The Saturday Post: REM edition

After 30 years together, REM called it quits this past week.

I wanted to share with you today my favorite song by them. But as I searched for a video of my favorite, I found so many that are my "favorite."

So I narrowed it down to three that resonate most with me...today, at least.

 And, of course, this one...

Today's fill-in-the-blank:

The band breakup that saddened me most was ___________.

Asleep at the meal

Poor Bubby. Is this the side effect of overscheduling and trying to keep up with a Marathon Mommy?

Or maybe the result of unbearably boring dinner conversation?

Or could it be that Bubby is simply taking every opportunity he can to dream about the great fun he'll have when he visits Gramma and PawDad in just nine days?

I like to think it's the latter.

Today's question:

How overscheduled is this weekend for you?

Olivia

Author and illustrator Ian Falconer has created a beloved picture book character named Olivia. She's a pig. A delightful pig who stars in a series of picture books.

Olivia does all kinds of things that capture the imaginations of pint-sized readers (and their parents) such as forming a band, going to Venice, saving the circus, and more. The ever-charming Olivia has earned Caldecott honors for her creator.

Bubby loves Olivia.

I tell you that not as a review of the Olivia series in any way. I tell you that because Bubby got a new babysitter.

And her name is Olivia.

And Bubby was thrilled by the news! He thought Olivia—the pig!—would be coming to his house to watch over him and Baby Mac while Mommy was away.

Of course, Mommy had to ruin the fun by explaining the reality of the situation to Bubby. Olivia, the new sitter and the first Bubby would have outside of family and friends, was a high-school girl. Not a pig.

So, once Olivia—the girl—arrived for duty, introductions were made, and Mommy spent some time acquainting Olivia with Bubby, with Baby Mac.

Then Mommy was out the door for her tennis lesson.

When Mommy returned, all reports were great.

Olivia loved Bubby. Olivia loved Baby Mac.

(Although, how could she not, with charges as precious as Gramma's favorite little TV watchers.)

And everyone loved her back:

Megan loved Olivia.

Baby Mac loved Olivia.

Best of all, Bubby loved Olivia.

Even though she's not a pig.

Olivia graphic courtesy Simon & Shuster.

Today's question:

How old were you when you started making money as a babysitter?

The Grandma Bag demystified

As some of you may know—because I've written about it here and here—I get a kick out of looking at the search terms that lead folks to Grandma's Briefs. Nearly every time I check those queries, there's one variation or another of the question, "What's a grandma bag?"

To answer that, dear inquiring minds and those who didn't read about it the first time, I offer you The Grandma Bag demystified...at least as it applies to my Grandma Bag.

My grandma didn't have a Grandma Bag, only a purse. Same for the grandmas of my children, my mother and mother-in-law. So I had never heard of a Grandma Bag until right after Bubby was born, when Megan, a teacher, mentioned how sweet it was to hear one of her students tell about the magical tote "Grammie" brought along on her visits.

If I remember correctly, seems that particular Grammie visited her granddaughter's class at one point and explained to Megan exactly what her ever-enchanting Grandma Bag was. The story was that Grammie's Grandma Bag was a tote filled with fun things to do with her grandchildren during her visits. Everything in the bag arrived with Grammie...and went home with Grammie when she left. Because of the short period available for enjoying them, all the activities inside maintained their magic and charm from one visit to the next.

The granddaughter's delight in her Grammie's Grandma Bag appealed to Megan, and she mentioned it to me in that offhand kind of way that carries the not-so-subtle idea that "You really oughta do this, Mom." So I did. I searched through my pile of purses, backpacks, and such that I can't seem to part with and found a floral bag I used way back in the day to tote travel goodies in the car while trekking here and there with Jim and the girls. It did indeed look like a Grandma Bag, if ever I'd seen one (which I hadn't, but you get the idea).

Then I started gathering things to pack in my Grandma Bag for its inaugural visit to Bubby. He was around two-years-old when I decided he was likely mature enough to marvel at the items within my Grandma Bag. My Grandma Bag—then and now—always features the following items to share while visiting, then pack back into my bag to take home with me:

• Picture books, of course.

• Craft activity ideas, and the supplies for execution.

• Movies. Mostly Disney movies I'm sure Bubby hasn't seen.

• Color crayons and color books.

• Construction paper, scissors, glue stick.

• Long, brightly colored pipe cleaners. (A recent addition, thanks to a suggestion from Grandma Lizzie.)

In addition to those standards, I always throw in a few unexpected goodies—changing with Bubby's age and interests—such as:

• Play-Doh activities.

• Snow...which Bubby never sees in the desert. Not real snow, but the artificial awesomeness known as Snow in Seconds. (Which, believe it or not, has never caused a ruckus of even the slightest sort with the TSA.)

• My apron so we can each wear our kitchen coverings when baking or cooking up the recipes I also included in my bag.

• CDs for a dance party.

• Dinosaur eggs.

One key to the Grandma Bag is to add far more than you think you'll ever get around to using during a visit. Just like packing far more clothes than you'll wear, the idea is to have options.

The Grammie who first introduced me, by way of Megan, to the Grandma Bag supposedly didn't leave any of the goodies from her bag with the kids when she returned home. I go against that Grandma Bag rule and do leave something, sometimes a couple things, especially when it's an item I'm sure Bubby will have outgrown by the next time I see him. Or if it's an edible treat of some sort. Or a Matchbox car he'll adore. Okay, so I always have something in my Grandma Bag that I know will be left with my grandson.

That's the great thing about the Grandma Bag, though: It contains whatever you want it to, used in whatever way will delight your grandchildren. I can assure you if your grandkids are like Bubby, that anything and everything you pull from your Grandma Bag will be a crowd pleaser.

I say crowd because even though I currently have only one grandson who gives a hoot about what's in my Grandma Bag, as Baby Mac is far too small for it to matter at this point, others in the crowd—meaning me—are pleased as can be at Bubby's smiles and anticipation each and every time he and I prepare to pull another item, another activity from Grandma's Bag.

I once was told by a supervisor that the best ideas are stolen ideas, tweaked to become our very own. Right or wrong as that may be, I must admit that stealing the idea of a Grandma Bag is one of the best ideas I've ever nabbed, then made my own.

I encourage you to do the same: Steal this idea! Then go for the grandma gusto and make it your very own.

Today's question:

What did your grandma share with you—from a Grandma Bag or not—when she visited?

And marked it with a B

Grandparents Day was last Sunday, as I mentioned here. Recognizing the day has not yet caught on for many, it seems, possibly because it smacks ever-so-slightly of commercial gimmickry, despite its authentic origins.

I have to own up to having a smidgen of cynicism about the whole affair myself. That is, until Jim and I received our first "Happy Grandparents Day" care package from Bubby and Baby Mac last week.

When the actual day came and went last Sunday with no phone call from Megan and the boys, I gave it a minor "Meh..." and moved on, figuring it's not that big of a deal.

Then, in the next day's mail came this:

Megan had worked with Bubby and Baby Mac to create a special Grandparents Day gift package for Gramma and PawDad. Bubby couldn't decide between chocolate chip cookies or cookies with sprinkles so they combined the two for a delicious delight. They also crafted a flower made of hand and feet imprints—which now has a place of honor on the refrigerator door—and included a Grandparent's Day greeting card, marked especially sweet with a B, which Bubby has been practicing to master. (Note: Although Bubby's real name may not be Bubby, it does indeed begin with a B.)

I can now attest my "Meh..." about Grandparents Day has been replaced with "Mmm..." and topped off with a generous dollop of "Awwww!"

Today's question:

When it comes to holidays and other special days, which are you most cynical about?