This photo taken 18 months ago. The word for this month of March will be GRANDCHILDREN.
We care for my daughter's four year old and one year every day since she is a single mother and a school teacher. We also help her out on weekends so she can do grocery pickups and put groceries away without help. Now that my middle son has found a new job, his eight and six year-olds arrive at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and the school bus picks them up at my house. My youngest son's father in law has been diagnosed with a rare cancer. Since they live 45 minutes away, we have been keeping his three boys under age 7 overnight when papa has had appointments and tests. Dad works as a police officer and mom is a school teacher.
The co-grandparent is starting chemo this week so we are rearranging the child care set up so that it will include the five year old and two year old more often. Their oldest son attends kindergarten all day and mom can put him on the bus. If you add it up, it is an hour and a half to go and pick up these two and come back home. But due to the bus schedule for the oldest, even meeting part way is not a possibility.
When we retired, my husband talked me into purchasing a Traverse which holds a combination of six different infant car seats, regular car seats and booster seats. I am so grateful everyday that we splurged on this school bus.
We do what we have to do. I know it is a blessing in these times when many grandparents have not seen their grandchildren in person, we are more than lucky that we get to see our youngest grands ALL the time. Our three oldest live over an hour and a half away and have busy lives with sports and school, even during the pandemic. We do visit them on zoom and by phone.
While adding times and names on my calendar today, I noticed that every school they attend is having their spring break on different days. Hmmm, that doesn't seem fair, LOL.
You and your husband are a blessing to your Grands and to your children too! You are busy all the time! What fun for you! They grow up so fast...I would love an afternoon with all of ours...but this year the youngest is 20:(
ReplyDeleteLove the picture with your grands! You are indeed a blessing to your children and grands-it does make for a busy life, though! We are grateful to be able to keep ours when needed, the problem is that are growing up so quickly! Our two oldest grand girls can pretty much take care of themselves now.
ReplyDeleteYou are a blessing for your Grands, but especially for your children to not have to pay extra fees at child care facilities, or not be able to get to work on time, etc. So it is a god-send you are able to assist so much and are in good health to do so! But still take care of yourselves!! Take care!!
ReplyDeleteI echo what everyone else says. What a BLESSING you are to your grands and your children too. There is nothing better than to have a grandparents love and care. That's one of the things I'm looking forward to in Omaha, although it will only be with one of ours, Miss Piper. How wonderful the children won't have to go anywhere besides your home in these days of germs. And, a bonus, the cousins will be very close by spending so much time together.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful, wonderful picture.
Blessings,
Betsy
Miss Merry,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who does not have and will never have grandchildren, I am amazed at all you do....I know you had to step up to the plate during this time but I am curious as to what your role was prior to this.... When our sons were young, I was lucky enough to be able to work an opposite shift than Joe so I need and wanted very little in the way of anyone else providing child care for our sons other than us....I wanted to be the one to "raise" my sons because my mother always told me that i was the daughter she got to raise as my grandmother had passed away when i was 2 years old. My sister being 10 years older than I was spent a lot of time with our maternal grandparents. Me on the other hand, was raised without ANY grandparents. So I guess i have a different view than most do of the role of grandparents in raising children. My mother made it quite clear that as long as she was working, she would not watch any grandchildren and I had felt the same way. My sons went to day care in the mornings so i could sleep but i would pick them up at lunch time, only sleeping for 3 hours after working all night so i could spend time with them. In the evening, I went back to bed and Joe took care of them which included giving them baths and reading a bed time story to them . I would get up in time to kiss them good night before I went to work...I did not allow my MIL to watch my kids until they were older because she did not believe in any discipline and the rest of her grandchildren were a bunch of hellions!! I applaud you for taking this on...don't know if I could do it.....
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and by letting me know that you did by leaving such a sweet comment!!
Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
Hugs,
Deb
Such a happy picture of you and grandchildren. I do think keeping busy with the grand children keep us healthy. I watch my two grand girls as parents have had to work out of the home and some times travel is necessary for their mom. I keep them over night when she does. My son gets a break too. They are growing up so fast. Hope you are having a sunny day where you are, we finally have had two so far after all the rain. Betsy
ReplyDeleteMiss Merry,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!! Thanks too for letting me know that those photo storage boxes are now on sale for 70% off. I posted it on FB and I also did so in my last post to let others know because many people have asked where to get them....Good luck with your photo organizing project! I will attest that it is not a job for the faint of heart!!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
Hugs,
Debbie