How many children do you have? One daughter. And a step daughter and step son who both live in Michigan.
 
How many grandchildren? What are their ages? Three from my daughter  2 Boys and a girl. The baby, Enzo, is 19 months.  Joey 8 years old & Dylan is 10 years old.
Three from my step daughter - 5, 8 & 11
One from my step son - 8
 
What do your grandchildren call you? Grandma or Grams and sometimes J-Gram.

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? That my daughter's wedding dress was going to have to be altered!
Then about month before my granddaughter was born, I broke my foot and I was on crutches during her birth and for several months afterwards. What I hated the most was that I couldn't carry her around.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I see the ones who live near me almost every day.
 
What is the best thing about being a grandma? Being able to play with them. Having them confide in me. Tucking them in at night. And then going home. And being able to share being a "grandma" with my mother who is now a great grandmother. It's an unbelievable feeling, one that I'm so glad I get to experience.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Hmm. This is hard to answer because I just love it all. I guess sometimes watching my granddaughter act with my daughter in the same rebellious way that my daughter used to act toward me.
 
Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. Well, the youngest has a language of his own that always makes me laugh.  My granddaughter does impressions that crack me up. And my eight-year-old grandson tells the most amazing stories about his skateboarding adventures.  
 
What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Snuggle with them on the couch and read books. I also make up stories for them and they in turn make up stories of their own.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? Read books and play games. They have very vivid imaginations and like to play made up games such as Dry Cleaners ( who knew such a place could inspire a game) or restaurant. And we dance and put on shows. I'm pretty exhausted when I get home.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? I text my granddaughter. We talk on the phone. Sadly, I don't have as much communication with the grandchildren that live in Michigan.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? Creativity and imagination, whether it's writing or drawing or dancing. And I want them to believe in themselves and know that they can be anything they want to be. That they are the rulers of their own destiny.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Fun. But I do know they call me "Funny, unusual & funky." And I have to add that they also think of me as "Big Haired." In fact, I'm working a picture book titled "My big-haired, funky Grandma."

What has most surprised you about being a grandma? How much I love it and them.

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? I can't really think of anything.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Don't be afraid of acting silly.

Do you have a website, book or project to promote? My recent release is a book for tween girls titled MERCURY IN RETRO LOVE. It is a sweet story about crushes, conflicts and astrological confusion.

I write a weekly column for women - http://www.inthepowderroom.com/search/keyword/Janie+Emaus
My website is: www.janieemaus.com
And I blog at www.theboomerrants.com - Anatomy of Baby Boomer - Life in Retrograde

This is an archived version of Janie's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? Three—all grown up and married.

How many grandchildren? Two.

What are their ages? As of right now, my grandson Fenton is almost 11 months old (born on January 8, like Elvis), and my granddaughter Madeleine is almost 5 1/2.

Any great grandchildren? No.

What do your grandchildren call you? Grannie B (like "bee," because I have a guest room with a bee theme and I have way too many bee-related things in there). My husband's name starts with a B, so we're now the GBs.

Other than the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would be a grandmother? That I would be too far away to see her very often. Madeleine was born in Providence, RI and I live in Northern California.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I manage to get back east about three or four times a year. (My daughter and her family have since lived in PA and NY.) It's much easier to get to Southern California where my grandson is, so I'll probably see him more often. That's been the case over the last 11 months anyway!

What is the best thing about being a grandma? It turns out I am the baby whisperer. I have lulled them both to sleep on a number of occasions just by talking softly to them and singing. (De Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da by the Police works like a charm!) I love to have a sleeping baby on my shoulder.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Being so far away from both of them is one part. Realizing that I am not the expert this time around is another one: my kids make different choices for their kids, and I have to respect that.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. Fenton has a wonderful giggle. Hearing him giggle makes me laugh, and the more I laugh, the more he giggles. We egg each other on. Madeleine made me laugh with her explanation of what sharing means to her: basically, what's mine should also be hers, and what's hers is...just hers . It makes perfect sense to a five year-old!

