July 06, 2016

Wherein Facebook eases Grandma's eyes

July 06, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

I haven't seen my grandsons in two months and nine days, give or take an hour or two.

I miss the goofballs, to say the least.

With no visits currently on the calendar — neither them to my place nor me to theirs — a social media share such as this one that Megan posted yesterday on Facebook is a...

May 18, 2016

Entertaining grandkids: 3 sure things

May 18, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

As a long-distance grandma with visits being few and far between, I feel obligated to provide memorable merriment for my three grandsons each time I see them. I put careful consideration into packing my grandma bag with goodies and games and crafty ideas galore.

Sometimes the magical makings I lug 800 miles to my grandsons' door elicit exactly the enjoyment I'd hoped. Sometimes they fail. Especially if picking a Pinterest activity to try together without trying it first myself.

When I visited Bubby, Mac, and Jak last month, I failed at more than a few things. On the other hand, there were a few that surpassed my expectations in terms of the enjoyment factor for the boys. Three in particular were a huge success, and these will likely have a spot in my grandma bag each visit going forward.

Following are those three sure things because if they entertain my grandkids, I'm willing to bet they'll entertain most. Consider them as go-to options for your grandma bag — or to have on hand if you're one of those fortunate grandmas whose grandkiddos live nearby.

FREAKY FACES APPLE SNACK

Now, this one didn't require me packing much in my grandma bag, just a quick trip to the grocery store upon my arrival for the fixings: apples, strawberries, chocolate chips, and peanut butter, plus anything not stocked in Megan's pantry that I needed for this recipe for the freaky eyes (which needs to be made at least 24 hours before snack assembly as the eyes need to dry).

freaky face apple snacks

They're pretty simple: Just quarter an apple; remove...

February 17, 2016

My grandsons aren't normal

February 17, 2016/ Lisa Carpenter

"My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."

~ Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

I love that quote. I do believe, though, it applies not only to "darling" girls, but darling boys, too.

Particularly when those darling boys are my darling grandsons.

My abnormal grandsons.

See, my grandsons aren't normal. It doesn't take long scrolling through my photos of Bubby, Mac, and Jak to find evidence of their abnormalness.

weird kids wait in line for IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG

...

August 27, 2015

Here and now: August 27, 2015

August 27, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

clock and book

On my mind...

Wondering how people without decent health insurance survive.

Reading...

Finished up The Mapmaker's Children last night. Starting Circling The Sun by Paula McLain tonight.

Watching...

Brianna's new puppy, Max, each day at lunch. The nine-week-old can't get through...

July 30, 2015

Back to school already? 10 ways to support school-bound grandchildren

July 30, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

Unbelievable as it seems, it's time for students to return to school, some as early as next week. In light of that, I'd like to once again share with you ideas on how grandparents can support and encourage their grandchildren in academic endeavors. Though my daughter Megan is on break from teaching—and she has three sons now, not two—her ideas as well as the others in this post are still a great way to make a difference for your school-bound grandkiddos.

Kids of all ages will soon head back to school — if they haven't already. Though Mom and Dad play the starring role in supporting their children's educational efforts, grandparents have plenty of opportunities to make their mark, too.

My daughter Megan is not only the mother of my two awesome grandsons, she's also a teacher. Here are a few suggestions she and I came up with for supporting school-bound grandchildren in ways that will garner an A+ not only from the kids, but from their parents and teachers, too.