Grammy's Keepsake

My dad was a great reader or stories.  Each character had different voices which made them come to life.  When I became a mom I wanted to give those magical story moments to our children.  I fell in love with books that had wonderful rhymes, fun repetitive verse, silly characters or beautiful illustrations.  As the kids grew our favorites were placed in a box for their future family.  

Each morning and afternoon I get to revisit some of those favorite children's picture books as I read with Cutie E.  The rhymes I enjoyed years ago are the books I gravitate to each day.  At first it was hard to pick up new stories, I wanted to read  There's a Wocket in My Pocket or The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss or We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen over and over.  I have discovered new characters and stories that I love, but last Saturday while at Target I saw that they had Dr. Seuss books on sale in honor of his birthday.  I immediately picked up my all time favorite, There's a Wocket in My Pocket.  I love this story for all the reasons many of us are drawn to Dr. Seuss.  It is silly.  I love the rhyming verse and the play with sounds is so much fun.  So, I proudly checked out of the store with my new book in hand.

Today with the help of my daughter I personalized this book to be Grammys keepsake.  Inside I placed each of the boys handprints.  These little hands are precious.  They will grow, work, accomplish and serve so much over their lifetime, but I want to really remember how tiny they were before they get big and the moments we shared reading wonderful stories together. 

I am excited that as each new little addition joins our family I will place their tiny handprint in my book.  

I love being Grammy💖

Solo Date Night

 

Whether I was teaching sixth grade or hanging with my grandson, I look forward to Friday nights.  Its date night.  We haven't always good about setting this time aside, but we got better after the kids graduated.  Since moving in with family we have made it a priority.  Each Friday night we do something together.

Tonight Sean is traveling for work, so I treated myself to a first ever "Solo Date Night".  I accomplished a few firsts tonight.  I ate dinner in a public restaurant solo.  It wasn't so bad.  I got caught up on today's social media.  I wouldn't make a habit of going out to eat alone, but it was doable in a pinch😂.

Washington DC Temple

One Friday night a month we set aside to attend the temple.  Since Sean is traveling it meant that I either
cancel our appointment and try to reschedule or go alone.  I chose to go.  I am so glad I did.  When I was teaching I could always tell it was time to get back to the temple.  The week prior to going seemed frazzled, extra stressful,  I felt out of sorts.  Going to the temple then and now seems to be a reset for me.  The temple is peaceful, there is no noise.  As the doors close behind me the worldly noise is forced to stay outside.  I love that.  I love that in the Lord's house I can Hear Him.  I can hear His words.  I can feel what I need to be doing differently in order to be the disciple He knows I can be.  I feel His warmth and love for me.  Its like going home, the place where you can take a deep breath and just be.

I haven't been feeling frazzled, out of sorts, or overly stressed.  I just needed to feel Heavenly Father's love.  Feeling His love started well before entering the temple.  The clouds began to thin and the sky lit up as the sun went down.  Sunsets are my favorite part of the day.

View of the temple from the Beltway

Before we moved I told Sean that when I got homesick or sad he could take me to two places to help me feel at home, the temple or the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  Our new hometown is just 17 miles from the Washington DC temple.  I am enamored by the DC temple.  Just as you crest the rise on the freeway the temple appears.  It is striking in beauty and size.  So much so that every time we drive in that direction I take pictures.  It is truly beautiful.  It is where I feel at peace and for me that is home.

Its ok to do things alone.  Its ok to go to the temple alone.  Sometimes we need the alone time to decompress, not talk, but to just be quiet.  I missed my sweetheart tonight, but I'm so glad I did a few things on my own.

Reflections Form the Rocking Chair

 

I have spent a lot of time sitting in the rocking chair the last seven months.  Most of that time is spent rocking Cutie E to sleep or reading him stories.  Between those times it is quiet and I am left staring at a beautiful baby.  I love to watch him fall asleep.  He stops rubbing his eyes, grabbing at my hair and his arm slowly falls to his side.  Then I get to take in his sweet little face and hope I never forget the details of his button nose, fuzzy ears and puffy baby hands.  The baby moments do not last long and I’m afraid these details may fade with time.

My quiet thoughts wander to wonder.  How we will spend our spring and summer days together.  Will he be walking or running?  Will he love the park, especially the swings?  I can’t wait for him to run through the park near our home and to push him in the swings.  Will we start art projects or drive a dump truck through the yard?  Maybe we will blow bubbles and get out the sidewalk chalk.  I can’t wait to do all of those things and more with him.  

I want to take him on adventures at the zoo, the aquarium, the library, check out more parks to find our favorite, start swimming lessons and stroll through the grounds of the DC temple.  I want him to know that our Heavenly Father knows him and loves him and that I believe it with all my heart.

I find myself feeling so grateful. I have been blessed with two adorable grandsons and I get to spend each day with them.  I get to love them in person, kiss their cheeks, be there when they wake from a nap, see them grow out of adorable clothes,  watch teeth pop through, take their first steps and so much more. I can't believe our daughter and son in-law asked us to be part of their great family adventure.

I can’t imagine being anywhere else than right here with Cutie E and Little Dude.

