Grandparenting is a wonderful job

I did not grow up knowing my grandparents well.  I have stories about them that were told to me but not a lot of stories that have me in them.  My children knew my mother well.  They were just 9, 11 and 14 when she died but they had a rich heritage with her.  Lots of the stories about my mother include them.  The same is with Carl's parents.  His father died way too young but they still have fun memories of him.  Carl's mother will join us at the beach this year.  My children have lots of Grandma stories!

Carl is a very active Gpapa.  He diapers, feeds, reads to, takes on errands, and visits with our three grands- Mr Wonderful, Miss Adorable and Mr Precious.  I'm thankful for the honor that we have to be a part of the lives of these wonderful people.

Miss Adorable thinks that he should hold her if they are in the room together. In the picture below, Carl is getting ready for work and he stopped to feed Miss A a banana because she asked for one.

One Sunday as their parents were hurrying around to get ready for church Carl calmly sat reading to these two.

Mr W has learned that Gpapa and Mama can draw just about anything he asks.

If we had sound on this picture you would hear Mr P screaming, no I take that back, he is Screaming.  I don't know of any children that enjoy tummy time in the beginning.  Sweet Gpapa and Fairest got down to visit with Mr Precious to make that eternity of 5 minutes seem doable.

My favorite GK Chesterton quote

This is my favorite quote by GK Chesterton

Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

Are you a grandfather?

 On November 9th John and Marisa found out that they are having a boy.  Atticus Thomas should join us in March.  We all knew, somewhat the the baby would be a boy.  In Carl's family he is one of six children, one daughter and five sons. Each son had a son first and Carl's sister had a daughter first.  Every family has only one daughter except one.  There are 15 grandchildren-10 grandsons and 5 granddaughters.  As the great-grands are appearing, the males are out numbered 3-2 now but Atticus will make it even, but each firstborn great grand has been a boy.

I was excited, Carl was Carl.

Marisa had a blue onesie in the bag for us to see.

I almost made my facebook status on Wednesday "Today I find out if I will be a grandmother or a grandfather"  but a few weeks ago when Andrew got on my account and ranked my children some folks thought that that was really me.  Really, Really?!?  So I refrained incase that would rock their world or they would try to explain it to me but any way... a grandfather it is  :-)

family patterns

Tessa was born today to my brother-in-law Ted and his wife Tina. She joins a group of now 15 first cousins on her daddy 's side. Of the 6 children Grandma has, one has 5 children, one 4, one 3, one 2, one 1 and one 0. There are now 5 granddaughters. Tessa is the only girl born into a family that already has a daughter. Every son had a son first and the only girl had a daughter first. This will probably be the last grandchild born for Grandma. The neatest thing to me is, she was born on the birthday of the first grandchild. How cool is that.