I've decided to change the name of my blog from GrandmotherDearest to a more general "Everybodysentitled" to my opinion, of course.
I will give changing the name a chance tomorrow.
New Schools, New Adjustments
7 years ago
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Easter photos
If I didn't think Katherine's photos of her own children were horrible, then I would be really upset at the photos of baby Emma et al on her blog. Here she and Elizabeth are at Fin and Feather for Grammy's 96th birthday.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Grandmothering
Let me say right away that if I ever thought that my daughters (mothers of my grandchildren) were making a big deal out of mothering - I was wrong! This is hard work! Just the lifting and carrying is meant for a young person. My mother-in-law, who delivered my husband at age 43 (surprising his brother 17 and sister 15 - not to mention herself!) used to say that God meant children to be born to young women. She felt Byron was "a consolation to her old age."
I frankly don't remember how I handled our three girls - born three and a half years apart. We didn't have a nanny, just a once-a-week maid who mainly changed the sheets (a luxury I still appreciate). I guess I hauled them all to the grocery store and took the younger ones in all the carpools, ballet lessons and soccer games. I don't have a memory of anything hideous and the girls are all still speaking to me, so I guess we survived it.
We've had the darling and precious (and very smart) three-year-old grandson and his darling and precious eight-week-old sister here for 10 days with lots of visits from our three-and-a-half-year-old darling and precious (and very dressy) granddaughter with her eight-month-old sister. There was lots of wonderful cuddling, confusion and cousinly camaraderie. We loved every minute.
They left on Tuesday and left us with the darling and precious eight-month-old prodigy who is pulling up, can clap on command and can provide a spectacular raspberry when prompted. She is dangerous because she can't be left alone and is anxious and to explore new venues - the dog's bowl, any lint or trash on the floor, pulling out drawers and pulling up on unstable tables and curtains. She is darling and precious, but Grandmother Dearest is tired.
I took darling and precious baby Emma to the library (where she promptly burst into tears and initially devastated Librarians Carla and Miss Kitty until she warmed up) - and the trek up the steps carrying the "bucket" was a true pain in the neck and back. The bucket must weigh 10 pounds without the baby! The thought of loading her up - much less with an older, more opinionated sibling - to go to the grocery store, is daunting. No wonder pizza delivery is so popular with the younger set.
Hats off to all you mothers of babies - Grandmother Dearest salutes you!
I frankly don't remember how I handled our three girls - born three and a half years apart. We didn't have a nanny, just a once-a-week maid who mainly changed the sheets (a luxury I still appreciate). I guess I hauled them all to the grocery store and took the younger ones in all the carpools, ballet lessons and soccer games. I don't have a memory of anything hideous and the girls are all still speaking to me, so I guess we survived it.
We've had the darling and precious (and very smart) three-year-old grandson and his darling and precious eight-week-old sister here for 10 days with lots of visits from our three-and-a-half-year-old darling and precious (and very dressy) granddaughter with her eight-month-old sister. There was lots of wonderful cuddling, confusion and cousinly camaraderie. We loved every minute.
They left on Tuesday and left us with the darling and precious eight-month-old prodigy who is pulling up, can clap on command and can provide a spectacular raspberry when prompted. She is dangerous because she can't be left alone and is anxious and to explore new venues - the dog's bowl, any lint or trash on the floor, pulling out drawers and pulling up on unstable tables and curtains. She is darling and precious, but Grandmother Dearest is tired.
I took darling and precious baby Emma to the library (where she promptly burst into tears and initially devastated Librarians Carla and Miss Kitty until she warmed up) - and the trek up the steps carrying the "bucket" was a true pain in the neck and back. The bucket must weigh 10 pounds without the baby! The thought of loading her up - much less with an older, more opinionated sibling - to go to the grocery store, is daunting. No wonder pizza delivery is so popular with the younger set.
Hats off to all you mothers of babies - Grandmother Dearest salutes you!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Renovation - bath, sinks, floors and beyond
In the last couple of months, I've been nesting - no, not that kind - I mean looking around the house to see all the things I've meant to do in the 18 or so years we've lived here. Once we had the conversation about never moving except to the graveyard, it just makes sense to fix things the way that pleases us (me).
Here are my projects:
Paint the downstairs woodwork.Replace the stairwell broken spindle before someone falls through it.
Paint the last unpainted bedroom (removing the old intercom receiver - why didn't I do that in all the rooms? The only one that works is the one in the kitchen. It doesn't function as an intercom, but does play the radio.)
