Overnight at Nana's House

School is starting the day this blog "goes live", so this past weekend was the last chance that I had to keep a promise I had made to my two local grandkids that they could stay overnight again before the end of summer vacation.  Why I made this promise, I will never understand. Maybe it is because they are so cute, so well-behaved, so wonderful....  Nevertheless, I have to say that I wonder if I am alone in this but... I have mixed emotions about overnights with grandkids.  It isn't them; it's me.  Take last night, for example. My two little grandkids arrived with toys and pillows in hand and huge smiles on their faces. It doesn't get any better than those smiles.  They were through the door and into "their" rooms as quickly as can be -- busily getting their areas arranged. They exude a lovely (and exhausting) energy. It makes me tired even to think about it.  Wish I could borrow some of it.  The dog, lest I neglect to mention her, came with them, of course. We (the dog and I) share the kids -- only they are more hers than mine.  She sleeps on the floor between their rooms when they are here.  Personally, if I were the dog, I think I would have snuck up onto the couch after Nana dozed off, but not the Lovely Luna....  she is the guard dog to end all guard dogs where her little people are concerned. Guess I am not the only one to sleep/not sleep with one eye open and ears alert all night. 

So anyway -- by the time the kids had settled in their 35 stuffed animals, etc. (pardon the exaggeration, there were probably only 30), it was time for the dinner I had also promised -- which involved a short drive to a neighboring town for the Chinese food which we all love.  So after the unpacking  -- we were off to our favorite Chinese restaurant. The children had perfect restaurant manners and we were all smiling as we left for home with our leftovers.  Then came a movie that we had all been waiting to see.  One of their favorite people had given them the DVD of HOME, and we settled in to share the experience.  That too was wonderful.  I found myself smiling most of the way through and clapping enthusiastically with my four-year-old granddaughter at the happy ending. (My eight-year-old grandson just looked at us...)  Anyway -- shortly thereafter, they both went right to bed and I never heard another peep out of them until morning - in the predawn hours. Anyway -- you must/may be wondering by now what my problem is. Well... here's the thing.  Sleep is not one of my personal "talents", and when the little ones are here, I barely sleep at all.  I leave little lights on all over the place in case they get up in the night.  I don't want them to be afraid or anything.... Then all throughout the night I listen with renewed attention to noises and hear all these strange sounds that I simply do not remember ever hearing before. I find myself sitting up in bed or padding around in the semi-dark trying to find the source of the sound.  Good grief!  I am exhausted by morning.  I am exhausted just typing words about the experience. Please understand, as well, that all of this Nana behavior is actually an improvement. When these kids were babies and spending the night, I would sleep on the floor next to the crib so I could hear them breathe.  Am I alone in all of this?  Is there anyone else out there who exhibits this same nutty behavior?  Please tell me that I am not alone.  Ah -- the joys of "grandparenting".  

All of this overnight stuff and my nana behavior being explored a bit, I simply must say that I do so love being a Nana.  It is the best gift ever- even if it does tire me out once in a while.  These kids will be invited to stay again and, of course, the Lovely Luna will be invited as well.  I can sleep later.  They are growing up way too quickly.

The Gathering

My four-year-old granddaughter calls it The Gathering, a title which freaks out some of the older generation of my family, reminding them of something Stephen "Kingish". So -- what is a "gathering" in this case? It is a getting together of three generations of family who have not all been together for ten years, if ever, when you consider marriages and the addition of five children. That sounds so simple, but it was a lot more than the traditional single afternoon of fun reunion. This gathering involved people rearranging their lives to come here for several days, or in the case of my daughter and her family -- helping to plan and prepare off and on for some time in advance. (Thank you all!) Family members started arriving on Wednesday of this past week. People came from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, and Illinois with most staying until Monday and some until Tuesday of this week. By the way --a big thanks to our only hotel in town --  The Cobblestone Inn -- where everyone could stay comfortably and all be under the same roof.  I would have had to stack people up like cord wood in my basement to fit everyone in my house; that's for sure. 

