before 8th grade.)
There’s a movement called “It’s OK to Delay.” Parents in a community band together to agree on when kids should get a cell phone, so no parent is bombarded with “But all the other kids have one!” Seems like a good idea to me.
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