Welcome Little One

J O Y filled our hearts last Tuesday morning as we welcomed the newest member of our family.

Oliver, you are beautiful in every way possible.  Your cheeks are perfect for lots and lots and lots of Grammy kisses.  You snuggle in to whom ever is holding you and allow each of us to relax into a new born nap.  We love these naps together.

One afternoon while sitting in the sunshine with you I stared at your fingers and soft little face and wondered.   Who did you know in heaven?   What family members kissed you good bye for now?  Did you know that your family was anxiously awaiting your arrival and  already loved you? 

Those thoughts started racing forward to, who will you be?  What talents will you possess?  My heart filled with such joy as I and Pops get to be here with you everyday.  We get to watch you grow into your own person.  We get to watch you learn to ride a bike, tie your shoes and discover what you do and don't like.  You get to develop your talents, choose your path, love those around you and live life to its fullest.

Pops and I feel there is no greater privilege than to be with you and your brother each day.

We look forward to each day with you Little Ollie.  

We love you whole bunches. 

 Thank you for making our family an even 10!

Chinese New Year 2024

 Gung Hei Fat Choi!  "Wishing you good fortune". 

Today many people across the globe are celebrating the oldest holiday, Lunar New Year.  The holiday goes my many names, Chinese New Year, Spring Festival or Lunar New Year.  It marks the passage of the harvest season and celebrates the coming of spring.  Today many are celebrating by gathering with family and friends.

This holiday dates back over 4,000 years and is deeply rooted in legend and tradition.  The Legend of Nian describes a horrible beast that would come out of hiding once a year to scare people in the villages.  Nian was scared of three things: the color red, loud noises and fire.  The villagers would paint their doors red, hang spring couplets from their doorways, light big bon fires and set off fireworks.  Often they were successful and were able to keep Nian away.  

As a sixth grade teacher I thoroughly enjoyed lessons that allowed my students to immerse themselves in a new culture, way of thinking, government or art.  During the ancient China unit I would spend a couple of days on this beautiful holiday.  Students would learned about the history of the holiday, the legend of Nian and how they celebrate.  Following the lesson students were able to choose which traditional activities they would like do.  

Each student was asked to complete a spring couplet for a fellow classmate.  Inside each red construction paper square students would write good luck wishes, roll the paper like a firecracker, string them together and hang them from one another's lockers.  Students could then make dragon puppets, traditional lanterns, kites, water color a Chinese landscape or complete coloring pages.  All of their art hung in the 6th grade hall and on Chinese New Year day with us all dressed in red we celebrated the oldest holiday by opening our spring couplets. enjoying our red envelopes and fortune cookies (although they do not originate from China, rather San Francisco).

Some afternoons as I rock Cutie E for a nap I have reflected on what unit or lesson I would be covering at that time.  With today being Lunar New Year it is easy to remember the lessons, activities, art projects and anticipation of this great holiday.  I can't wait to teach my grand children all about what makes today special and all other civilizations.

Luckily I do not have to wait.  While our daughter was out of the country she came across some wonderful books I wanted to share with you today.  These sweet stories introduce children to different cultures, holidays, families and foods at a young age with adorable art work and great storytelling.

Lunar New Year by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Alina Chao

I love this board book!  It captures the history, importance of family, legend and celebrations of Lunar New Year in a way that is easy for children to understand.  The adorable art work adds to the story in a soft colorful way.  I recommended this book to a friend who is completing her student teaching.  The story is wonderful whether the child is an infant or middle schooler.

Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee

This adorable story is about food, family and tradition.  In our family every tradition or holiday is tied to food.  Just ask my kids, the first thing they remember is the yummy foods we ate.  In this story the adorable main character is anxiously awaiting her Bee-bim Bop or "mixed-up rice".  I appreciated the simple sentences, repetitive phrases and fun text that goes with her excitement.  At the back of the book you will find a recipe for bee-bim bop, cooking directions, how to serve and the meaning of bee-bim bop.  Your whole family will enjoy this book.

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua

Have you seen the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" and wished you could sit with Constance Wu's character Rachel Chu and learn from Nick's mother, aunties and grandmother how to make the perfect dumpling?  If you have or you just enjoy eating them then this book is for you.  Like many of us when we were young Amy wants to do things like the big people in her family.  That includes making the perfect dumpling.  Amy's family is patient as she learns what it takes to make that dumpling and to be patient as she learns.  The illustrations are bright and enhance the sweet story.  There is a recipe at the end, be sure to check out Amy's too empty, too fat or holey dumplings so you can get yours just right.

I love that my daughter found these books and thought it was important for her children to learn about other cultures at a young age.  I can't wait to expand on that as they get older. Below are a few videos you might also enjoy.

For now I will cherish the memories I have teaching 6th grade with Kim, Ash and Jenelle.  They were always supportive of my crazy ideas that involved all of the sixth graders.  To all my past sixth grade students, thank you for making each of these units so much fun to teach.  Enjoy Lunar New Year!

