Yesterday at Gramma's: Beating the heat

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Our plan for the day was a picnic at America the Beautiful Park, with time for splashing in the pools. Unfortunately, high temps and smoke from the wildfire spurred us to devise a Plan B—an afternoon at iT'Z Family Food & Fun.

Maybe not so unfortunate after all.

Note: While my grandsons are in town, posts will be short on text and long on photos, with the exception of Monday's GRAND Social linky and Wednesday's Grilled Grandma, which will be featured as always.

Today's question:

What's your favorite way to beat the heat with kids?

Yesterday at Gramma's: Up, up and away

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Mac and Bubby, ready for take-off in the Squeak Soda Shop balloon—though clearly a bit anxious about what will take place once the coins are dropped in the slot.

Note: While my grandsons are in town, posts will be short on text and long on photos, with the exception of Monday's GRAND Social linky and Wednesday's Grilled Grandma, which will be featured as always.

Today's question:

Hot air balloon ride, bungee jump, or sky dive—which have you done and which would you like to do?

Yesterday at Gramma's: First things first

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Hunting for treasure—aka coins PawDad buries in the sand—has always been one of Bubby's favorite things to do at Gramma and PawDad's house. So when I picked up Megan and the boys at the airport yesterday, Bubby's first request was to hunt for treasure when we got home.

Which is exactly what Bubby and Mac did.

Today's question:

When did you last play in sand, whether in a sandbox, at the beach or elsewhere?

The boys are back in town

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I haven't worked a full-time job in more than four years. It's not because I'm retired, as I'm still far, far away from retirement age. No, I don't have a full-time job simply because, well, that's just the way things have worked out since my department and my job at the local newspaper were axed in late 2008.

Sometimes it really stinks that I don't have a full-time job. Like when I gaze into the dark and echoing chambers of my barren bank account.

Other times, though, it's pretty awesome that I don't have a full-time job. Like when Preston—my son-in-law—has a work conference he wants Megan to attend with him, and they need someone to care for Bubby and Mac while they're away. As someone who doesn't work full time and can carry the work I do any place I can carry my computer, I am fortunate to most often be the go-to grandma for the job.

Which, like I said, is pretty awesome.

That exact sort of awesomeness begins today, as I will once again be on grandma duty for my faraway grandsons. Only this time, it just so happens that Preston's conference is in my very own city, so instead of me flying to their house to take care of them while Mommy and Daddy go away, Bubby and Mac will fly to Gramma's house—to my house—for me to take care of them while Mommy and Daddy play conference just a few miles away.

Awesome indeed. Especially because this time, since we'll be at home in the mountains, not away in the desert, PawDad gets to join in the fun. Same goes for Aunt Brianna and Aunt Andie, when their schedules allow.

Usually when I'm on grandma duty, I stay on blogging duty, too. I write up posts and I publish something new for the Grandma's Briefs readers each day.

This time I'm not doing that.

This time, I'm taking a bit of a break from blogging while playing full-time grandma. Just a bit of a break, though, as I will still publish something each day on Grandma's Briefs, only it won't be a written post. It will be a photo post, a picture of the goings-on at Gramma's while the boys are back in town. I'll include a daily question, too, because that's just what I do...and because I like to read your answers to those daily questions. Daily. Just like I hope you like to visit me. Daily.

So, I will be posting daily, checking comments daily, thinking of my online friends daily. Just in smaller doses, as the majority of my time over the next ten days will be dedicated to showing my grandsons a good time. To be honest and accurate, though, I'll actually be doing those online things nightly rather than daily, as I'll have to wait until the boys are tucked into bed.

I'm sure you understand.

And I'm doubly sure I'll have lots to fill you in on once I return to blogging full force.

One quick note before I go, though: I will still host the GRAND Social on Monday and post a new Grilled Grandma feature on Wednesday. I do hope you'll visit for both, enjoy both.

So there you have it. Wish me luck!

My ten days of Grandma Duty begins ...

right ...

now!

Today's question:

What's the longest period of time you've been off the grid (off line) in the past few years?

Reminders of Grandma

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I like to ask my Grilled Grandmas to do things I can't do. Specifically, I like to ask them to provide answers that I myself am not capable of providing.

For instance, when grilling up a grandma, I always ask What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? The ever gracious grandmas give profound answers I envy, especially because when I ask myself the same thing, a concise answer evades me.

The Grilled Grandma question I've most recently pondered myself is What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? The Grilled Grandmas have offered up some awesome words in the past years of me asking them that. But can I answer that myself? Heck no! One word? You gotta be joking, I told myself.

I can, though, think of a whole list of thingsI hope make Bubby and Mac think of me. Today I'd like to share that list with you—prefaced, though, by a brief disclaimer. As Bubby is older and we've known each other longer, most on the list are things I hope currently remind him of me, but they're things I hope will eventually do the same for Baby Mac. Maybe they already do.

Things I hope remind my grandkids of me

  • Colorado—as well as mountains, snow, squirrels, Pikes Peak, and the North Pole

  • hugs

  • the click, click and flash of a camera

  • homemade ice cream

  • Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, and Robots

  • airports and airplanes

  • hot tubs

  • playing pirates in the park

  • water balloons

  • Muddy Buddies

  • black dogs, pointer/pits, and cats

  • movie theaters

Ultimately, though, the only thing that matters does come down to one simple word. That word is Gramma. It's the one word I most want to remind Bubby and Mac of me, the one word by which they know me, the one word that is uniquely me, only me. At least when it comes to only them.

Today's question:

What things do you hope remind your grandchildren or children of you?

Story time: Good Day, Bad Day

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Open communication with your grandkids matters immensely and is always worth encouraging any way you can. Here is a brief story I wrote, for you to share with the little ones in your life to initiate conversations about their days.

 

Good Day, Bad Day


 

Watching the clouds, imagining shapes,
Visiting the zoo and acting like apes.
Bad day?
Good day!

 



Falling at school, getting scratched up and bruised,
Having mud splashed on your favorite new shoes.
Good day?
Bad day!

 


Being picked leader for the day in your class,
Finding a ladybug deep in the grass.
Bad day?
Good day!

 


Riding your bike when the tire goes flat,
Then the wind blows away your favorite hat.
Good day?
Bad day!

 


Presents from Grandma that came in the mail,
Watching the boat you made take off and sail.
Bad day?
Good day!

 


Losing a fight with your older brother,
Tearing the picture you colored for Mother.
Good day?
Bad day!

 



Getting a shot and feeling no pain,
Seeing a rainbow after the rain.
Bad day?
Good day!


Days can be happy and days can be sad.
Good day or bad day—which have you had?

 

©Lisa Carpenter/art: Microsoft images

Today's question:

Good days or bad? Which have you most recently had?