Remove old, ugly wallpaper in the two upstairs bathrooms, paint a neutral color.
Remove the old, ugly countertops in said bathrooms, replace with Simplicity, by Corian (a couple of bucks cheaper than the regular Corian.)
Replace the old faucets (those really ugly ones with plastic "crystal" handles) with faucets with only one handle. (I really like those - you only need one hand to get the right temperature water - you don't have to put the book or the baby down to wash your hands.)Home Depot.
Have the kitchen Corian cleaned and polished. It is the 3/4" Corian which they don't make anymore. This was probably installed 25-30 years ago. Home Depot.
One of the young men who installed the bathroom countertops came back on a Sunday to do this. He also recommended we round the square edges of the kitchen countertops - which I hadn't noticed but were just the right height to catch a grandchild's head. He charged $150 for the whole job, which took hours, and was the best bargain of my renovation saga. He did bring his 3=year-old son for me to entertain, though.
Replace the garage door with a steel one. The salesman neglected to notice that the new door didn't meet up with the control for the electric opener, which left us without a closeable door over the holidays. If you use Welborn Overhead Doors, beware of extra charges.
Install Travertine flooring in the upstairs bathroom which has had damaged lineolum under carpet since we moved in. This is an ongoing production since the hardibacker underfloor is 1/2" and the Travertine is 1/2" (adding up, surprisingly, to 1").
The installer didn't have a transition piece ("they didn't tell me to bring the right size") to go from the tile to the hardwood floor, so I'm now waiting for the installing company to come view the job. I have also noticed that the tile doesn't lie flat and they may have to come tear it out, install the 1/4" hardibacker board, and reinstall the tile.
Since the floor is now an inch taller, the doors don't fit, but I don't want to get them cut before the floor issue is solved. Fortunately, we only have family scheduled to visit, so they won't mind (too much) the open air quality of the bathroom. Home Depot.
I ordered, and paid for, this installation on November 5, and after several phone calls ("we had to special order it, even though we told you it was in stock" "it's just been delivered and we'll install next week"), I called to complain and ask them to repay me the interest they would charge for the same length of time. Which they did.
At the moment, I'm waiting for the plumber to come fix the leak in the downstairs powder room (which Byron says can't be updated because he loves the dark wallpaper and three-toned accent painting on the vanity). He has agreed to replace the really fancy faucet with some plain brass ones. These are promised to NEVER need polishing. I'm going to have the equally fancy and impossible to clean ones replaced in the master bath, too.
Now all that's left to do is re-organize the office - turning it back into an office/bedroom - that's going to take awhile.
Here are my projects:
Paint the downstairs woodwork.Replace the stairwell broken spindle before someone falls through it.
Paint the last unpainted bedroom (removing the old intercom receiver - why didn't I do that in all the rooms? The only one that works is the one in the kitchen. It doesn't function as an intercom, but does play the radio.)
Remove old, ugly wallpaper in the two upstairs bathrooms, paint a neutral color.
Remove the old, ugly countertops in said bathrooms, replace with Simplicity, by Corian (a couple of bucks cheaper than the regular Corian.)
Replace the old faucets (those really ugly ones with plastic "crystal" handles) with faucets with only one handle. (I really like those - you only need one hand to get the right temperature water - you don't have to put the book or the baby down to wash your hands.)Home Depot.
Have the kitchen Corian cleaned and polished. It is the 3/4" Corian which they don't make anymore. This was probably installed 25-30 years ago. Home Depot.
One of the young men who installed the bathroom countertops came back on a Sunday to do this. He also recommended we round the square edges of the kitchen countertops - which I hadn't noticed but were just the right height to catch a grandchild's head. He charged $150 for the whole job, which took hours, and was the best bargain of my renovation saga. He did bring his 3=year-old son for me to entertain, though.
Replace the garage door with a steel one. The salesman neglected to notice that the new door didn't meet up with the control for the electric opener, which left us without a closeable door over the holidays. If you use Welborn Overhead Doors, beware of extra charges.
Install Travertine flooring in the upstairs bathroom which has had damaged lineolum under carpet since we moved in. This is an ongoing production since the hardibacker underfloor is 1/2" and the Travertine is 1/2" (adding up, surprisingly, to 1").
The installer didn't have a transition piece ("they didn't tell me to bring the right size") to go from the tile to the hardwood floor, so I'm now waiting for the installing company to come view the job. I have also noticed that the tile doesn't lie flat and they may have to come tear it out, install the 1/4" hardibacker board, and reinstall the tile.
