Grandma Shelley Interviewed by the LA Times?

Crazy but true! I was recently contacted by the LA Times about the grandkid camps I do for my grandchildren. They say it is a growing trend among grandparents and they wanted ME to share what my grandkid camps are all about.

I had a telephone interview yesterday and the journalist interviewing me asked some great questions. She was also very familiar with this blog where she can also pull information about my grandkid camps.

I LOVE being a grandma and I LOVE creating memories with my grandchildren. I also LOVE event planning! Creating, brainstorming, planning, organizing, and presenting any event is "my thing". I thrive in all of the little details and in all of the special little touches.

My Grandkid's camps and many of the other things I plan for my grandchildren and family provide an avenue to do what I love. When the events I plan include my children and grandchildren the joy I find in the process is greatly magnified.

I have been a grandma for nearly 10 years and the number of "events" that I have planned for my family and grandchildren is unknown. What is known is that I am very blessed with a very close family. They all support and participate in our family events. My grandchildren are not just cousins and my children are not just siblings, but they are also all very good friends which is very important to me too.

Being recognized by the outside world for what I refer to as my "Grandma Style" is a great feeling. What I do as a grandma comes very natural to me and I enjoy sharing with and maybe even inspiring other grandparents through this blog to find the same joy that I have found in being a grandma! I am thrilled when I learn that other grandparents have used my ideas to enrich the lives of their grandchildren and when they have created their very own memories with their grandchildren.

The article will be printed in the LA Times and on line this month. I will keep you posted!

First Snow of the Season

We had our first snow of the season at our home away from home in Flagstaff, Arizona. I have never lived where it snows so this is a very exciting first for me. I have already enjoyed the beauty of the Fall colors for the first time as Summer turned to Fall. Beautiful!

I missed this first snow fall in person but I am very anxious to get back up there and experience a real winter. My kids and grandkids are all anxious to get up there to play in the snow. I can't wait to share in the fun and in the wonderful memories we will create!

Hello, Mama Bear

Let me introduce you to Mama Bear and her baby. This life size bear is part of the decor in our temporary mountain home. She stands right next to a bank of windows on the back of the house and next to one of the patio doors. It took me the longest time to get used to her standing there. She frightened me for weeks when I would catch a glimpse of her when I was home alone.

I have since made friends with her and I now greet her every time I enter the house alone. (Not to worry.....I know I'm being silly.) My youngest grandson has made friends with her too. On his last visit he entered the house and the first thing he did was give the bear and her baby a huge smile like he was visiting a dear old friend. He waved and waved to the bear and kept telling her hi! He was a bit puzzled and very disappointed that the bear was not sharing in his excitement of seeing one another again.

Home Away from Home

Well here it is... our home away from home. This has been home for the last six weeks or so and it will be our home until my husbands job on the Navajo Nation is complete. It is a beautiful four bedroom home nestled among the Pines of Flagstaff, Arizona. Our view just beyond the Pines in the front is a very large meadow with a large pond. The backyard is a wildlife playground. The lot backs up to National Forest. At the end of our lane, just right of the house is an additional two car carriage house with an apartment above. The property also has a large fire ring for building big bonfires. It is a great place to do dutch oven cooking and the roasting of marshmallows for some really tasty s'mores.

All of the living spaces have large uncovered windows to invite the natural light and the beauty of the outdoors in. The breakfast nook in the back of the house overlooks two bird feeders and a bird bath. We have Squirrels, Chipmunks, lizards, and a wide variety of birds who have parties just outside our windows all day long! A couple of my favorite wildlife guests are a pair of large Jay Birds. They are bright blue with a black crown on the top of their heads.

The homes interior is beautiful and fully furnished. I only added a few items to the fireplace mantle to make it feel a bit more like home. The home also has a baby grand piano which has given me an opportunity to brush up on my very rusty piano skills. Just this past week a skunk was spotted hiding under our front walkway. All I could think of is the amount of times I have swept that front walk with the skunk probably being just inches from me!!!!

My very favorite guests are the two legged variety that come up from the valley to visit. Our children and grandchildren have been frequent visitors and it is they who have turned this home away from home and it's furnishings into a real home for us!

A Very Spoiled Grandma!

I have quickly realized what a spoiled Grandma I am! This is just day twelve of me being a long distance grandma and I am not very good at it at all. My husbands work has taken us just three hours away from all of our children and grandchildren for a few months.

