Grilled Grandma: Vee

Vee sandwiched between her grandson and HER grandma.How many children do you have? I have two adult children: a daughter and a son.
 
How many grandchildren? What are their ages? My son and his wife have two little boys aged four and three. They're Irish twins born just one year and six days apart.
 
Any great grandchildren? Actually, I am married to a man who has two great-grandchildren born in 2009. The first is a little boy and the second is a little girl who has been featured on my blog here.
 
What do your grandchildren call you? Nonni...a made-up version of Nonna as my grandsons have an Italian surname. With a Nana and two Grandmas in their lives, I wanted a name for myself. "Nonna" was too easily confused with "Nana."
 
How often do you get to see your grandchildren? My grandchildren live less than a mile away, yet I make every effort not to see them all the time (and it's not easy). This is because their maternal grandmother lives just two doors away. It was a decision I made to allow the new family to have some alone time together. We visit, on average, once every two or so weeks for about an hour or two.
 
Vee's four-year-old grandson.What is the best thing about being a grandma? Well what's not to love about being a grandmother? It's everything that it is touted to be...all the fun without much of the responsibility.
 
What is the most challenging part of being a grandma?
To remember my place as a grandmother and not to offer suggestions or advice unless it is requested. Probably because of this, I am asked for my input from time to time.
 
Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. Now that's a great thing about grandchildren as they are always making me laugh out loud. Today, my littlest grandson asked me what the letter he was holding was. When I responded correctly, he said, "Excellent!"
 
Vee's three-year-old grandson.What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Play with them, of course. In the autumn, we jumped in the leaves. My oldest grandson told me that I was too old for that. We've built snowmen, sledded, and I always enjoy reading to them.
 
What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? Play with their Thomas the Train sets, their pets, and just talk with them. And I always take freshly baked cookies so we can have a little snack.
 
How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits?
If calling, I'll ask to speak to the boys. But I seldom call either.

"My boys."What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? Faith in their Heavenly Father and the knowledge that they are deeply loved and accepted just as they are.
 
What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Fun. Warmth. Good things to eat. Love. Happiness. All the things we associate with good grandparents. (I can't follow directions for beans.)
 
Learn more about Vee by visiting her blog, A Haven for Vee.