Bubby mama

The majority of my posts here on Grandma's Briefs are devoted to Bubby. But today I want to take just a moment to talk about Megan, Bubby's mom, and share a little about the one responsible for creating my cool and kooky grandkid.

Megan always seemed destined to be a mom, but she continually surprises me with the ease at which she manages the job.

Megan's heart is wrapped around Bubby and even in the midst of fits, fights, temper tantrums and time outs -- all part and parcel of the terrible twos -- Bubby never doubts his mama loves him. And because she models unconditional love for him, he never fails to show her he feels the same, even when he's angry ... or crabby ... or tired ... or just plain ol' (nearly) two years old.

Megan allows Bubby space to grow, space to take chances, space to fall down, pick himself up, brush himself off and start all over again.

When he's unable to pick himself up, Megan's there in a flash, hugging and rocking and kissing his owies ... or making him kiss his own owies, which elicits bursts of laughter and the realization that he'll be just fine.

Megan plays, laughs and wonders with Bubby on his level. Yet she never fails to discipline him when it's warranted, praise him when it's genuine, demand kindness and caring, respect and sharing always.

Megan's a wonderful and wacky mother and I'm so very proud of her for embracing and enjoying her role of a lifetime.

Today's question:

What's one great thing you remember your mom doing for you?

My answer: She sewed cheerleading outfits for myself and the other girls on the junior high squad even though she was working full time and pretty much a single mom of seven at the time. I realize now how absolutely crazy my request for her to do the sewing must have made her, but she did it without complaint.

The sweet sounds of unemployment

This week has been a rough one because of the time change. It's made me pretty darn thankful that I don't have a full-time job to get up and ready for first thing each morning.

I've also been thankful for no full-time job this week because if I were working, I couldn't spend full-time hours playing grandma while Bubby and Megan are here. Sure, grandmas everywhere work and manage to get time off for hugging and loving on their grandbabies, but if I had recently found a new job, it's doubtful I'd have been allowed to take four vacation days this early on in my tenure.

So yes, I'm saying that I'm thankful I have no real job, no boss telling me what to do, no office gossip to listen to.

Instead, I've gotten to listen to the sweetest little voice ever. And here are some of my favorite things my little Bubby has said again and again, the things that just melt my heart each time he says them:

• "Kitty mow" (pronounced like "chow" not "meow")
• "Big stair," uttered each time he's confronted with a staircase he has to go either up or down. Yes, they're big stairs and yes, he's actually going up and down them -- holding on to someone's hand, of course -- despite my freakout post about stairs.
• "Big truck"
• "Big keeze," aka a big squeeze/hug
• "Big clock" upon hearing the grandather clock dong
• "Big slide" (Yep, everything's big to Bubby!)
• "Tired baby" when he's worn out
• "Whoa baby" when something's awesome
• "Hi Baby" when greeting his mommy
• "Oh my!"
• "Nonny Bunny" (his name for the bunny from his Great Grandma/Nonny Ann)
• "Oh no!"
• "Okay, okay," to let one and all know he survived a tumble
• And best of all, Bubby says very emphatically, "I ... love ... MOMMY!"

There's much more that Bubby says, and even more that he understands. Which is oh-so cool to grandma, who's trying to capture as much of it as possible on video. And who's very thankful she got to hear each and every word he said while visiting, instead of sitting at a desk and hearing yet another recap from coworkers on what happened on "Biggest Loser!"

Today's question:

Other than music, what is one of your favorite sounds?

My answer: Other than the voices of my loved ones, I love the song of the mourning dove ... and small, tinkly windchimes (not the big ones) as they're softly blown by a gentle breeze ... and the purring of a cat.

The next Grilled Grandma

This week's Grilled Grandma shares the name of the grandma I grilled just two weeks ago: Cherylann (although the first one went by Cheryl Ann).

I thought it was kind of interesting that I came to know two grandmas with that name in such a short period of time -- especially considering that I'd never before met anyone named Cheryl Ann ... or Cherylann ... before.

Incidentally, I recently read a post on Susan's Grandparents Blog (Susan being the About.com Guide to Grandparents and a regular Grandma's Briefs reader) about a feature on the Social Security Administration's website that allows curious minds to research Popular Baby Names. So, being of a curious mind and all, I typed the name Cheryl into the nifty search engine and found that it was among the top 20 baby names from 1955 to 1961 -- prime years for today's crop of grandmas!

I'm honored two of those Cheryls have graced the Grilled Grandmas page and am happy to introduce you to the latest. You can meet this week's Cherylann right HERE.

