Grilled Grandma: Lucy

HankHow many children do you have? I have two children - son and daughter

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? I have four grandchildren...one is 6, one is 2, and one is 1.  All girls. One little darling didn't get to stay around long enough because of birth problems but she is always included in the count.  :)

Any great grandchildren?  I could if I'd had kids that got married sooner. :))

What do your grandchildren call you? They all call me grandma and I absolutely love the sound of it.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I see the 1 year old often. She lives in the Phoenix valley. My others live in Washington DC and I don't get to see them as often as I would like to.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? Oh my gosh....too many joys to count. My ongoing joke is that I like them lots better that I did the 'real' kids.  Probably not nice but it is a whole different feeling.

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Having them live so far away.

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud.  I should be able to rattle off something quickly, but I'm blank. I do know of one though on this past Saturday night. We were celebrating the one year old's birthday. We went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and she was in the high chair. I don't know what was so funny, but she got to laughing out loud. The kind of a baby's laugh that makes you laugh louder.  It's almost too bad they have to grow up.

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house?  Babysit and take her walking with the stroller.

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? I try to spend all the time I can when I go to DC. I love to cook with the 6 year old and she loves to do that with me.  The little one....she's happy when anybody will do anything with her.

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? I call and talk to them often. I send them things in the mail. The 6 year old really likes that. Her sister doesn't really know what it's all about yet.

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? That I loved them dearly. More than anything.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? I want them to know they have a grandmother who loves them and thinks about them constantly.

Visit Lucy (and Hank!) on her blog, Arizona Photos.