I only had to go five days before seeing a set of my kids and four of my nine grandkids who came for a weekend visit. I was thrilled to see them and we had a wonderful time together. When it was time for them to go you would have thought they must live on the other side of the world from my emotional state when having to say my good-byes! My sadness started up when it got within a couple of hours of their planned departure. I held it together until it was time for them to load up in the car. It was then that the tears began to flow and my heart was breaking that I was not going to see them for a while.

I held up in my bedroom to try to gain composure so not to upset the kids. They all came in one at a time to say good-bye to their sobbing grandma. They had me laughing and crying at the same time. I realized how silly it was to be feeling so sad but the tears continued to flow and my heart continued to be break.

It has now been just five days since they left and I will be seeing another set of kids and three grandsons tomorrow who are coming for an overnight visit. I have been already been trying to prepare myself for their departure. Since I am still tearing up when I think about my first set leaving just five days ago I think I will be better off talking to my grandsons ahead of time to let them know that my tears (that I'm sure will come) when it is time to go is because I love them so much and that I will miss seeing them until next time.

I already know that once they leave I will only have another five days before I will get to see another set of my kids and two more grandsons who will be spending a few days with us.

As you can see I am a very spoiled grandma. I am also a very blessed grandma who loves living close to her children and grandchildren!

Most importantly, I have gained enormous empathy for ALL long distance grandmas in a very short period of time. I have also wondered several times this week if my own mother who is now in her late eighties has ever felt this way. I have always just assumed she was thankful for the peace and quiet she was left with when we left with our young family. I wonder now if I assumed wrong......no surprise, that makes me ( a very homesick grandma) shed tears too!

Dance Recital Times Three

My three granddaughters recently performed with their dance school. The college auditorium was filled with all those who were there to support the little dancers. They had been practicing for weeks and weeks for this very special Pink Carpet Event. Custom costumes had been made. Hair, make-up, a limo, lights, fireworks, the whole nine yards. The girls were thrilled to be a part of it.

Our family was there with 100% attendance taking up over half of an auditorium row of seating. All five little boy cousins were there to support and to be entertained by their sweet and adorable girl cousins. Three of the boys cousins 8, 6, and 2 all walked into the auditorium carrying bouquets of flowers for the girls. It was as CUTE as it could be!

The girls did a great job and they were very proud of themselves. They came straight out still in their last costumes following the show to see all of us. They were showered with bouquets of flowers and a flashing photo shoot fit for the dancing diva's that they were!

I am very proud of the girls and equally proud of my entire family who all do such a wonderful job of supporting one another.

Time Fly's

I had not realized so much time had past since I had last posted. I've had lots on my plate recently with an unplanned two plus weeks of being really sick, a six day trip out of state, and all of the planning details for a large July wedding.

Being well again makes me realize how thankful I am for my health. The out of state trip yielded a very happy young bride with her finding the wedding dress of her dreams in a bridal shop in Salt Lake City. The details of the large July wedding....still a bit overwhelming.

The trip to Utah also served as a chaperoned trip for my daughter to go visit her fiance in Orem, Utah were he attended school at UVU and plays on their baseball team. I had lots of free time while there while they crammed as many dates into their days together as they could. They had a great week together.

I really enjoyed myself as well. I shopped til I dropped. Ate where and when I wanted to eat. Took in a movie of my choice. Napped whenever I needed a nap. The only thing that got me out of bed a bit earlier that I liked was the pretty yummy and FREE continental breakfast at the hotel!

I had a beautiful view from my hotel room. The mountains in Provo are beautiful and to add to the beauty they were covered with freshly fallen snow! I spent so much of my time looking at the beauty and at the locals zipping by taking care of their business and wondered if they even noticed the beauty around them anymore.

One of my very favorite things were the trees that were in bloom that lined many of the streets. I called them Popcorn trees. I don't know what kind of trees they were but the blooms look just like beautiful white popped popcorn! The trees were just covered in yummy looking white stuff!

One of the Popcorn trees was just outside my 3rd floor window and it was in full bloom. We have a song that the children sing in church that says "I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn popping on an Apricot tree. Spring has brought me such a nice surprise, popcorn popping right before my eyes!"

I know it wasn't an Apricot tree but for sure it was a nice surprise and I too saw popcorn popping right before my eyes.