If your name is Cheryl and you'd like to be featured as a Grilled Grandma -- or if you have a name of a different sort and want to be a Grilled Grandma -- be sure to contact me with your first name (Cheryl or not) and your e-mail address and I'll add you to the schedule of upcoming grillings.

Today's question:

How do you feel about your name?

My answer: I've always liked my name, especially because the E on the end of my middle name (Anne) made me just a little bit different -- even though I've always been one among many Lisas in the room, as a child and as an adult. That covers my first and middle name. My maiden name, I was happy to be rid of because no one could ever pronounce it correctly and it led to me being nicknamed "Aquawoman" in elementary school. (Dummy classmates had no idea I couldn't swim, which made the nickname all the more moronic.)

Finding balance

As many of you know, I've had a beef with a particular company with whom I did a bit of freelancing last year. Thirty days ago I filed a complaint with the small claims court in hopes of resolving that beef.

Thirty days ago, my day in court was scheduled for yesterday.

Thirty days ago, I didn't think about the fact that Megan and Bubby would be here on the day I was to go to court.

Well, I didn't think about it until the very moment after I agreed to the scheduled date.

Then I thought about it and dreaded it for the past thirty days.

I didn't want to go to court in the first place, but I really didn't want to go to court during the precious few hours I got to spend with Megan and Bubby.

Meeting Auntie B's kitty.More play time!Turns out having them here was exactly what I needed. They balanced out the stress, worry and soul-sucking of a morning in court* with the smiles, giggles and soul-strengthening of an afternoon with some of my favorite people in the whole wide world.

Sometimes not thinking things through pays off.

This was definitely one of those times.

*In case you wondered, I did come out ahead after my day in court. Case closed.

Today's question:

If you could have a servant (well paid, by someone else) come to your house for one hour every day, what would you have them do?

My answer: I'd have him/her do something different every day, but usually along the lines of dusting, vacuuming, and grocery shopping. Definitely the grocery shopping -- my least favorite chore!

Surprise!

On Saturday, I had what felt like a million chores to do, in preparation for Megan and Bubby's arrival on Sunday.

My list on the fridge:

• color my hair (in hopes of Bubby coming up with a new name for me, to replace Graya)
• mop the floors
• dust
• prepare the guest room, including setting up the Pack 'n' Play for Bubby
• do the catbox
• finish the laundry
• nag at Jim to get all his chores done

The only one I was getting very far on was the nagging at Jim. By noon I'd only knocked out the floors, had passed off the catbox chore to Jim and was getting ready to color my hair then hop in the shower.

I washed the gray right out of my hair and as soon as I stepped out of the shower, Jim was at the bathroom door, letting me know Brianna had stopped by.

"Great," I thought. Now I'll never get my chores done.

Then I heard banging on the piano. Jim likes to bang on play the piano sometimes, even though it's really my instrument while the guitar is his. But sheesh, this time he was banging and banging and banging.

I head out to the living room, where Brianna was standing in the doorway. I couldn't yet see the piano. I gave her the "WTF?", then whispered, "Is he trying to break it?"

I walked around the corner, ready to let loose on Jim for screwing around on my old upright ... then I saw Andrea sitting on the couch, grinning from ear to ear. I was a little confused, but figured she'd come to visit on her day off. Then I looked over at the piano ... and it wasn't Jim. It was BUBBY! Banging away on the ivories! With Megan standing over him, laughing away!

Surprise!

Megan and Bubby had arrived a day earlier than I expected! The entire family had been in on the surprise for months, doing their best to catch Mom off guard.

And they succeeded! Here I was, fresh out of the shower, chores not done, nothing planned for a family dinner that night, the Pack 'n' Play not even out of the closet yet. Completely unprepared (and I like being prepared.)

But makeup and dusting and made-up beds didn't matter. My Bubby was here! My Megan was here! I'd have one more glorious day than I expected with my babies.

I love surprises! And I love my family -- whom I often think of as completely incapable of keeping a secret, yet they're getting so darn good at keeping secrets and surprising me.

Yay for the extra day! The dusting truly can -- and will -- have to wait.

Today's question:

What's one time you were genuinely surprised?

My answer: In addition to this time and last time Megan arrived unannounced, I was very surprised by Jim's gift to me one Christmas. It was a book from the 1800s called "Eloping Angels" and I'd been looking for it for a few years. And Jim miraculously found it, bought it, surprised me with it! Yep, I love surprises!