A few videos on Lunar New Year

How Asians Celebrate Lunar New Year Worldwide

Legend of Nian

Chinese New Year History

Finding New Places

 Some of my favorite places in Oregon have memories tied to them that date back 40 years.  It's hard to let go of places, people, smells or familiarity.  Nothing about Maryland is familiar and at times it's a scary place.   I don’t know where I am, I don’t have a sense of direction and I’m totally dependent on google maps or my husband to get around.   I need to find my place.

Thanks to a neighbor I discovered a fabulous park.  This park has so many family friendly features.  The focal point is the large pond in the center with two water features.  During the summer you can rent paddle boats to cruise around on.   I can’t wait to do that this summer with my hubby.  There are 2 playgrounds, picnic tables and BBQ areas, plus a trail that goes around the pond.  All of which is surrounded by trees, lots and lots of trees.   I can see my family all gathered here for a picnic.  It's that kind of park.

Creating joyful memories here is important to me.  I want Maryland to feel like home.  I’ve discovered in the last six months it is the simple things that warm my heart and even bring me to tears.  Watching Cutie E stare at the geese in the pond as they show their tail feathers searching for food. Or his feet bounce in the stroller as we cruise the trail.  I love watching his face as the leaves fall right into the stroller.  This park feels like home.  Sean and I haven’t taken photos together in a while, so I picked this new park as the setting.  I want to make sure no matter where I live that I don’t forget that this park felt like home. 

So if you have recently moved start by visiting your local city office and ask them if they have a welcome packet. Our city had a "Welcome To" packet full of great information on community events, parks, farmer's markets and more. I also found that our neighbors were really helpful as well.

I’m slowly gaining confidence on the road by getting to places without help. I am finding new places I enjoy, want to try or revisit. Yay!

What is Multigenerational Living

 

Multigenerational households have been around for thousands of years.  This common practice can be found on every continent.  So where did it get started?  There are conflicting ideas as to which civilization or continent started this practice.  As a past sixth grade social studies teacher I was drawn to the ideas of Confucianism.  One of the key elements of this philosophy and belief system is “filial piety” or devotion to family.  They believe that the family is the building block to a strong society.  If you are devoted to your family than the society around it will be strengthened.  This idea is demonstrated by the oldest son taking responsibility for his aging parents financially as well as socially.  This often meant that the parents would move in with the son and his family.  The son was to ensure that his parents were well cared for.  From here it only seems natural that grandparents would be fully integrated into the young family.

While in Beijing in 2010 I witnessed this practice multiple times as we walked the streets of this large city and toured many of its historical sites.  One example still sticks out to me today.  While crossing the street we saw a grandmother holding an umbrella over her young grandson. We saw grandparents walking children to school, the park, the market or where their daily activities took them.  It was obvious that grandparents were and are an integral part of society.

Believe it or not, but multigenerational living was very common in the United States throughout the 19th century.  Of course this was before senior living facilities, nursing homes or long-term care facilities.  This was a time when families lived and worked the farm together.  This common practice lasted till the early 20th century.  Then the industrial revolution took hold, immigration increased, the population in the eastern United States exploded and the younger generation was in search of better economic opportunities.  They were no longer satisfied running the farm or taking over the family business. The family began to break apart physically.

By the 1980’s only 12% of American families lived multigenerational under one roof.  Why do I bring this up?  Well, how many families do you know have more than two generations under one roof?  I do not friends or family that are living in our similar situation or live in separate dwellings but on the same property.

Here is what is interesting.  According to the Pew Research Center multigenerational family living is growing among nearly all US racial groups, most age groups and both men and women.  The popularity of this lifestyle picked up after the Great Recession of 2007-2009.  In 2016 nearly 20% of Americans were living in multigenerational homes.  There was a bit of an increase during COVID as many families moved loved ones to reduce the threat of exposure.  

When Sean and I told people we were selling our home and moving in with our daughter and her family many people couldn’t believe we would give up our jobs, home and lifestyle to help raise grandbabies.  They couldn’t understand why we would want to go back to parenting.  We never saw it as “going back to parenting”.  I am not Cutie E's mom and Sean is not dad, we make that very clear.  We are Grammy and Pop’s and while we are their care takers during the day we are those grandparents that love to spoil them, no matter what time of day it is.  Mom and Dad get to make all the big decisions, take care of sick ones and witness all the firsts.

We had a few friends that were incredibly supportive.  One of our neighbors spent ten years living with a daughter and granddaughter.  I was so grateful for the experiences she shared with me and the joys of being part of her grand daughters every day.   Today they have a very special relationship that I hope to have someday as well.

There are so many joys that come with living with a child and her family.  It isn’t easy.  But our desire to have close family bonds with each of our children and their families is stronger than any lifestyle change that we need to make.  This new lifestyle allows us to spend more time with each of our children and that is worth every sacrifice. So, if you have an opportunity to live in a multigenerational home don’t laugh it off.  Take some time to really consider it.  Evaluate your goals as an empty nester. Could you live differently and accomplish those goals? Have lots of discussions with your spouse, the child you'll be living with and their family, and do not leave out your other children, this lifestyle impacts them as well. Each person you discuss this possibility with has a different perspective. Consider everything before changing everything.

Sean and I are still navigating this new lifestyle together. We love being with our daughter, her hubby and our grandson every day. Joy truly fills our hearts.