Since the floor is now an inch taller, the doors don't fit, but I don't want to get them cut before the floor issue is solved. Fortunately, we only have family scheduled to visit, so they won't mind (too much) the open air quality of the bathroom. Home Depot.
I ordered, and paid for, this installation on November 5, and after several phone calls ("we had to special order it, even though we told you it was in stock" "it's just been delivered and we'll install next week"), I called to complain and ask them to repay me the interest they would charge for the same length of time. Which they did.
At the moment, I'm waiting for the plumber to come fix the leak in the downstairs powder room (which Byron says can't be updated because he loves the dark wallpaper and three-toned accent painting on the vanity). He has agreed to replace the really fancy faucet with some plain brass ones. These are promised to NEVER need polishing. I'm going to have the equally fancy and impossible to clean ones replaced in the master bath, too.
Now all that's left to do is re-organize the office - turning it back into an office/bedroom - that's going to take awhile.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Grandmothering
I've just spend four days and nights babysitting 3-year-old Megan and 5-month-old Emma, and I am tired! I have new respect for mothers of toddlers! Just hauling that car seat with 14-pound Emma up and into the base and then out again was enough to pull every muscle in my arms and back - and somehow carrying babies through the house has redefined my space and I've managed to knock my shins, ankles, shoulders and other parts into the dishwasher door, step ladder, coffee table and door frame. I'm looking forward to a massage, once I get the house picked up.
Other than that, the girls were darling and precious - Megan talking non-stop (reminding me of her Aunt Katherine), insisting on wearing her Princess dress and hand-me-down Cinderella (pronounced Cindagrella) slippers, and wanting "just one more story"; and Emma finally cuddling up and taking a bottle and falling asleep in my arms. Emma is already turning over both front-to-back and back-to-front, and is almost sitting up. She has discovered her feet and is unsafe unless securely strapped in, since she can really arch that back. She's a talker, too. What is sweeter than hearing a baby gurgle and chirp?
The two portable video monitors helped keep that hundreds of trips up and down the stairs to a minimum and the swing Elizabeth brought over for Emma was great for helping her stay asleep longer.
Byron reminded me that my mother kept our girls pretty often - but I remember (1) Mother was at least 10 years younger than I am now, (2) Mother had full time help (Peggy stayed until my 8-years-younger sister graduated from high school - when Elizabeth was two) and Daddy was home most of the time.
I would do it again, just not right away.
Other than that, the girls were darling and precious - Megan talking non-stop (reminding me of her Aunt Katherine), insisting on wearing her Princess dress and hand-me-down Cinderella (pronounced Cindagrella) slippers, and wanting "just one more story"; and Emma finally cuddling up and taking a bottle and falling asleep in my arms. Emma is already turning over both front-to-back and back-to-front, and is almost sitting up. She has discovered her feet and is unsafe unless securely strapped in, since she can really arch that back. She's a talker, too. What is sweeter than hearing a baby gurgle and chirp?
The two portable video monitors helped keep that hundreds of trips up and down the stairs to a minimum and the swing Elizabeth brought over for Emma was great for helping her stay asleep longer.
Byron reminded me that my mother kept our girls pretty often - but I remember (1) Mother was at least 10 years younger than I am now, (2) Mother had full time help (Peggy stayed until my 8-years-younger sister graduated from high school - when Elizabeth was two) and Daddy was home most of the time.
I would do it again, just not right away.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Video games for girls
I don't play video games - too old and slow - and don't interest me. Who cares about shoot-'em-ups, car chases, explosions? Those are all guy things.
BUT, if someone invented games for girls - that might be fun.
How about Bride Pride? You could play the role of Bridezilla
1. Choosing the groom (involved, semi-involved, absent)
2. Choose his mother (possibilities are endless)
3. Pick out the ring
4. Design a dress
5. Thwart your mother
6 Order bridesmaids around
7. Choose horrible bridesmaids dresses
8. Have numerous showers and parties
9. Register for gifts
The program could have built-in obstacles (flowers don't arrive, people bring children to the service, groom gets flat tire on way to church, torrential rain)
You could also play the Mother of the Bride role or Mother of the Groom role.
There could be options for the $500,000 wedding or the $500 one.
This might even be a sort of instructional interactive game for brides to see what their dream wedding might cost.
The possibilities are endless!
BUT, if someone invented games for girls - that might be fun.