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Read them stories and make up games.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? Snuggling up to read bedtime stories.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? We do Google Hangouts with the baby, and the same with the 5 1/2 year old. I also send her text messages (on her mother's phone) that are full of little images—like those old rebus picture stories. She loves to write back, using almost every picture available. Now we have the ability to do FaceTime on our iPhones, so I can move around the house and show her the things she likes to see here (the doll house, the fuzzy bees, and anything else she remembers from her last visit).

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? A love of stories and story telling and make-believe. Also, a good sense of humor!

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Fun.

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? That it's OK to offer advice or suggestions as long as I make sure my kids are interested in hearing what I have to say first! No unsolicited advice or tossing in my two cents' worth unless they actually ask me what I think.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Give your sons and daughters all the love and support you can. They're trying to figure things out just the way we did—no one has all the answers and we all do things our own way. Many times I thought, well, I know how to do that—gimme that baby!—but I was happy to see my kids learn on their own.

Do you have a website or blog? Yes I do. My blog is called Zero to Sixty in One Year.

Photo credit: Cindy Chen, www.cindychenphotography.com, except for the photo of the two kids and the one of Risa and Fenton.

This is an archived version of Risa's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? Two; my son Treg and daughter Tracy.

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? Five. Treg’s girls, ages 14 and 11, and Tracy’s son 8 and almost 5 yo boy/girl twins.

Any great grandchildren? No way, not any time soon!

What do your grandchildren call you? Gramcracker or Grandma most of the time; Grams and Gramps when referring to both of us.

Other than the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would be a grandmother? No negative concerns......just that she would be several states away. But as soon as she was born, my son and daughter-in-law decided to quit their jobs, pack a moving truck and leave our home town of Kalamazoo, Michigan to move near us here in Georgia. They wanted her to be part of our daily lives, and for us to be part of hers.... thus our grandparenting journey began. She was 2 months old when they pulled into our cul-de-sac and the neighbors helped us unload. They lived with us a short while until they found jobs and a home of their own a few minutes away!

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? When the girls were 3 and 6, my son was transferred from here to California. No time to be sad as our first grandson was born two weeks before they left! We pretty much see the girls every couple months. We rent a beach house near them and store a car, bikes and tubs of clothes which makes it easier. The girls spend two weeks at G & G’s house every summer and the whole CA gang joins us every other Christmas! My daughter lives near us and she has boy/girl twins in addition to her big guy! I retired from teaching upon his phone call at age 2 1/2 announcing “Mama has two babies in her belly” and I’ve been along for the ride ever since! We see these three every weekend and holidays and school events and sick days etc. We have them for fun sleepovers, but now starting one at a time......easier on us and I love the 1-1 time with each child!

What is the best thing about being a grandma? Instant playmates and forever friends! They keep me young and fun; always ready to try new things. My Sunshine girl taught me to text and we learned stand up paddleboarding together! My Flower, granddaughter #2, encourages me with edgier fashion ideas, joins me in tennis and has taught me to go crabbing and climb the jetty rocks in their ocean backyard! As soon as he was old enough, I introduced my shining Star (grandson # 1) to ice skating and roller skating! The Littles keep me in stitches with their ongoing comedy act. We have fun jumping at the bouncy places and doing yoga together. All five are teaching me fun wii games!!!

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Keeping it “fair” when there’s more than one around! Have to be creative and use slight of hand sometimes! I was in elementary education....so still resort to “choose a number, you can be first next time or the old standby......life’s not always fair!”

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. They are all blessed with a sense of humor... plus perfect timing and delivery! One incident that comes to mind: I’ve never been one to cuss, but once my son was driving a bit too zippily for me and I couldn’t help but exclaim “S***! D***! God! From the backseat, my granddaughter says “that’s not how it goes, Grandma.....you’re supposed to say God D*** It and Oh S***!”  Needless to say my son slowed down as we laughed our heads off!

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Silly tea parties, dress-up, playing school on the chalk/white boards in the garage with the younger ones. The visit usually includes sleeping over......so making cookies and watching a movie is part of our routine! We rent a place for a month or so every fall near my son in Ventura......so it’s a real treat for the girls to stay over with us in the beach cottage a few steps from the sand and waves! They too love making cookies and staying up late with a good movie or game!