Now it's time for me to look at my natural surroundings. What am I zipping around and taking care of my own business and missing???

Bargains! My Favorite Thing to Find

I went to CVS to have my prescriptions filled yesterday. I chose CVS this time because I had two gift cards that I had received for free for filling previous prescriptions there months ago. While waiting for my prescriptions to be filled I browsed the store. I found a bunch of storage containers at DEEPLY reduced prices. I had been needing some so this was a great find. When I went to check out with my prescriptions the cost was completely covered with my free gift cards and the receipt included a $5 off coupon on any purchase in the store of $15 dollars or more for the next three days.

I went and loaded my cart with thirteen storage containers in a variety of sizes. The CVS shopping carts are very small and I was making a huge purchase so it was very awkward and quite a balancing act getting my purchase to the register. Most of the containers were valued at more that seven dollars each and I didn't pay more than a $1.50 each. On top of that, my total was just over the $15 dollar mark before tax so, I used the $5 off coupon I had just received. My total cost was just over $13 for 13 storage containers. A savings of $60.88!

If mood and happiness boost the immune system as research says then I received a much needed shot to my immune system with this find!

Loving from a Distance

So close, but so far away. That is how I have been feeling for the last ten days or so. I have been sick with bronchial problems and just today diagnosed with acute bronchitis . Not wanting to pass my germs on to others I have tried to stay a healthy distance away from others. There have been a few special family occasions within the last ten days that I did not want not miss. I allowed myself to attend taking extra care to not pass my germs along to others. This meant no close contact with my grandchildren. I don't even know how to describe what that has felt like but I will try.

I think I have realized the deep connection between the feelings of love and affection for my grandchildren and the use of physical touch of hugs and kisses to help express those feelings. While I have been sick, seeing my grandchildren and feeling the deep emotions of love and affection for them......and not be able to express it through touch. It somehow made my love for them even greater. There they were, so close, but so far away.

I know that once I am feeling better I will have a better appreciation for my health. I will also have a much better appreciation for the closeness I am able to enjoy with my nine grandchildren. I look forward to the unlimited supply of healthy hugs and squeezes that we all have in store for one another.

A Treasured Cookie Jar

This cookie jar goes as far back as I can remember as a child. The original metal lid was painted yellow somewhere along the line. As you can see it has been well used even since the lid was painted many years ago. My mother was great at keeping fresh baked goodies for our family in the kitchen. She was a great cook and she made the best chocolate chip, peanut butter, and molasses oatmeal raisin cookies ever!

My mother never made a small batch of cookies. She would always double or triple the recipe so that everyone could have all they wanted. I loved coming home from school to the freshly baked cookies and cold glasses of milk.

The days of my 85 year old mother baking cookies for us has come to an end. It is something that generations of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren miss dearly. Baking cookies and other favorite family treats was a way that my mother expressed her love for our family.

While clearing my parents home of unneeded items recently I was lucky enough to get my mother's cookie jar to use in my own home. Today I took the time to carefully wash and shine it just like I would have done with any other valuable treasure.

Today I filled the cookie jar with my own batch of homemade cookies. It was a very sweet experience and one that I look forward to doing again for many years. It is and it will always be like having a piece of my mother in my kitchen with me. The cookie jar itself, and the sound of the lid being taken off and put back on triggered some wonderful memories. I thought of how much my mother loves our family and how much we love her. I wondered just how many hours of service she rendered to our family over 65 years by just filling this cookie jar for her family with batches and batches of cookies.

I am as happy as I can be to have my mother's cookie jar. There will NEVER be a time when I will bake cookies and fill the cookie jar for those that I love and not think of my mother, her love for me, my love for her, and her priceless example of mother and grandmother!

The Helping Hands of Friends

Last Evening we hosted a dinner party  for a group of friends from our church. Some of our guests  brought the salads, breads, and desserts. I did the meat, two potato dishes, and a roasted vegetable dish for 30 . I am in my element with this type of thing so my day had gone pretty well by doing what prepping I could,  pre-cooking, and the tables earlier in the day. 

The last thirty minutes however was a different story. My menu, presentation, and table scape required a lot of last minute work. I had a pot of potatoes that I had cooked. It was the biggest pot I have and it was filled to the top with about 20 pounds of hot boiled potatoes. They had boiled over and had made a huge mess on the top of my stove. The stove top  WAS sparkling earlier in the day. It was time to mash the potatoes with two tubs of sour cream, butter, and cheese and I could not find my masher. I knew I had given it a new home in my kitchen just the day before and I could not remember where it was.

