Granny's House - December 9, 2017
For the month of December, I am sending my Mom, Granny Marj (also known as GM), a “Fun Time with Granny Marj” story every day. There is nothing I can buy her that she cannot buy herself. There is nothing I can do for her that others can’t do a heckuva a lot better.
Hmm. Wait a minute. Mom’s memory is a lot better than mine. Maybe she can bring to mind these memories a whole lot better than I can. Oh well. Where was I? Right! I just reread the first sentence of this story.
When Laur’s and my kids were old enough to be “dry” at night, they could have an extended summer holiday at Granny Marj’s and Grandpa Bob’s. My daughter Anna tells me I cannot imagine how wonderful it was to go to Granny’s. It was like going to a magical kingdom.
The could have pop-tarts or sugar-cereal when they got up AND they could play video games until Granny got up and had her breakfast and told them “STOP NOW. Go get washed and dressed and tidy up your room.” What is magical to my mind is that our kids actually did it. Mind you, there was the very real threat that if they didn’t behave, they’d be shipped back to Sudbury to their parents on the next bus.
When Elaine hit two years old she realized that her siblings were going to Belleville’s answer to Disneyland, and she wasn’t. She was so very disappointed, but she was too young. I told her she could go when she reached age four – it was a fairly safe bet that she’d have a dry nighttime diaper by then.
At age four, off she went. Mom tells me she can still remember Elaine gleefully chiming out when she woke up in the morning, “I’m at Granny’s house! I’m at Granny’s house!”
In the afternoons, my Mom and Dad would take our four kids out for an activity. Yes, four kids! But sometimes the activities were a little too much for little Elaine, so she and Grandpa would stay home. You might think she’d be disappointed. Not in the least. Grandpa would turn on the weather channel and the two of them would chow down on cheese popcorn while watching it. I think Elaine still loves the weather channel.
Very often, Granny Marj made Granny-burgers. I don’t know what the magic ingredient was. Meat perhaps? Anyways, our kids were just wild for them. And after supper, they had to have a walk – but there was a corner store on the way. Treat time!
Oh yes, and there was this thing called “Granny Dollars” – but that is a story in itself, and it still continues.
Then Mom would tell them to have their showers, or bath them if they were little. They fell asleep very quickly. I don’t know how she did it. Mom still describes it as the best time of her life. It sure was for Laur and me.
One recollection however – the one I sent Mom today – was more about Grandpa Bob. He and Elaine were such buddies, even though he teasingly called her “fathead.” One day she pulled my Mom aside and with a very sincere face said, “Anna and Tom and Carolyn like you the best. But I like Grandpa Bob the best.”
Mom was delighted. Dad was very much an unsung hero in all of this. He did the driving, the grandchild-sitting if Mom had a hair appointment, he always helped with the cooking and cleaning, and he loved it when our kids came to visit because Mom loved it so much.
Mom has six grandkids altogether – including Sarah and Emily (my brother’s kids), whom she also adores. And if you think Granny Marj dotes on her grandkids, you should see her with her great-grandkids – Emma, Oliver, Gaelle, Jasper, and now a new great grandbaby whose temporary name is “Petunia.”
I think GM can relate to this Lois Wyse quote: “If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren [and great grandchildren], I’d have had them first.”
Hmm. Wait a minute. Mom’s memory is a lot better than mine. Maybe she can bring to mind these memories a whole lot better than I can. Oh well. Where was I? Right! I just reread the first sentence of this story.
When Laur’s and my kids were old enough to be “dry” at night, they could have an extended summer holiday at Granny Marj’s and Grandpa Bob’s. My daughter Anna tells me I cannot imagine how wonderful it was to go to Granny’s. It was like going to a magical kingdom.
The could have pop-tarts or sugar-cereal when they got up AND they could play video games until Granny got up and had her breakfast and told them “STOP NOW. Go get washed and dressed and tidy up your room.” What is magical to my mind is that our kids actually did it. Mind you, there was the very real threat that if they didn’t behave, they’d be shipped back to Sudbury to their parents on the next bus.
When Elaine hit two years old she realized that her siblings were going to Belleville’s answer to Disneyland, and she wasn’t. She was so very disappointed, but she was too young. I told her she could go when she reached age four – it was a fairly safe bet that she’d have a dry nighttime diaper by then.
At age four, off she went. Mom tells me she can still remember Elaine gleefully chiming out when she woke up in the morning, “I’m at Granny’s house! I’m at Granny’s house!”
In the afternoons, my Mom and Dad would take our four kids out for an activity. Yes, four kids! But sometimes the activities were a little too much for little Elaine, so she and Grandpa would stay home. You might think she’d be disappointed. Not in the least. Grandpa would turn on the weather channel and the two of them would chow down on cheese popcorn while watching it. I think Elaine still loves the weather channel.
Very often, Granny Marj made Granny-burgers. I don’t know what the magic ingredient was. Meat perhaps? Anyways, our kids were just wild for them. And after supper, they had to have a walk – but there was a corner store on the way. Treat time!
Oh yes, and there was this thing called “Granny Dollars” – but that is a story in itself, and it still continues.
Then Mom would tell them to have their showers, or bath them if they were little. They fell asleep very quickly. I don’t know how she did it. Mom still describes it as the best time of her life. It sure was for Laur and me.
One recollection however – the one I sent Mom today – was more about Grandpa Bob. He and Elaine were such buddies, even though he teasingly called her “fathead.” One day she pulled my Mom aside and with a very sincere face said, “Anna and Tom and Carolyn like you the best. But I like Grandpa Bob the best.”
Mom was delighted. Dad was very much an unsung hero in all of this. He did the driving, the grandchild-sitting if Mom had a hair appointment, he always helped with the cooking and cleaning, and he loved it when our kids came to visit because Mom loved it so much.
Mom has six grandkids altogether – including Sarah and Emily (my brother’s kids), whom she also adores. And if you think Granny Marj dotes on her grandkids, you should see her with her great-grandkids – Emma, Oliver, Gaelle, Jasper, and now a new great grandbaby whose temporary name is “Petunia.”
I think GM can relate to this Lois Wyse quote: “If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren [and great grandchildren], I’d have had them first.”