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? See their rooms! They always have little treasures to share or new toys and/or clothes to show off! It’s awesome to see their interests and personalities reflected in their bedrooms....no matter what age! Since the girls live on the beach.....we make the most of playtime there....our home away from home! The younger kids have thick woods in their backyard.......so we get to spot deer, enjoy autumn leaves and watch from the deck as they play on, in and around everything that is NOT a toy or playscape! “Yikes” I say, “relax” my daughter says!

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? I write the big girls letters, send cards, pictures and little gifts in the mail. We talk on the phone and now they have their own cells and email so we keep in contact pretty much every day. Lately they’ve been texting me on the way to and from school. :)  I see the younger kids every weekend; and I talk with each one during the week by phone....telling them something the cat has done or about a new ice cream we’ve tried etc. I make cutesy, crafty stuff for all of them and they know I put myself into it. Homemade cards, little poems, envelopes filled with bunches of crunchy fall leaves, matching tees with their names stitched on. We have committed to taking each grandchild on a vacation of their choice around age 12; so there’s lots of photos and discussions of possible destinations. We’ve been dogsledding in Alaska already with our oldest, and planning NYC for spring break with our 11 year old. (she was born 9/12/01......so this is a trip with special meaning for us in addition to a great city adventure!) The younger kids seem to be stuck on the Great Wall of China right now.....we’ll see!!!

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? Finding delight and wonder in life. And that they will never regret being kind and sharing happiness with others.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Fun-loving. The phrase I use all the time is “I love it!” and they all say it now.

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? This is a hard one.....never thought of this. I know I’m a good Grandma because I learned from my own grandmother. She always gave me undivided time and attention and made me feel special....so I’ve just done the same. And I tell my eldest granddaughter she is helping me learn grandparenting as we both grow along!

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Be a calm, loving and engaged presence in the child’s life, however you can. Distance doesn’t matter....as you and I have discovered, Lisa.  And follow your heart always! I think we all used our heads pretty much raising our own kids.....but now using your heart to guide you is the best thing in the world for grandkid and grandparent!

Do you have a website or blog? My blog is at http://www.gramcrackercrumbs.com/  The kids call me Gramcracker and Crumbs represents the bits and pieces of our lives I like to write about. I also have a Facebook page of the same name....but my more in-depth blog is a work in progress as I learn how to reach audiences, attach buttons, link etc. Any tips from your readers is appreciated! I am also on Pinterest as http://pinterest.com/pollyannajoan/gramcracker-crumbs/.

This is an archived version of Joan's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? I have three children Adam is 31 and married to Courtney and currently deployed to Afghanistan. Not quite two years later brought a set of twins. Tim is married to Gwen and Raechel is married to Michael.

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? Conner (7), Lilli (5), Elsie Gray (3), Benjamin (20 mos), Gideon (14 mos), Maren (2mos). In addition, I am very close to a niece who has four, Oliver (7), Annabelle (5), Emmeline (4) and Everett(3). We lost my sister, her mom and their Granny, just a few months back. She had been very ill for a long time, so I consider my count at 10.

What do your grandchildren call you? Gramerly (Grandma Kimberly), Grandma and Kymbi.

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? From the time I knew I would not be having anymore children, I looked forward to being a grandma. It was unusual circumstances. My son was at Basic Training when my first grandchild was born. I was a little unsure of how to be involved. It turned out my grandson contracted a rare bacterial infection that landed him in Intensive Care for 3 weeks. Scary incident, but great bonding for the families.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? Thankfully, quite often. I have a Playdate once a week where they all come and play and play. In addition I'm close enough to go to games, plays and have them over frequently.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? The best thing is all the times I can say "Yes," to whatever they want to do.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? The most challenging part is that four different sets of adult parents have very different ideas about child rearing. Trying to avoid stepping on toes is challenging for me.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. Laughing goes on all Playdate long, because if one isn't up to something another one surely will be.
I suppose it is one of those, "you needed to be there" moments. I have bunnies that play outside in an enclosed fence. Gideon, the 13 month old loves to be in the pen with bunnies. He walks round and round patting bunny boy bottoms and squealing and telling those bunnies some fascinating stuff. Cracks me up.

