Grandbabies are Great

I just had a whirlwind trip south to Houston. I managed to fit in visits to both my sons' families along the way. It's great to spend time with the grandbabies.

My grandkids are young. The oldest is 3 and the youngest is 9 mos old. These visits are really for me since I know these kids won't remember that I ever came to visit. But it warms my heart to get an email saying that they were asking for me, and that they want me back!

Grandchildren are a blessing. You get to enjoy them without the muss and fuss of being responsible for how they turn out. You can play with them and hand them back when they need a diaper change. You can laugh when their behavior spirals out of control...because they aren't your kids.

I don't get to see them enough. I'm pretty sure that they won't grow up knowing me like my husband grew up knowing his grandparents. I have all kinds of plans to make it so that they DO know me, though. My biggest plan is "Camp Grandma".

I want to have all my grandkids come for the same week in the summer. We'll fit in all the fun and games we possibly can. We'll do a slip n slide, sleep out in the backyard, see all the cool movies and make s'mores. When I see a really cool bouncy house or blow up pool, I think, "Camp Grandma needs one of those!"

I think it will serve two purposes: 1) my grandkids will know ME; and 2) the cousins will know each other.

In this age of moving to chase employment, the possibility of my sons and daughter all ending up in the same town are so minimal as to be microscopic. I don't expect to be able to chase any one of the three families, but it would make me happy to be able to 'be there' for all the family celebrations. To me, success as a grandparent is about 50% just 'being there'. If I could live across the street from my kids, I would. I'd love to be the grandma who is there while a child grows up. Being a refuge and a waypoint when they have troubles or issues. I'd love to be the one adult that makes no demands... but they live so far away from me.

The kiddos let me read them a story last night and take part in their nightly routine. They'll never remember it, but I'll cherish it for the rest of my life. Little hands and big hearts. They give off love like radiation. I'm so blessed to have this family. I can't thank God enough.

--Sandee Wagner