How about Bride Pride? You could play the role of Bridezilla
1. Choosing the groom (involved, semi-involved, absent)
2. Choose his mother (possibilities are endless)
3. Pick out the ring
4. Design a dress
5. Thwart your mother
6 Order bridesmaids around
7. Choose horrible bridesmaids dresses
8. Have numerous showers and parties
9. Register for gifts
The program could have built-in obstacles (flowers don't arrive, people bring children to the service, groom gets flat tire on way to church, torrential rain)
You could also play the Mother of the Bride role or Mother of the Groom role.
There could be options for the $500,000 wedding or the $500 one.
This might even be a sort of instructional interactive game for brides to see what their dream wedding might cost.
The possibilities are endless!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Travel Report
In the last couple of weeks I've been to Florida with my lady friends (our 25th year of fall travel), to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and the the Algonquin in New York City. Fun, but I'm glad to be back home!
Our ladies group consists of eight lawyers wives. It all started when our husbands, law partners, took clients on a weekend fishing trip to Biloxi, Mississippi and we wives, in retaliation, decided to take a trip of our own. We've visited Charleston, Savannah, Deleware (Winterthur and Longwood Gardens), Sturbridge, the Hudson Valley (Kikut), Lake Placid, South Texas, among others. This year we rented a house in Watercolor in the panhandle of Florida - near Destin. Beautiful beaches and good food. Our husbands have all either moved to other firms or retired and don't do their fishing trip anymore, but we are still taking advantage of the time to catch up, see some beautiful scenery, shop and eat.
The Broadmoor is beautiful and the Colorado Springs area has a lot to offer. The Colorado Springs Art Museum has an unmatched collection of Dale Chihuly glass art - spectacular! And Manitou Springs has cave dwellings and a delightful and different kind of hippie culture mixed with tourist trappings. The chapel at the Air Force Academy is a cultural experience not to be missed.
New York is always exciting and it was fun to imagine Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley et al in the Algonquin, even though the hotel has been renovated. The rooms are still about as big as a good-sized closet, but the hall wallpaper is made up of New Yorker cartoons and a quote from one of the Roundtable regulars appears daily on each hotel room door. Have a drink in the lounge (I recommend the "Parker", but more than one might kill you). Give the dining room a miss.
We tried for tickets to "The Jersey Boys" which I saw in San Francisco and loved, but they were sold out except for premium seats at $320 each. We settled for "The Fantasticks", written by two home-grown Texans (and University of Texas ex-students) that we saw maybe 40 years ago. Tom Jones (one of the play's authors - not the British singer) appeared in the part of the old actor. The production was in the Snapple Theater a small and pretty grubby venue and was about half full. But the fantasy and the music still charms. I'm still singing "Try to Remember" and "Plant a Radish" in my head a week later.
Our ladies group consists of eight lawyers wives. It all started when our husbands, law partners, took clients on a weekend fishing trip to Biloxi, Mississippi and we wives, in retaliation, decided to take a trip of our own. We've visited Charleston, Savannah, Deleware (Winterthur and Longwood Gardens), Sturbridge, the Hudson Valley (Kikut), Lake Placid, South Texas, among others. This year we rented a house in Watercolor in the panhandle of Florida - near Destin. Beautiful beaches and good food. Our husbands have all either moved to other firms or retired and don't do their fishing trip anymore, but we are still taking advantage of the time to catch up, see some beautiful scenery, shop and eat.
The Broadmoor is beautiful and the Colorado Springs area has a lot to offer. The Colorado Springs Art Museum has an unmatched collection of Dale Chihuly glass art - spectacular! And Manitou Springs has cave dwellings and a delightful and different kind of hippie culture mixed with tourist trappings. The chapel at the Air Force Academy is a cultural experience not to be missed.
New York is always exciting and it was fun to imagine Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley et al in the Algonquin, even though the hotel has been renovated. The rooms are still about as big as a good-sized closet, but the hall wallpaper is made up of New Yorker cartoons and a quote from one of the Roundtable regulars appears daily on each hotel room door. Have a drink in the lounge (I recommend the "Parker", but more than one might kill you). Give the dining room a miss.
We tried for tickets to "The Jersey Boys" which I saw in San Francisco and loved, but they were sold out except for premium seats at $320 each. We settled for "The Fantasticks", written by two home-grown Texans (and University of Texas ex-students) that we saw maybe 40 years ago. Tom Jones (one of the play's authors - not the British singer) appeared in the part of the old actor. The production was in the Snapple Theater a small and pretty grubby venue and was about half full. But the fantasy and the music still charms. I'm still singing "Try to Remember" and "Plant a Radish" in my head a week later.
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