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Wow, that's hard to say, because I am ever searching for new and interesting things to do with them. I suppose showing them how to garden, where eggs come from, and how to care for Bluebirds, as we rebuild the population here in Indiana.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? I don't visit them as often as they visit me. I like to let them lead and just follow and obey.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? My between visits are short, but I might send them a card or an e-mail, or call to check up on a little sick one.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? My faith, all there is to notice in the big, wide world, my love of a good book, good food and good times.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Giving

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? Trust isn't a given.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Be patient, and just love, love, love each moment you have.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about? My website is Free Ranging Chickens and Grandchildren.Basically it is a picture journal of my life as a Christian, wife, Gramerly, teacher, Gardner and Chickie Girl farmer. I hope that some folks might see how easy it can be to do fun things with the wee folk in their lives.

This is an archived version of Kimberly's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? I have three sons.

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? I have 1 grandson by birth ( my middle son’s child ) and his older sister became part of our family as well. So….two. Brent and Kate.
My son has joked in the past that it was the ‘buy one get one free’ program!

What do your grandchildren call you? Sometimes they call me "Oma" and sometimes "Grandma."
When Brent was younger, I was "Oma" and the other grandma was "Mamaw" or some variation of that. "Oma" is German for Grandmother and I had initially gotten Kate to start calling me that, since she called her "real" grandmother "Grandma."

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? Well, my son was in Iraq during the mama’s pregnancy so that was not easy…I was always worried about him. Other than that, after getting over the first shock in regards to becoming a grandmother, I was becoming excited.
In the end, my grandson Brent was named after a wonderful soldier who had died in Iraq. I posted about him, Brent Adams, on my blog on Memorial Day.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I see Brent almost every weekend. Sometimes I have both Brent and Kate. (Oftentimes, Kate’s Grandmother will just have her for girl time on the weekend, so generally I see Brent a bit more) Both parents work shifts and often on the weekends, so there are rarely “visits” ; rather there is babysitting duty ! My son’s father, Brent’s “Pappy” is retired and he pulls some hard shifts. Sometimes the mama has to open her Starbucks store, and she must be there by 4:00 a.m. I get off easy compared to him, that’s for sure. I have to make sure to never retire….

What is the best thing about being a grandma? Ha ha well you know that old adage about being able to give them back is true : ) Seriously, though…when that baby is born your heart just melts and you fall in love in the same way that you did when your children were born. This time around it is like a double delight: MY child produced THIS child…..just sheer wonder and blessedness all over again.
And the cuddling….I will miss that as they grow older.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Worry. Don’t fall down the steps, don’t fall down those other steps, don’t touch the stove, don’t choke on this, and don’t fall off the chair. PLEASE don’t have some horrible accident while I am babysitting you for your parents…don’t don’t don’t!
Now I am laughing because I remember a time that I’d watched Brent for most of a day and worried about falls etc. He was about 1 1/2 years old. At the end of the day he had a temper tantrum melt down and threw himself on to the floor and banged his head on purpose! I looked at him in dismay! I had kept him safe ALL DAY and now he was going home to his mama with a little boo boo mark on his head.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. They always make me laugh but an ongoing thing with Brent is that I kept his 2 year old birthday video on my phone. He loves to watch it and he blows out the candles with himself (with his phone-self).

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Watch them sleep after they wore me out all day! Seriously, one thing that they love to do is that if they are over on the weekend and I’ve washed my bedding and am putting fresh sheets on, they love to help. They love having the sheets billow out and help to pull up and arrange the bedspread etc. THEN once it is all made, they hop in and hide under the covers and we have tickle and monster games and they scream and laugh.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? Kate’s grandfather had purchased a large bean bag (covered in some sort of soft material, just like a piece of furniture) years ago. Naturally being thrown or dropped into this is their favorite activity there.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? I see them most weekends. Sometimes I am able to work from home and might have them for a bit during the week, or occasionally stop there on lunch break or after work

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? How much they are loved…how hard their parents work for them.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Fun. Or maybe “safe”.. as in when I think about my own grandma, sometimes she was ‘safer’ than mom. I could confide in her or not have any particular expectations …do you know what I mean?
What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? Do NOT buy the Play Doh pizza factory set LOL! That grated cheese making thing is one big headache.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? If you are going to have the kids over at your place a lot, get some advice on equipment or toys from other grandparents or from young moms. I was blessed in that I have two young moms at my office and one or two of my sons’ friends already had little boys. So I knew ahead of time that Brent would love Thomas the Train and Geo Trax and that it would help if I bought a crib that could convert to a toddler bed later on. It helped with holiday purchases and entertainment in general.

