Grilled Grandma: Kathy

How many children do you have? I have one delightful daughter who is the joy of my life! (and her hubby is pretty wonderful, too!)

How many grandchildren? What are their ages? I have three beautiful grandchildren ~ Mikayla who is 7 and a half, Naomi who is 4 and will soon be 5, and Sophia who is just over a year old.

Any great grandchildren? No great grandchildren yet.

What do your grandchildren call you? My grandchildren call me Grammy. I wanted a name that was different from all the grandmothers in my family and when I heard my friend's grandchildren call her Grammy, I knew that was what I wanted to be called.

After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? When I found out about Mikayla and later Naomi, I prayed for a healthy pregnancy and a safe labor and delivery for both mama and baby. Aside from that, I prayed that I would be able to be a wonderful grandmother to the new little ones. For Sophia, I prayed LOTS of different prayers. The adoption process is lengthy and is full of many surprises along the way. When I would have been praying for a safe labor and delivery, I was praying for a safe flight to Ehiopia and home. Now there are lots of adjustments, but my prayer is still the same: that I will be a wonderful grandmother to all my grandchildren.

How often do you get to see your grandchildren? I live about two hours away so I don't get to see them all the time, but I usually get to see them about every two weeks. Now that Mikayla and Naomi are older, they also like to visit my little 'farm'. Sophia has only recently joined our family and isn't traveling much yet, so right now I am visiting my family as often as I can.

What is the best thing about being a grandma? It is the same thing that I so enjoyed when my daughter was a little girl. I love to see the world unfold through their eyes. I love the excited way they share a discovery. And I especially adore the hugs full of love!

What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Living this far away. My grandparents lived very near us and we saw them several times a week. I miss being available for those surprise babysitting events!

Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. One time? They keep me laughing all the time! The last time I visited, Sophia stood with her head on the floor and peaked through her legs. She was also playing with a little toy. The toy scooted away from her and slid between her legs. When she reached for it, she toppled into a tangled heap of legs and arms while she giggled and laughed.  Perhaps we have a future gymnast here???

What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? We have so many things that we like to do! Mikayla and Naomi have had several visits here and they love to go outside and help me with my animal 'chores'. I think that Benny Bunny must be one of their favorite little critters to visit. They like to pet my horse, Hershey, and they like to look for eggs in the chicken pen, too. We do artwork and sewing projects, and, of course, there are the doll houses that were Mama's when she was little. We even manage to watch a movie now and then. I am looking forward to the time when Sophia is a little older and we can show her how to feed the chickens!

What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? We visit and play. Mikayla usually will show me her latest artwork and some of her school papers. Naomi likes to play horses with me and "do" my hair. All of us like to read books and be silly. Sometimes I take art projects for Mikayla and Naomi to do. Sophia likes to play and make funny faces. Her favorite thing is to raise her eyebrows so that you will raise your eyebrows. It's fun to watch her explore her new world. She really enjoys everything - except having her diaper changed...

How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? I talk to them on the phone and sometimes I send them emails. The phone converstaions are the best! I have been doing that since Mikayla was really little. Phone conversations with a toddler are hysterical!

What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? A love for the Lord Jesus! Once you have that, everything else seems to fall into place a lot better.

What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Love.
 
What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? Play more, take fewer pictures. Maybe that's why there are less pictures of the younger children. We all stopped taking so many pictures so that we could play more!

What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Remember who the Mama is!

Kathy has several homes in the blogosphere. Spots where you'll find her:
http://www.tapestry316.etsy.com
http://tapestry316.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/kathleen.roeth
http://twitter.com/tapestry316