Now that everyone is home safely and my home way too quiet, I am taking this time to thank all the participants for making it here at no small effort on each of their parts. Not only did vacation time need to be arranged, but also, cars rented, care organized for beloved pets, fireworks, coolers and large games purchased and transported, and ... people had to deal with traveling issues -- some got stranded on the PA Turnpike, others traveled for long hours with small children, and some had to endure traffic trouble and/or heavy rains on the way home as well. Yet - everyone said it was worth the effort, and I don't think they were just being polite. It was a gathering to be remembered. Fortunately, the weather cooperated, and we pretty much lived outside during the day - every day.  Also fortunately -- most of my family live in areas that are a lot warmer than it is here, so they found the August weather of Northwest Pennsylvania to be refreshing.  While I found myself seeking shade, they explored the property in my work vehicle (the beloved Margaret), rediscovered croquet, played bocce and corn hole and... the big favorite -- practiced throwing a boomerang around in the pasture for a competition orchestrated by my eight-year-old grandson. The little ones also enjoyed splashing around in a kiddy pool and singing the Tooty Ta song with the experienced nursery school teacher of the bunch (we have photos and video for future reference if needed). Most importantly, we caught up with each others' lives and had the opportunity to get to know new additions to the family.  

All in all, it was an amazing few days...a gift to each one of us.   Who knows when we will be able to "accomplish" such a gathering again.  It was huge. I am still smiling. Oh -- did I mention that all of this happened to coincide with my birthday?  It doesn't get any better than that. I will always remember this past week. There is something profoundly touching about watching adult children taking charge in wonderful ways while remembering when they were little and they were doing things like stuffing gum up their noses, dressing up like policeman ... and putting on plays together at holidays, etc.  I started missing everyone as they pulled out of my driveway to return home. So -- I now have a week full of wonderful memories and ... all the "leftovers".  Plus -- we didn't even need to use the First Aid Kit even one time.  Nice.... 

Presbyterian Bunnies

As a part of my self-developed fitness plan with which you may be familiar if you are a regular reader of my blog, I have begun to walk as often as possible.   The parking lot at the First Presbyterian Church -- just up the hill from my house, is a lovely place to walk.  They have a program called "Walk Our Lot" and invite anyone to walk there during the quiet hours of the day.  Some say that once around the lot is 1/4 of a mile.  I don't really care about mileage, I just enjoy the peaceful nature of walking there as well as the flat surface and the perfectly maintained grounds.  It's lovely.  Then, of course, there are what I call the Presbyterian Bunnies.  They are adorable.  There are two or more of them at any given time, and I am quite certain that it is the same two who come out first to greet me in the early morning hours as I walk the back part of the lot.  If you also walk there, have you seen any of them? They are quite tame actually.  It's not like they are going to eat out of your hand or anything, but they wander about quite closely to where I am walking and don't seem too eager to scamper away. Like all Presbyterians I know and have known, they are friendly and most pleasant.     

We chat once in a while...sort of.  You know what I mean.  I am thinking of naming them.  That is not so odd really.  I name almost everything except house plants.  In the past few years, I have had vehicles named Esmeralda, Walter, Priscilla McBeans, and Fii (rhymes with Wii). Currently, I have a terrifically practical garden vehicle with an automatic dumping cargo bed that is named Margaret -- so dependable and sturdy.  My Jeep Wrangler is named Tobias after an ancestor who, with his bride Anna,  crossed the Atlantic in a schooner - traveling from Rotterdam to New York in 1857. My younger grandson has shortened the name to Toby, and it seems to fit. Toby hasn't crossed any oceans, but I have thought about dismantling it and driving it through my horse pond. Toby is sort of like a large Lego toy -- it all comes apart -- roof detaches in three pieces -- each of the doors lifts off.  What's a Jeep if you can't take it apart? Seriously.   Anyway -- I just can't think of appropriate names for these little furry creatures with the pom-pom tails. Perhaps I don't know them well enough. Let me know if you think of anything. Thumper I and II just doesn't cut it. They deserve unique names that have some meaning particular to them. Thanks.