And if you have not had to deal with a car seat since your children were young, get some help. They have come a long way, baby. I actually had the young mom that I work with install mine for me. She knew what she was doing and it took her at least 10 minutes or more to do it properly.

Do you have a website or blog? What is the URL and what is it about? www.thehomespun.com  It’s fairly new and I have so much more to learn about blogging! The technical stuff is the hardest. It’s about ordinary daily life with a focus on grandparenting because I can’t keep my mouth shut about that.

This is an archived version of Debra's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have?

What is the best thing about being a grandma? The very best thing about being a grandma is getting a nice, warm hug from one of them and enjoying good laughs as we have adventures together. Money is a requirement of society, but it can't buy two little warm arms wrapped around your neck telling you s/he loves you.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Hands down the job of being a grandma is the best job in the world. There are issues in the world though that affect your grandchildren and create challenges for them, which in turn affect you. For instance, we deal with a couple of chronic medical issues that don't affect what they can do but it affects how they go about their day. My granddaughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was in first grade. Type 1 Diabetes is when your pancreas stops producing insulin. Currently there is no ‘cure’ for Type 1 Diabetes so injections of insulin, either through shots or insulin pump, are needed throughout the day to balance your food intake. My grandson was diagnosed around the same time with food allergies (peanut, tree nut and shellfish). If I could take that on for them so they would not have to deal with it, I certainly would. Since I can't do that, I try to be knowledgeable and supportive and help them have a happy but safe time when we are together. A couple of years ago, we purchased a Travel Trailer so we could go camping. Camping allows us to provide all the things needed to count carbohydrates, weigh food, and check all ingredient lists to have a wonderful adventure but keep everyone safe and healthy.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. I have to say I laugh out loud several times every day with one of them. My grandson loves to talk trash when he is playing basketball. It is pretty funny to see this little six-year old playing in-your-face basketball and verbally challenging his older sister or an adult to bring it on. My granddaughter is always dreaming up things to do when they are outside. Once we took an old baby sled and attached it to a garden seat with wheels I didn’t use any more, and she made a vehicle to zoom down the driveway.

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Outside we do a lot of gardening together which may include many stops for play time like creating something, doing a scientific project, swinging on their tree swing, building an insect hotel or fairy house, or just walking around checking our many fruit trees and bushes in the yard. Living on a small farm, you come to appreciate some of the simpler things in life like taking your lunch outside to eat at a picnic table under a shade tree while listening to the birds sing, chickens cluck, goats bleat, and kids laugh. Inside, we play games, watch a show together, do a craft, or bake cookies.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? When we visit them at their house, we usually play board games and look at things they have done or gotten since the last time we visited their house. My granddaughter is always willing to share her beloved American Girl dolls, current book she is reading or music she is enjoying. My grandson has games of all types to play.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? I'm one of the luckiest grandmas in the world because I get to see my grandchildren almost every day. I know several grandmas who live long distances from their grandchildren and have to work through that challenge. My grandchildren love to get mail—cards, letters or magazines. I pay for magazine subscriptions to World Wildlife for them, and they love getting those magazines in the mail and then telling me all about the content.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? Because my grandchildren deal with medical challenges, they have learned early in life what is important to be concerned about and what is not so important. If they remember that, they will continue to be the strong, confident, intelligent, kind-hearted people that they are currently. Because of dealing with the realities of life so early, they are wise beyond their years and that will serve them well as they mature and grow. I learn as much from them as they do from me.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Love. I love them with all my heart and would do anything for them. They both know that all they have to do is ask, and I will be there. As we all age, I'm sure they won't be needing their grandparents as much as they do now but they will know I'll be there for them—always.

