"Single Grandparenting  101"

  

               Now that school has started, my "single grandparenting" skills have to kick into high gear. Now, of course, this summer Landon and Luke (my daughter's two sons) pretty much

Elizabeth (2nd),Ryan (5th), Kieran (4th) 

and, of course, Megan

lived with me and I still had Megan and Anna. The boys were here because it was summer and they wanted to stay up late and sleep late. Their Mom, Sheri, had to get to work early each morning so they stayed here. Besides, the pool was here! AND they still had baseball and later football practices to go to, so it was just easier for them to stay in town.

Landon (8th) and Luke (4th)

                Now that school has started, however, all of that has changed. The boys STILL stay with me, pretty much for the same reasons. Their house is in the county and in order to get to school on time, they have to get up quite a bit earlier than they have to here (I live 5 minutes from their school), so they are pretty much still here all week.  I really don't mind; I enjoy their company. Of course, they have to be fed and their clothes washed, etc., etc., etc., but that's okay, too.

Megan and her "back pack"

                I have included "first day of school" pictures of the 5 who are in school. Notice, though, that there is also a picture of Megan with her "book bag." She brings it when her Dad drops her off every day at my house. It is full of books, and she LOVES to "read."  The other picture was taken the week before school started. I just thought it was so cute. She was coloring and I had to get up to change Anna's diaper. When I turned around, that's how she had fallen asleep. A tired little puppy!

                After school every day, I have ALL of the kids until their respective parents get off work. They are all starving when they get there, so I try to bake something--brownies, cookies, cupcakes, cake, etc. (I just use mixes, though; with Anna and Megan around I try to find "quick" snacks to fix.) Of course, Megan loves for me to bake. She is my official "taste tester," as this picture will show.

                The absolutely worst part about the "after school" care is the HOMEWORK. I'm really okay for the most part. I can help them with math, social studies, English, literature, etc.; but SCIENCE is not my thing! That was where Poppa was supposed to come in! Not only was he supposed to be here to help with homework, but he was supposed to be here just to supply an extra set of hands. And he would have been SO helpful with all of that and would have loved every minute. Of course, he probably would not answer ANY science question simply--he would have to provide a whole lot more information than the kids needed for their homework.

Collected everything "LSU"-Christmas in Gueydan 2004

                Russell has a lot of different collections, and I know he would be sharing a lot of these things with the grandkids in their classes at school. He has a coin collection, a rock collection, a collection of antique fishing lures--you name, it, Russell has it. When Landon was in 4th grade, he wanted to take Poppa's collection of arrowheads and Indian artifacts for show and tell because they were studying American Indians in school.  I brought the collection  to his class, and the kids just loved it all. The worst part was that I know Russell could have told them something about every piece in the collection, and I was totally lost. I just let the kids look at them and pass them around. I did have a few tidbits I could provide about where he had gotten several pieces, but Russell could have regaled them about each one for hours!!  The kids all had so many questions, and I did the best I could. Russell would have been in his element.

Landon, 13 (8th grade)

                All four boys play football. Football is the favorite sport of ALL of them. I only have a picture of Landon in his uniform right now. As soon as I get the others, I will post them. Craig's sons are so tiny; I really worry about them playing. Of course, Poppa would have LOVED this also. He was always small, but he played football in school, too! Poppa would have taken them to practice and would have stayed right there with them until practice was over. I would stay with Anna while he handled that part of our grandparenting. He would not have missed a game either. 

                I decided to go to Gueydan this past week-end before football games started. Gueydan is Russell's hometown and is where most of his family still lives. I haven't been back to see his Mom in quite a while. She will be 88 in October. She had a triple bypass a few years ago, and is really doing well physically; she does have early Alzheimer's, however. She still remembers everybody; she just repeats herself a lot. I took Landon and Luke with me. We were able to visit with four of Russell's brothers and three sisters-in-law, as well as his mom. His mom says that when I come down, it's like Russell is there, too. It's still hard to go. It's fine after I get there. It is a 4 1/2-hour trip, though; and it's difficult traveling the same routes we always took together. I was glad the boys were with me.

                This Friday Sheri and I have to take Anna to a clinic in Jackson. It's just a regular six-month checkup. We will see a therapist, her urologist, and a technician who will help us custom fit her for a new wheelchair. She has outgrown her current chair.

                The boys have a football jamboree this week-end. Hopefully, we will have some pictures for next week's post. I probably will not go because of having to get the nurses to watch Anna. Poppa would be there though. This is one of the difficult parts about being a single grandparent. At least with both of us here, one of us would always be able to go to everything our grandkids are involved in. One grandparent can't be in two places (or more!) at the same time. I know the kids and the grandkids understand; it's just part of a single grandparent's lot. 

                My grandchildren make me so happy. I don't know what I would do if they didn't all live right here. It does get hectic sometimes and is so hard to decide which particular event I should try to attend and which one(s) I can't. But I do the best I can. Anna is my priority. I think all the grandchildren need me, but especially Anna. And I am so happy to be able to take care of her.

                More next week!