My last minute solution was to use my electric mixer. The beaters were not long enough to reach the bottom of the pot so you can only imagine the last minute mess I was creating on my apron-free self, the counters, the walls, and the kitchen floor.  The stove had a big boiled over cooked on spot too. I had everything hot and plated in time but I was left with a very last minute mess in my kitchen as the first guests arrived at the door. I was using my kitchen island and counters as the serving space so the mess I had created was NOT the look I was going for!

When I opened the door I saw the faces of friends and out of my mouth came "I am so glad to see some friendly faces and helping hands." Without hesitation they willingly and generously pitched right in. Some filled the sink with dishwater and washed up my cooking pans and wiped up the counters, another tackled the stove top, and others filled water pitchers and set the tables with last minute items. They pulled some quick tricks just like I would have done by quickly cleaning my counters and kitchen of unneeded items and placed them out of sight in my walk in pantry. 

Within minutes my friends had saved the day. As the evening continued so did my friends with their willing and helping hands as the tables were cleared, desserts were served, and the clean up completed.

It was a great evening with friends and it left me feeling very grateful for the new friends that I have made since moving here. I love coming together as friends with a common goal and seeing it completed. Although this time it was very last minute and unplanned the joy I experienced was just as sweet!

An Exciting First for Me

Today when my husband got home from work I said "I think I am going to start getting a house cleaning service." To my surprise he said, "I was going to call you today and suggest that!"

You are probably wondering what condition my house must be in, right??? Not to worry, we are not living in filth but the entire house from base boards to ceiling fans could use a good deep cleaning. 

So, within minutes of getting the green light I was on the phone scheduling a cleaning service that came highly recommended by my two daughters. I have until Thursday morning to get my pre-cleaning done to be ready for the cleaners! That's how you do it right?

The service asked if I wanted it cleaned from top to bottom. Why not? So, that is the plan which I am very excited about. Isn't it fun that we can experience first's in our lives at any age? 

A Gift From My Valentine

My Valentine and I have been married for nearly thirty-four years. My bridal bouquet was made of yellow roses (my favorite) and since then he has always remembered that despite the holiday or occasion it's yellow roses that I love to receive. Thank you my sweet Valentine!

Grandma Shelley is Headed to Hollywood

My husband and I just pulled together what we think is going to be a really fun trip. It is something we have never done before. After being unsuccessful at getting a last minute cruise we had hoped for, we decided to head to Hollywood for some Television show tapings. After doing some research on the Internet we have tickets to three shows. 

First on our agenda is The Price is Right. I tried to talk my husband into making ourselves shirts that read "Oldie-weds....Newly-retired" to wear to the show.  No such luck! We have had fun talking about what we would like to win on the show and playing the game of would you rather win this or that questions. I learned he would rather win a new truck over a long romantic trip!

 The following day we are going to the taping of the sitcom Gary Unmarried. We have never seen the show so I hope it is appropriate and funny.  The  following day....can you believe it? Dr. Phil!  Who would of thought I would ever get my husband to the Dr. Phil show. I guess it helps that he won't be on stage. We may also be able to squeeze in the Tonight Show one of the nights.

We lined up hotels using Hotwire to get great deals  and we "mapped quested" some of the restaurants we want to eat at.  It is amazing what you can do from your home computer these days!

Talk about spontaneous....We'll be in Hollywood with about 48 hours notice. Sooooo not like us, but very exciting!

A Grandmas Box

I heard a great idea this morning when reading another blog that I thought I would pass on. Another grandma shared that she has a "grandma box" where she keeps many of the things her grandchildren give her such as rocks, drawings, school programs that we attend, cards, and all of the little odds and end things (treasures) that they give us. I know we all make a fuss over these things when they are presented and maybe display them on our fridge or bulletin boards.

This grandma who shared her idea of the "grandma box" is thinking about making a strong impact on her grandchildren even after she is gone. She wants the box to be found by her family after her passing. She wants the things in the box to show the love she has for her grandchildren and the importance they were in her life. She also hopes that the box will bring back many memories of the time they shared here on earth.

Stay tuned: I will be creating my own "grandma box". I think it is a wonderful idea.