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? That is a tough question. I've given it a lot of thought and don't have an answer. I do remember a friend who years ago talked about her children going off to college, and when she stood in the driveway and waved goodbye she didn't have any regrets. I kept that in mind raising my daughter, and I still think about it with my grandchildren. That is why it is so easy to stop what I'm doing and concentrate on what they want or need.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Enjoy the role of grandma—nurturing and loving them. But remember, you are not their mother. The parents should be allowed to make parenting decisions just like you did with your children. It's hard sometimes to keep your opinion to your self, but it is a skill that can be developed—I work at it every day. Unless the grandchild is being put in an unsafe position, the parents need to parent them and you need to love and support them. You've already done the parenting job. The loving and supporting job is the best job anyway so relax and enjoy it.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about? Yes, I started a blog this year, www.grandparentsplus2.wordpress.com. I wanted to write about our gardening, traveling and camping adventures. We have such great times together whether it is pulling weeds, growing vegetables and flowers, touring Monticello or Cooperstown, reviewing products, or camping at the beach that I wanted to share our fun. I hope some of you will stop by and leave us a comment.

This is an archived version of Judy's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? I have two wonderful boys and the greatest daughters-in-law...Adam, 38 (wife, Jenny), and Jeffrey, 35 (wife, Janet)!
 
How many grandchildren? What are their ages? 4 grandchildren: Owen, 5; Audrey, 3; Celia, 3; and Dylan, 19 mos.

Any great grandchildren? No...not yet! It is way too soon for that! : )

What do your grandchildren call you? "Grammie"

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? Not really a concern, but a yearning to be in my grandchildren's lives....even though they all lived quite far away!

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? Not often enough (!!!!)...but, I manage to visit them and they all come to me several times during the year. We take turns sharing the holidays with the other grandparents.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? EVERYTHING!
Sharing their innocence, feeling their joy, becoming a child again through their eyes, finding that playful spirit within me, and hugs, hugs, hugs, hugs. Did I mention "hugs"?!
I also find that having the privilege of watching my two sons as fathers has been unbelievably heartwarming. I am so proud of them as sons, brothers, fathers, and the men that they have grown to be.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Realizing that I am not as young as I used to be...especially when I get down on the floor to play with them...and, it takes me quite a long time to get back up...as well as lots of moans and groans! : )

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. Truth be told, they all keep me in a constant state of laughter with their joyful silliness and youthful innocence. A lot of giggles seem to occur around food...such as birthday cake frosting that ends up to be more on their faces than their stomachs!
 
What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? I love having everyone up on my big bed. Since the rules are a little different at Grammie's house, they can even jump on it as much as they would like to! (Don't tell their parents!)
Because I am an artist, I especially love doing art projects with the grandkids. I have their precious "work" all over the walls in my studio! It makes me smile to be surrounded by their artistic expressions.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? Awaiting their "wake-up calls" in the morning when they sneak down to Grammie's room! I also love when their parent's "loan" them to me for a whole day to do whatever we would like! Oh, and I adore watching them pursue their interests such as dance classes, gymnastics, and tennis lessons...

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? This is the tough part when so many miles separate us...but, thankfully, with modern technology, we are able to share moments together through the computer with Skype and Facetime. As they get older, I am hopeful that this ritual can become a longer conversation with each grandchild.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? Kindness, loving, happiness, compassion, patience, independence, tolerance, good health...and to always follow their hearts when pursuing their dreams.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? FUN! (and the second one would be "huggable"!!)

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? I honestly don't have an answer for that one....it is all such a wonderful journey and the learning process is part of the joy.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Enjoy every moment...because at a blink of an eye....they grow up so quickly.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about? Yes, it is called, "Awaiting Buddha". The explanation of this title is found on my blog page. The blog was created when my first grandchild was about to be born. I felt the need to share my feelings about this experience of becoming a first time grandma....and, six years and four grandchildren later, I am still at it. I don't write quite as often as I used to, but still try to post when I can. I am hopeful that it will serve as a diary of sorts for my children and grandchildren in the future and give them some insight as to what their "Grammie" was all about!

This is an archived version of Laurie's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? I have 3 children—a son and 2 daughters.

