Grilled Grandma: Laurie

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!

Grilled Grandma: Linda

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.

Grilled Grandma: Margaret

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!

Grilled Grandma: Debbie

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.

Grilled Grandma: Nancy

How many children do you have?  3

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? 8 grandchildren; ages; 15, 15, 12, 11, 11, 11, 3 and 1. Yes, we have triplets, what a grand experience!

Any great grandchildren? no

What do your grandchildren call you? Nanny

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? My initial elation at the sound of the word “Grandmother” was shock and, “holy cow am I that old?” Then total excitement and involvement in helping my daughter prepare for that first child. My concern was how would I relate to the child and what would I do? What kind of grandmother do I want to be? Answer fun and a teacher. Also, what would it be like to be that second woman in the child’s life and not the closest woman, the mom?

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? We live in the same community as all our grandchildren so we are fortunate to be able to watch them in all their various activities, at school, church or sporting events. Some of them are involved in acting and dance as well.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? The best thing happened just last night, we arrived at one of their homes when the door banged open and a little guy came running and jumping toward my arms. I’m just glad I can still lift him! Got a big long hug and the opportunity to tell him I love him. Another ‘best thing’ is to have a 15 year old ask if I want to help her with something, like redecorating her room or work on a sewing project. I’ve had the opportunity to teach some of them to sew.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? That would be in those times when I know they are struggling with something and being in the role of praying and thinking but not really involved in what is going on. Thankfully they have good parents.

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? Eat ice cream. ... should I say more?!  Ok, I do like to pass along something that I know that perhaps their parents don’t, such as a skill or interest.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? The best thing is to find a time and place to just chat, time with them equals value and listening to them equates putting value on them as a person. Honestly I think this is so important, just to hear them and let them talk.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? That’s a challenge isn’t it? They are busy little people. I do hope they know that I’m interested in all they do and who they are.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? The one most important truth I desire to pass along is faith in God, without a doubt the single biggest desire I have is that the children will know their grandmother had a real, honest relationship with her heavenly Father.

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

What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? Time alone with them is highly important.. the communication and activities change when the parents are around. Grandma can not be a silly, for one thing.

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Relax, have fun with them. Let them know you’ll always be honest with them and they can trust you.

Do you have a website or blog? What is it about?Sideline Grandma is about me following the kids in their activities but it’s about my life as well, whatever I’m doing or thinking about whether food or travels or our cottage life.