Retiring when my GS was born and being able to care for him when D worked was a gift for all of us. GD was born two years later. When H retired, he joined in the fun. I have been doing this for 8-1/2 years now (2-3 days a week) and though both kids are now in school, there are still many days during the school year and summer that we get to spend with them. We look at the family calendar each week to see if there are any days we get to meet them at the school bus or take one of the kids to an activity. It is a joy to be present in their lives, know their friends, neighbors, and teachers, volunteer at their school, and attend most of their activities/sports.
Today SIL needed to be at work at 8 AM. GS and GD had hockey games at two different arenas at 7:30 AM. SIL brought GD and helped her get ready. We arrived to cheer for her and take her home. D took GS to his game. Reward for all: doughnuts!
Our local Home Depot offered that when DDs were young (they are 29 and 31 now) - they each had a little apron like they do now (which DD1’s is now with her kids). They only offered for a few projects and then never offered it again in our area and not offered in grandkids’ area either.
The Home Depot Jan 3 Tow Truck looked like a great project!
DH and SIL did rocketry with the 3 older grandkids when SIL was off on Jan 2nd. They had a great time. DH and SIL the prior Sunday afternoon did bike riding with the 3 older grandkids - GS2 got a bike from us (looked like new, from a used sporting goods store they shop at) - DH and SIL were with GS2 to pick it out and get it.
During our stay over Christmas through New Year’s, the whole family did San Antonio Zoo (our first time there) and a few days later Sea World. We had been to Sea World with them last year too, and it was enjoyable again – the shows were grand. The older kids all did some of the rides.
DH and I had our TDaP and MMR boosters done in 2025 for reasons unrelated to grandchildren. Now, DiL1 is expecting in mid summer and I realized neither of us have an rsv shot at all.
Is it better to wait until summer, since doctors aren’t sure how long protection lasts in adults? or do it now? I know DiL is eligible for a maternal rsv shot but that’s up to her and S2 to decide.
RSV is good for strong protection for at least 2 years. Protection starts to wane some after then, but right now, there is no recommendations for additional boosters.
BTW, the CDC removed RSV vaccinations for children and pregnant women from its list of recommended vaccines yesterday.
Also removed were: HPV, flu, chicken pox, Hep A, Hep B, rotavirus, covid and meningococcal meningitis.
HPV vaccinations have led to 62% decrease in the number of cervical cancer deaths in US women under 50 in the last decade and an 92% decrease in pre-cancerous cervical lesions in young women who were vaccinated as adolescents.
D1 has treated meningococcal meningitis in children. It’s a nasty disease that kills 1 in 10 children who contract it. And more than 1/3 of the children who survive it are left with permanent disabilities: seizures, major hearing loss, vision loss, cognitive and motor deficits.
Today’s rainbow plate for the grands–celery w/ chunky peanut butter dip; cantalope, strawberries, blueberries, carrots and two bite homemade Rice Krispie treats w/ sprinkles (because grandma saw an upgraded recipe and just had to try it…)
tonight’s dinner– homemade “grandma-style” whole wheat crust pizza w/ mushrooms and a mixed green salad.
P.S. I bought the platter because I thought we needed something nice to serve the rainbow plate on. D had been using an old cutting board. The platter is enameled steel so the even if it get dropped, it won’t break.
Nice that you mentioned the change in vaccination schedule by CDC.
Grandparents can understand and abide by the precautions the parents make with their children.
Both DDs had the HPV vaccinations when they became available when they were teenagers. Their pediatrician and I agreed about them having this vaccination. “92% decrease in pre-cancerous cervical lesions in young women who were vaccinated as adolescents” - young girls/women’s cervix is ‘tender territory’ - as a nursing student, I assisted with a colposcopy clinic – lesions on these mostly teenage gals who had sex early and probably multiple partners exposing them (I specifically remember a very pretty young gal that was 18 or 19 and already had two babies - it was a shocking thing for naive me in 1976/1977 time frame).
IDK about the meningococcal Meningitis vaccination - this is what Google says “Meningococcal vaccines protect against bacteria causing severe illnesses like meningitis and bloodstream infections, with common types including MenACWY (protects against A, C, W, Y) and MenB (serogroup B). Routine vaccination for adolescents involves MenACWY at 11-12 years with a booster at 16, while MenB is often recommended at 16-18 years for broader coverage. High-risk groups (e.g., those with spleen issues, certain medical conditions, or in outbreak settings) may need earlier or additional doses of either vaccine.“
I asked Dil/S today how they felt about allowing us to share the news with , for example, the people at my exercise class or my college roommate. Because they’ve told all their cousins, their siblings, MY siblings, and tomorrow their grandparents. They’ve also told all of their own friends. We have known for 3 weeks now. She is in her 2nd trimester. We live 200 miles away.
She responded “We’ll let you know when we are ready for that. We aren’t done telling everyone yet”.
Was I clueless in expecting to be able to mention it to people she will never see, have never met her? I guess I didn’t expect them to want to tell every single possible person, themselves. And yes, I understand we have to do what we’re told.
I probably wouldn’t even have asked - would assume people not in their orbit were ‘fair game” to tell. I totally understand them wanting to tell people close to them, but people they will likely never meet, fair game.
I second that! To me, your DIL is over the top here.
During the one shift D worked this week, she got a call from the nurse at GD’s school. GD needed to be picked up - her temp was a bit over 100°. D was solo coverage so could not leave. Grandparents to the rescue. GD seemed okay and had a snack, but that temp went up during the night and she tested positive for Flu A the next morning. Tamiflu, plenty of liquids, rest, a little screen time, and ice cream seem to have helped a speedy recovery. H is taking Tamiflu, too, and the rest of us are on standby. Hoping for the best!
Ditto! Big kid has a policy of zero social media pics of her kiddos. I could not even send their first names to the property manager of our Hawaii rental. I just said M and N… thankfully it worked.
Little kid is OK with limited private social media posts. But she would go ballistic if
I posted anything identifying here!
ah, well, there’s a ban on buying anything without asking first, too. But I have bookmarked a Nana shirt! My husband told his colleagues “a bunch of old engineers are no danger to her autonomy”
She has undergone a noticeable change since they told us, and I am hoping it settles back into something more typical soon. It really isn’t like her to be so combative or insistent, and we have a good relationship but I will admit that I dread the next video chat.
SIL has been sick the last couple of days( not the flu but the bug that GS nicely passed to all the adults in his life over the last week ) so instead of our usual Friday night hanging at their house, we took DD and GS to dinner. It was super fun.
We got home to a text “GS wants to know if Grandma and Poppa want to meet at the Lego place tomorrow.” Lego has one of their Discovery Centers near us and DD bought a family membership so they go for free and we get a discount. So I guess I know what I am doing tomorrow AM
) so instead of our usual Friday night hanging at their house, we took DD and GS to dinner. It was super fun.