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? I have 8 grandchildren, including my partner's 5 grandchildren. They range from 22 months to 15 years old.

What do your grandchildren call you? They call me Grandma, or GrandmaLinda.

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? My biggest concern at first, was not being able to afford the things I wanted to give them, and that I didn't have a nice place for them to come and stay with me. But I've learned from the children that those things don't matter one bit.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I'm so lucky to be with the baby 3-4 days a week, because I'm his Grannny-Nanny, and I see the other kids at least a couple times a month.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? The best part of being a grandmother, besides having precious, adorable little people to dote on, who adore you, is being able to be an important family symbol of both the past and the future. I can give them roots, sharing stories of the past. And for their future: I'm providing a model, by the way I live my life, and by my acceptance, I'm teaching them to believe in themselves, so they can do anything!

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? The most challenging thing for me, is on holidays, or special occasions, showing grace and consideration for the exes and the extended family. Relatives are often a little uncomfortable because we are divorced grandparents, and so are other family members. Sometimes, I just have to use discretion and wisdom about what I say, or where I seat people or sit myself. Other times we don't get invited, and I must not be sensitive, because it's part of the natural fallout of divorce in families. I have to be careful not to be defensive or hurt by things others may say unwittingly, and I have to be a peacemaker. I want to show grace and dignity, and I pray about this. It's really important to me to be a wise, strong, positive model to my kids, and my sisters, and everyone in the family. I take being the "family matriarch " very seriously!

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. I laugh out loud all the time, the children say and do such funny things. Yesterday, the baby ate a handful of sand from his brand new sandbox, I swooped it out and I started spitting in the yard, telling him to spit, but he just giggled and crunched his little teeth on the grit.

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? At my house, we do art projects, or make cookies.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? At their homes, we have tea parties, watch funny movies, or sing karaoke.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? The older ones keep in touch by texting me or calling me, and I (spy on) watch them on Facebook. The best way to bond with the little ones is to make sure to be a support to the parents, make sure they know I'll always be there when they need me.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? I want to pass along a legacy of love; self-love, God's love and love for each other.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? One word that will remind them of me—I hope it's " love.”

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? I wish I'd learned earlier to have serenity, not to worry about anything, for things usually work out okay after all.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? If I was to give any advice to a new grandma, I would say, don't worry about material things that you are unable to give, or compare yourself to other grandmothers. Just be yourself—give yourself, it's you they want and need.
Accept the grandchildren, just as they are. Don't compare them or boast to one parent about the other's child.
There are inexpensive and free, inspirational and fun things to do with your grandkids. Buy used books to give and read to them,
Dollar stores, thrift shops, yard sales have good stuff, when you really must buy something. Bubbles, homemade playdough, flower seeds, any paper---- these are all resources for activities to do with your grandchild. Take them to a park, play, sing and dance with them, tell them about when you were young, and listen to them!  Remember that the little things are really the big things.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about? I have a website about my work, www.selectiveresidentialservices.blogspot.com, and two business pages on Facebook, for Selective Residential Services, and Vintage Treasures, and an Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/grandmalay. My blog is www.grandmalay.blogspot.com, and it's about being a grandma, vintage decorating, gardening, family and home life, and my adventures. I want to do some painted furniture project demos next. I like to share lots of great quotes and affirmations on my blog, too.

This is an archived version of Linda's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? I have 3 sons; my husband has 3 daughters. (The Brady Bunch...without an Alice.)

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? Between us, we have 13.
I have 8 grandchildren living in Texas, Kansas, and Connecticut. They are 22 (a step-granddaughter), 14, 13, 10, 10, 9, 8, and 7.
My husband has 5 grandchildren living in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Maryland. They are 24, 20, 11, 3 and 1.

Any great grandchildren? My step-granddaughter in Kansas just had a baby boy.

What do your grandchildren call you? Grammie

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? I felt worried that I would never be able to see them as often as I wanted to...they live so far away.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? We try to see all at least twice a year. Some we see more often—especially those who live closer.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? To know these wonderful children. They are funny, loving, energetic, interesting human beings. Our kids are doing a good job.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? To refrain from giving unsolicited advice.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. I was showing pictures of my family to three of my granddaughters. When I showed them a picture of my grandmother, by then an old woman (and never beautiful), I said to the girls, "I used to worry that when I got old my hair would be wispy and thin like hers."
One granddaughter glanced at the photo critically and said in astonishment, "Weren't you worried about the face?!"