Blueberries "A New Favorite Thing"

A few months ago I added blueberries to my diet. I eat at least one half cup a day. I love them on a bowl of cold whole grain cereal or mixed into a bowl of hot whole grain cereal. Both ways are absolutely delicious and I know I am doing something really good for my body and brain! 

I decided to add them to my diet after my mother was diagnosed with dementia. In my reading on dementia I learned that they are a super food for the brain and that they have even been shown to repair brain damage. So, I added them to my diet as a preventive measure since the threat of dementia is now in my genes. Who knew I would fall in love with them!

I buy them frozen from Costco. They are a great deal compared to fresh in my local grocery stores (5 pound bag for just over $10). On my cold cereal I pour them on frozen. They thaw quickly and they make the milk very cold and oh so yummy. When I add them to my hot cereal I warm them up first in the microwave so that my cereal stays nice and hot. 

Do you have any other healthy ways to add blueberries to your diet?

Blueberries are in fact "a new favorite thing!"

Grandma Shelley's Road Trip to Vegas

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I know this is a bit off of topic for my blog but I wanted to share in another great thing about being a grandma with a newly retired Papa! Last minute invite to go to Vegas. Sure, we have the time....

A recent road trip to Vegas was so much fun. My daughter invited my husband and I to go on a business trip with her. We were more than happy to accept. She offered free transportation in a company rental car and complimentary lodging for three nights in a very fine hotel. 

Each morning we dropped her off for a day of meetings at the Rio and my husband and I kept ourselves busy as tourists until it was time to pick her up. Some of the highlights of our trip included scoring half price show tickets, a breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet, and touring the beautiful hotels and casinos. 

Our last night was so much fun. We picked up our daughter after her meetings and we headed for the dinner buffet. We chose the buffet at the Paris Hotel since it had been voted the best in Vegas for the last 3 years. We were not disappointed. It was a beautiful restaurant and the food was delicious and plentiful!  We then hit the streets on foot to walk off our dinner and we toured the nearby hotels, casinos, and shopping. We really enjoyed the F.A.O. Shwartz Toy Store. We lost track of our time in there looking at and playing with the toys. They had a piano keyboard on the floor like they had in that Tom Hanks movie. My husband and daughter showed off their piano and coordination skills as they played some pretty impressive tunes with their feet.

One thing we really noticed in Vegas was a lot of honking of cars. There were double decker buses honking at hotel shuttles, shuttles honking at taxi's, and taxi's honking at passenger cars! It was crazy. I have never been to New York but I have always imagined the streets of NY being like that. We lost track of how many times we had been honked at for no good reason. It seems they hit their horn each time they have to hit their brakes.

We enjoyed the excitement of the city, the good food, the entertainment, and the sites but most of  all we enjoyed the time we had with our daughter. (I guess I could somehow tie this in as a grandma story since she's the mom of three of my grandsons. ) We shared in some great conversations, we had many good laughs, and we created some lasting shared memories. We enjoyed seeing her in the role of businesswomen and in her excitement for learning new things. It was also very rewarding to see how she kept a constant pulse on what was going on at home with her sweet little family. It was very clear on where her priorities lie.

This was an opportunity for me to just be me, mom, and wife. There were no phone calls home to grandkids, no postcards home,  and no time spent shopping for them.  And somehow, I still had a really great time!

Road Trip to Vegas........A+    I have a very generous and thoughtful daughter!    Thank you.

Survivor Grandma

I am relating very well to the reality TV show Survivorman this week. For those of you that have never seen the show it is about a man who is dropped off in a remote area to live among wild animals and extreme elements to survive on his own for a number of days. He may be left with a few items to help in his survival such as a knife, one or two matches, and maybe something like a small piece of plastic tubing. He is left to his own resourcefulness to survive until he is rescued at the end of his time.

I began my own challenge of survival on Monday morning. The territory was my 4200 s.f. home and the one acre of land that I live on. I was left with a few survival provisions such as diapers, baby wipes, a sippy cup, school uniforms, Tonka trucks, and a few snacks. 

My challenge was to survive until Friday morning with three very active, and seemingly starving  little boys ages two, five, and seven.

