Giggles and Squeals

The other day I took Mikey and Macey so that my daughter could have some "me" time to get a pedicure. She is a full time mommy to these kids and I have to tell you, she does a darned good job. She is also going to college to become an RN, so needless to say, her plate is very full. She met me at the salon where my daughter Mandy works. I finished getting my pedicure and wonderful foot massage (thanks Mandy!) and took the kids so Kelly could have her pampering time. We decided to have lunch at Jimmy Johns because I knew the kids would eat the salami sandwich and I am hooked on their veggie sandwiches with guacamole. As I stood at the counter ordering our food, I wrestled with a two and three-year-old, trying to keep them from pulling all of the bags of potato chips off the shelf that had been strategically placed at their eye-level. Who in the world came up with that idea? I decided that one large soda would be better than trying to monitor two toddlers trying to drink their soda instead of eating their sandwiches. And besides, it was more fun to drink from Oma's cup.
Macey couldn't seem to suck soda up through the straw without her eyes rolling back into her head, and it didn't take long for her brother to notice what she was doing. That started a chain-reaction of laughter that could be heard throughout the entire restaurant. Mikey was laughing so hard that he was squealing, and I wasn't about to do anything to stop it. I was thoroughly enjoying the belly laughs and giggles. And Macey was enjoying every minute of her on-stage performance!
We finished our lunch and decided it was time to go home. The day was spent playing, cuddling and reading books until their dad picked them up. Another day to remind me of why I'm alive. Another day of joy, laughter, hugs and kissess from two children who have won my heart beyond what I could have ever imagined. They are only two of six grandchildren, but this day was for them. And I loved every minute of it.

New Beginnings

I have deleted past entries and haven't blogged in over a year. So this is a fresh start with new beginnings and so much to tell.
In the past year and a half, I have added 2 more grandchildren to my family, making a total of 5. George is the oldest at 5 1/2, Ethan comes next. He will be 4 in September. Then Stella. She will be 2 in September. Michael is 13 months, and our latest addition is Macey who was born just 4 days ago.
I never thought I would want to hear myself being called "Grandma." But now I can't imagine my life without grandchildren. They are so full of life and they have this amazing abiltiy to eliminate (for the moment) any problems that are hanging over my head. The economy has hurt so many people, including our family. My husband has hardly had any work in the past 3 months and we worry all the time about how we're going to make ends meet. But when the doorbell rings and there is this little face peeping through the window, all those worries escape me temporarily. I love the life these children bring to us. They are so full of energy! We always say that we are so happy to see them, and we appreciate our quiet house once they go home. It's an amazing phase of life. To be able to enjoy these precious little lives, and hopefully be able to influence them in a positive way, and then to be able to hand them back to their parents...what a blessing! I'm so in love with these kids. A friend who is also a grandma (in fact, she's my daughter's mother-in-law) said it better than I could: "I never thought I could love a child that didn't come from my own body as much as I love these kids." That's it in a nutshell.