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Our youngest grandchild is an infant, our oldest already graduated from college, so what we do together varies a lot, from peek-a-boo to cooking or knitting lessons, to going out for dinner. I especially love telling stories to my grandkids.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? I love to see what their lives are like: go to their games, dance recitals, concerts, etc.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? It's hard; email and the telephone help. Sometimes I need to remember that it’s all about the quality of our connections, not quantity. I only saw my grandmother once after I turned six. Even so, she profoundly affected my life by the stories my parents told about her.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? I want them to believe to their heart's core that all the people of the world are worthy of their respect and compassion, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, looks, gender, sexual preference, or religious beliefs.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Loving.

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? I wished I’d realized earlier how hard it is for my kids to juggle family obligations, so I wouldn’t have been hurt if I wasn’t going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Now we plan to see all of our kids near the holidays, not necessarily for the holidays.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? When you're with one of your kids, lavish all your attention, time, and thoughts to his or her family. Make no comparisons, good or bad, to the grandchildren’s cousins.
I have a digital photo frame that I load with pictures of the visiting family--only. The grandkids never seem to notice that they are the only kids in the pictures and love to look at the old pictures of themselves.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about? I do have a website: the URL is margaretfrench.wordpress.com. On my blog, I post stories I've written. Some are personal stories or stories about family, some are my versions of folktales, others are history-based. Many are stories I've told or will tell. I became a professional storyteller after I retired. It’s pure fun!

This is an archived version of Margaret's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.

How many children do you have? Two. My daughter Krista is 30, and my son Tim is 26.

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? I have four grandkids, with one on the way. Krista has Sara, 4 1/2, Patrick, 3, and Becca, 1 1/2. Their baby brother, Zachary, is expected in July. Tim is the new father of Benson, born March 20.

Any great grandchildren? No.

What do your grandchildren call you? They call me “Googie,” a nickname invented by my mother when Sara was born.

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? With Krista’s family located first two, and now three, hours away, I was worried that I might not get to be as close to my grandkids as my own children were to their two sets of grandparents.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I see Sara, Patrick, and Becca for multiple days about twice a month. Benson lives in my town, so I get to see him more often. I am looking forward to helping care for him next fall when his mama goes back to her teaching job.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? I like the fact that I can enjoy my time with them without other responsibilities. I am retired, so I don’t have to juggle job duties anymore. And I can always clean the house when they go home.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Mastering the fine art of saying good-bye.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. Patrick loves to act out scenes from stories and movies. He is hilarious as a dog thief from 101 Dalmatians. He has been playing the part of Jasper since he was two, and his facial expressions and British accent make me laugh out loud every time.

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? I love to rock them and sing. We have a vast repertoire that includes kid songs, church songs, folk songs, country-western songs, and rock songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? I always try to take a new book or two when I go to visit. We make a huge dog pile on the couch and read. They also like to show me the books they picked out at the library.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? We have always kept in touch by phone, but several months ago we started Skyping. That is a wonderful way to see them and hear their voices when the days between visits stretch out a little too long. They always want me to read them a story while we are on Skype.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? The sense that they are a vital and much-loved part of our extended family, and a historical record of what their childhood was like through my eyes. That’s why I blog and use my digital camera to take lots of pictures and videos.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Fun.

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? I wish I had known earlier how much the kids would like PEZ.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Hit the garage sales for toys, books, and furnishings. You can set your house up as a kid-friendly place for little or nothing that way. Try to buy things that store easily, and, unless you have a whole lot of space, shy away from the really huge, space-consuming playthings.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about? I began my blog, “Googie’s Attic,” in March, 2011. In it, I record and explore my perspectives on the experiences I am blessed to share with the kids in a way that I hope is insightful and entertaining. You can find it at http://googiesattic.blogspot.com.

This is an archived version of Debbie's Grilled Grandma feature. See her original grilling—including reader comments—by clicking HERE.