Day one: On the first day the conditions were quite favorable with the 2 year old and myself home alone. At about 3:30 p.m. a big yellow roar approached the edge of our territory and dropped off two more survivalists. The elements quickly changed as shoes and backpacks where dumped in the entryway and the forage for food began. After a twenty minute feeding frenzy we moved on to homework. The evening routine of a hot meal, outdoor playtime, showers, and bedtimes were executed perfectly in an effort to reserve my energy.  I know that the only guarantee in a survival situation is that nothing is guaranteed. Because of this, It was vital to get myself to bed as quickly as possible. Fatigue is an enemy to survival and a good nights sleep was not guaranteed.

Day two:  This day began at 1:30 a.m. when the little one woke up and was ready to start his day with grandma. He and I  hung out in front of the TV and watched recordings of Signing Time, Barney, and Clifford. The rest of the group awoke at sun up and began the chore of food procurement. They found a box of Lucky Charms in the provisions. They were as happy as squirrells in an acorn tree with their find. After filling their bellies they got dressed for the day. I then unexpectedly encountered hostile territory when it was time to brush teeth. The oldest survivalist protested: "I just brushed my teeth last night! I hate having braces, before braces I only had to brush my teeth like every 5 days, now I have to brush them 2 times a day!" My skills were being tested. I quickly reacted with a skill that I had acquired years before. I went into a well rehearsed speech of the consequences of not brushing your teeth after eating such things as Lucky Charms. When I was finished I think he may have thought his teeth would be rotting and falling out before he got home from school that day. It worked like a charm!

I was very anxious this morning to hear the big yellow roar approaching our territory. I equipped the boys with backpacks & water bottles and sent them on their way. I was ready to retreat to my cozy king size bed for at least a short nap but the little guy was still going strong. He finally took a 45 minute nap at noon and I too fell quickly asleep.  The nap was way too short and my energy level was low. Extreme elements of change would be rolling in again in just over two hours. I needed to boost my energy. The little one and I secured a bowl of "fishies" to share. He had a cup of juice, and I an extra tall glass of diet Coke.

At 3:30 p.m. the afternoon survival mode began again with the foraging for after school snacks, homework, and outdoor play. We finished up the evening with a home cooked meal, a hot shower, and bed time. The little guy was still awake at 10:30 p.m. and I was exhausted with only getting 2 hours of sleep the night before. When it comes to survival, adaptation is the name of the game. I decided to use a survival technique that had worked for me years, and years before. I put him in his car seat and we went for a late night ride. He was asleep by the time I went around the block. Everyone was finally asleep and I treated myself to a hot shower and retreated to the comfort of my bed.

Day 3: Morning came way too soon. It was sun up and the boys were ready to start their day. My survival skills had really kicked in when I reached for a box of Little Debbie Honey Buns as the main course for breakfast. Before their Papa left for work I arranged for him to bring home pizza for dinner.  The morning routine went smoothly and the boys left for their school day. I had really honed in on my survival skills when I moved the  after school feeding frenzy to the back porch so there was no kitchen floor needing to be swept again. I promised them invention crafts as a reward if they stayed focused on their homework and got it done quickly. Papa arrived with the pizza just as hunger was setting in. Dinner clean up was a breeze. The boys spent the evening outdoors playing in the dirt with their Tonka Trucks. Bath time was "Cowboy Style". I filled a Rubbermaid tub with hose water, brought out their bath towels, and soap and they bathed outdoors on our back patio. Squeaky clean in minutes and no bathroom floor to mop. We had a quick bedtime snack, a little TV, and I put the bigger boys to bed. I know we can strengthen ourselves through repeated failures but remember I was performing at maximum survival efficiency this day. I had the little guy in his car seat and off on our bedtime ride just after 8:00 p.m.. It was only 8:30 when everyone was in bed. I was feeling much like Survivorman must feel upon finding a whole nest of scorpions ready for the roasting!

Day 4:  We were all in the "survivor zone" this morning. The boys snacked on Goldfish crackers and milk for breakfast. (They do have a nutritious breakfast upon arrival at school.) The morning routine went without a hitch. They had so much fun with their "Cowboy Style" bath the night before that I promised them that we'll do the same tonight. I had had a good nights sleep, the provisions were holding out, we hadn't had any injuries, we hadn't encountered anymore hostile areas, and there wouldn't be any homework tonight since there was no school the next day.  I only had to navigate through the next 24 hours and my survival challenge would be a complete success. 

