A Poppins among us: The next Grilled Grandma

Three reasons I adore this week's Grilled Grandma:

ONE: Tickle fests are regularly scheduled activities when she visits her grandchildren. And when they visit her.

TWO: That happy little boy to the right. Absolutely adorable!

THREE: Her blog is called "Nana Poppins." How could anyone resist a blog with a name like that?

Click on over to read Grilled Grandma: Patty to get the full scoop on this modern-day nana. Be sure to leave her some comment love ... then prove me right in that her blog is irresistable by popping on over to visit her there.

Happy Wednesday to one and all!

Today's question:

Who is your favorite character from Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins"?

Truth be told: Grilled Grandma Kc

When asked what flavor of baby they're hoping for, most expectant moms and grandmas say something along the lines of, "Oh, it doesn't really matter to me if it's a girl or a boy, as long as it's healthy." Yes, we all want our babies and grandbabies born healthy, but c'mon, most of us have a preference in terms of gender.

Which is why it's refreshing to read the honest response of this week's Grilled Grandma, Kc, when she states her concerns upon first learning she's going to be a grandma. She says:

My other fear was – what if it’s a boy? I would have loved one but been completely clueless on what to do with him or even how to change him!

I totally relate. I had only girls, wanted only girls as my children. Mostly because I just knew I'd screw up a little boy as I had no healthy models for parenting boys. At least if I had girls, I reasoned, I'd know what they want and need, physically and emotionally. Boys were foreign little beings. Until I had my grandson. Now I'm thoroughly thrilled to have learned a thing or two about little males and look forward to the arrival of our second grandson come the end of spring.

Much to her delight, a little girl was bestowed upon Kc as her first grandchild, and she was dubbed Amara. Kc's love for Amara knows no bounds but I reckon it would have been exactly the same way even if her grandchild had been a boy — except she'd have quickly learned a thing or two about changing the diapers of the little guys, which as we all know (at least those of us who have done it), it's a wee bit different.

Read all about Kc's adventures as lovely Amara's grandma in Grilled Grandma: Kc. Further adventures of Kc and her special little gal can be found on Kc's blog, the link to which is included at the bottom of her grilling.

Today's question:

Do you get along better with males or females, of any age?

Grilled Grandma No. 73

I find it hard to believe I've had the opportunity to grill up seventy-three special ladies, but this week is sure enough Grilled Grandma No. 73.

You'd think that with that many grandmas answering the very same questions, their sentiments would have grown stale. That's clearly not the case as GG No. 73, a.k.a. Barbara, said something so original, so sweet and so unlike anything I've yet heard from a Grilled Grandma in response to my question of "What is the best thing about being a grandma?":

I was surprised at the initial reaction to being a grandparent helping in those first few days with the newborn baby. It was almost a primal, tribal kind of feeling. I loved that baby more than you could ever know but I found the greatest joy in putting the baby in my children's arms and watching them become a complete bonded family. The grandmother's place in the family became very clear right at the outset. It was perfect.

It is indeed joyous to see one's child create a strong, happy, bonded family of his or her own. What an amazing and heartwarming honor to have a front-row seat to witness the cycle of life in motion!

Please visit Grilled Grandma: Barbara to read Barbara's complete grilling. And be sure not to miss her "iPod-in-the-nostrils" story — proof that grandkids are indeed a goofy lot!

Today's (unrelated) question:

What material possession are you most proud of?

A rockin' grandma on the grill

As I formatted the week's Grilled Grandma feature, I realized I've grilled many a grandma with very similar names. Specifically, I've featured a Janet, a Jeanie, a Jeanne, and a Jeannie, and now I'd like to introduce you all to Grilled Grandma: Janie!

Janie, like the grandmas before her -- those with similar names plus all the others -- provides insight on the grandparenting experience. But one thing Janie said resonates especially deep with me. In response to my question of how often she sees her grandchildren, Janie said this:

Three of my grandkids live in Tennessee (I am in Oklahoma). That is a distance of approximately 700 miles yet despite that distance last year I was able to see them a total of 9 times. Before they moved (2 years ago) I was only a mere 20 minutes from them. I was blessed with watching them often while their momma worked. It has been an adjustment not being as close to the new grandson. My step-daughter lives much closer so we anticipate seeing them often.

Her response made me consider the fact that although Bubby lives 815 miles away (and Birdy will soon be joining him there), it's all I've known as a grandma — I've always been a long-distance grandma. It seems to me that living close to grandkids then having them move away would be even more heartbreaking than having them far away to begin with. So, in an odd sense, I feel relatively blessed that I've been a long-distance grandma from day one and never had to endure the pain of waving goodbye to my babies as they headed out for a home far away.

But Janie, like most long-distance grandmas, works hard at making the best of it. She's been fortunate in the number of visits with her grandchildren and the relationship she maintains with them. We are fortunate in hearing her stories and advice in Grilled Grandma: Janie. So go ahead, read it. After reading her grilling, I urge you to check out Janie's blog. I love her taste in music and the fact she recently featured an Incubus video on her site. This grandma's rockin'!

Today's question:

What song is playing in your head today?

For this I may be killed

Jim may very well kill me for this. If there are no more posts going forward, you'll know what happened. If you know where I live, you'll know where to find my killer.

Despite the risk, I'm doing this anyway. I'm sending out birthday wishes to Jim right here, right now, wishing him a lovely FIFTIETH birthday!

I believe reaching the half-century mark warrants notice. Jim disagrees, has been hoping to keep it quiet.

Not happening, honey. At least not here on my blog. Because here I get to do what I want, and what I want to do is say Happy 50th Birthday to my handsome husband.

So here goes:

Happy 50th Birthday, Jim. I love you!

There ... that wasn't so painful. Right?

In other news, I've grilled up another grandma!

Marlene is a mucho magnifique grandma, so please read Grilled Grandma: Marlene and leave her a little love in the form of comments. You all are always so thoughtful and kind in the words you lay down for the Grilled Grandmas, and I so appreciate that. I'm sure the featured grandmas do, too.

Happy Wednesday to one and all!

Today's question:

What age has been your most memorable, for better or for worse?

Introducing Nona Nita

I have another grandma fresh off the grill and her name is Nona Nita.

Nita is a lovely grandmother of three, who put much thought and kindness into her responses to my Grilled Grandma questions. Here's one example:

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? I wish I had remembered earlier that the gift children like and appreciate most is the gift of undivided attention. I had learned this fact as a parent, but forgot about it over the years.

Please read Grilled Grandma: Nita and leave her a comment. Then show her extra special thoughtfulness by giving her blog a hit or two, as well (the link is at the bottom of her grilling).

Thank you for stopping by today! Happy Wednesday to one and all!

Today's (unrelated) question:

What is the oddest thing in your purse or wallet right now?

Straight from Italy ... and Trinidad

This week's Grilled Grandma, Mary, leads one of the most interesting lives of all the grandmas I've grilled. Mary is from the US, then she moved to Antigua several years ago. She now lives in the loveliest of places in Italy. And she visits her daughter, son-in-law and two gorgeous grandchildren in Trinidad, where she hikes near waterfalls and eats bananas straight from the tree. Oh, how glorious it sounds!

Mary leads a blessed life and humbly acknowledges her bountiful blessings. She's a lovely woman I'm honored to introduce to you in Grilled Grandma: Mary. After reading her grilling, head right over to Mary's blog (linked at the bottom of her grilling) to read all about the wonder-filled life she leads ... and loves ... and shares with the rest of us through fantastic photos and heartfelt posts. Enjoy!

Today's question:

Which would you most like to visit: Antigua, Italy, or Trinidad? Or is there another destination that tops your list?