The little one finally caught up on his sleep with a three hour afternoon nap. Survivorman would have probably used that time to get some rest. I used it to prep dinner and had it oven ready, caught up on the  laundry, and picked up the toys that were littering the entire territory.

It was 3:30 before I knew it and the door flew open with excitement to get the next segment of their day going. Knowing that the most important survival tool is the mind and the attitude it takes, I embraced their excitement.  We celebrated their last afternoon with me eating ice cream sundaes and all of the hot fudge and whipped cream they wanted. 

The evening went well as we followed our usual routine. The "Cowboy Style" bath was just as popular as it was the first night. I did encounter a bit of hostility when I imposed the regular bedtime since there was no school the next day. Without incident, I stuck to the bedtime and promised a fun filled morning when we were all rested again. 

I realized something on my third nightly attempt to cruise the neighborhood to get the little one to sleep. He was on to me. I learned first hand that traps are most effective if they're set some distance apart. Once  a trigger is tripped, then everyone and everything is on alert. This little two year old was on mega alert. I aborted my first attempt after the little chatterbox wore me down. We went back home and watched some quiet TV. A later attempt at 10:30 ended in success.

Day 5: Our fun filled morning after we were all "well rested"  began at 5:45 a.m.. Mommy and Daddy had returned home sometime during the night and my rescue was scheduled for sometime during the early a.m. hours. I packed up all of the boys provisions and had them ready for the pick up. They were very happy to see their mommy with an 8:00 a.m. reunion. The first story told to mommy was about the "Cowboy Style" baths. 

It is always my goal to make fun memories for my grandchildren.  For these three little dirt loving boys I think I accidently scored BIG with the "Cowboy Style" bath!

The Best Way I Know

  I was just 45 when I joined the ranks of being a grandma. I have had eight years of experience which by no means makes me a veteran or an expert in the skills of being a grandma. My "grandma style" is the best way I know how to fill the role. My experience with my own grandma's was very limited. On my mother's side I had a step-grandma who lived very far away. My interaction with her was very limited. On my father's side my grandmother died of cancer when I was young. I do have a few memories with my grandma's that I will share at a later time. My own mother has been a wonderful example of her own "grandma style" which I will share later with much love and admiration.

I had no idea that being a grandma "the best way I know" would cause so much excitement and interest among other grandmas and the parents of other grandchildren. I have been told so many times that I need to share my ideas with other grandmas. I have decided to finally heed their very strong encouragement and share my ideas and resources on being a grandma the best way I know.

Where the Story Begins

The story begins in May of 1976 with the birth of my first son. I had been married just shy of a year when my full time job became that of mother and homemaker. In April of 1978 I became the mother of my first daughter. After taking nearly a six year break my second daughter was born in October of 1983. I was now the mother of three and had settled into the role of a stay at home mom very well. My two older children were in school and I had full days of one on one time with my new little one which was an absolute joy. In 1989, after my third child had started school my fourth child was born. Once again, I found myself with the opportunity of full days of one on one time with my now nearly 19 year old daughter.

Those years have passed quickly and they were indeed filled with many great memory building experiences and traditions. I have to admit I was the homeroom mom who organized and implemented some pretty grand ideas for class parties, crafts, and activities. Our family vacations were also filled with traveling traditions and activities along the way. Summer breaks were filled with well planned activities and outings. And the holidays .... not to worry, I had those very well covered too!

Three of my adult children have married and they and their spouses have created the next chapter of  this story. I'm a Grandma! I have 6 grandsons and 3 granddaughters raging from six months to eight years old. 

In addition to being a stay at home mom for 32 years I have been very active in volunteer event planning. I love to create, plan, organize, and implement events both big and small. I am very detail oriented and I love to add all of the fluff  I can to create great times and wonderful memories. My family has always been very supportive in the events and traditions I have created as a creative outlet for myself.

Many  friends have told me for years that I need to write a book on family traditions and family event planning. I never did and now they tell me I need to write a book on being a creative grandma!

Grandma's Modern Day Trunks of Treasures are actually well organized rubbermaid tubs in my oversized three car garage. The tubs are filled with resources that help to enrich events and the traditions of our family. Thankfully, the next generation of family is being just as supportive of their event planning grandma as the generation before them.

I will be sharing the ideas and contents of my trunks along with lot's of other ideas and suggestions for making great memories for families with special attention to creating bonds between grandkids and their grandma!