Grandparent Fever

I was reminded this morning that Neil (aka Bop) has "grandparent fever" as much or more than I do.  For those of you unfamiliar with this ailment, it has been known to cause moderate to severe behavioral and personality changes. Consider the evidence: Neil has been watching the mail for the last week anxiously awaiting the pictures of James he ordered from snapfish.  I can't tell you how many times he checked the tracking...it seems the Raleigh post office had them Saturday morning but they didn't get delivered until Wednesday!  He tore open the box like it was Christmas and quickly flipped through them to find the 2 5x7 pics he ordered for his office.  He then "borrowed" a couple of the new picture frames I recently bought for the den....and said he "needed" them.  Now let me just say that Neil was not one of those dads who had tons of family pics scattered about his office.  I can count on one hand the times he took new pictures of our kids to his office...and it was when I printed them, put them in frames and placed them on top of his briefcase so he wouldn't forget!  I'm sure he appreciated having them, he just never took the initiative to get them.  As of this morning, that has all changed...and it makes me laugh!  I'm sure today those latest pics of our grandson James are displayed prominently in his office.  Even more surprising and telling is Neil's new willingness to spend money (to further the James cause.)  What had been originally billed as a driving trip to Ole Miss to visit Kate and John at the end of April has now morphed into a flying trip by way of Memphis...all in order to see James for a day when he and his parents fly to Raleigh for a wedding that same weekend.  Now, instead of driving after work on Thursday we will be flying out Friday morning...and guess what... James and his parents arrive late Wednesday night!  It's a miracle!!!  It is comforting to know that Neil and I are not the only grandparents afflicted.  One of the girls my kids grew up with was describing on her facebook post today just such behavior by her parents.  It seems pictures of her growing up have been moved from the family room to the bedroom....only to be replaced with her siblings' wedding pics and the latest grandbaby pics!  I can certainly see how it happens... maybe I should form a support group...GA...Grandparents Anonymous!!!  Any takers?

Getting To Know Me

One of my biggest "Mimi" worries is that James won't have an opportunity to really get to know me.  He lives in Colorado.  I live in North Carolina.  I doubt we will see him more than 3 or 4 times a year, and I hate that it will be harder for him to get to know me.   I remember so many things about my grandparents.  My Grandmother Cash made the best pound cake ever and she loved to eat asparagus right out of the can.  She always wore a sweater, even in the summer, and she would walk with my brother and me to the five and dime store to buy treats.  My Papa Bishop always had gum in his pocket...either doublemint, or occasionally, teaberry.  He made the best okra and mash potatoes I've ever tasted.  And most amazingly, he took two separate week long vacations with us in the back of a station wagon!  I hope someday James will have those kinds of memories about me and with me.  In the meantime, for James, I'm compiling a list of my favorite things (besides him!) to introduce myself:

Mimi's Favorite Things:

1. diet coke with lime

2. reading

3.  crime shows (NCIS and CSI)

4. anything chocolate!

5. college basketball and football (Ga. Tech, UNC, Clemson, Ole Miss, in that order!)

6. Orbit wintermint gum

7. the color pink

8. homemade macaroni and cheese (I make the best!)

9. angels and fairies

10. bright colors in my home

OK...and maybe Bop! and of course the rest of my family!!!

How Great Our Joy!

I love surprises...big ones, little ones, thoughtful ones, silly ones.  They are all great...and I always appreciate them.  Well today, after a crappy day at work, I opened my mailbox to a delightful surprise package from Neil Jr., Bianca and James via shutterfly.  It was a pile of printed photos of James (and maybe other family members  too!)  It was just what I needed to erase my rough day!  The pictures are all so adorable.  I am having trouble  picking a favorite, which brings me to my next dilemma.   Surprisingly, Neil and I are definitely grandparents of this technology age. James is five months old today and we did not have a single printed photo of him displayed in our home!  Crazy, right?  While out in Colorado for James birth we visited Estes Park and wandered into some of the shops and galleries along the main street.  I picked up a lovely collage picture frame that says, "How Great Our Joy."  I knew it was the perfect memento of our trip, and the reason for it, because James' birth brought us such  immeasurable joy.   I had every intention of putting a picture of James in it as soon as I got home.  That was 4 months ago!   Today I picked a photo taken of James with us over the Christmas holidays that truly captures our joy... so Happy 5 Month Birthday James...How Great Our Joy!!!
Love always,
Mimi and Bop

Skype...My New Best Friend!

One of our first thoughts after we found out we were going to be grandparents was, "but Colorado is so far away!"  We always dreamed of having grandchildren close by...so we could babysit, go to school plays, soccer games, dance recitals, etc.  We always secretly envied those couples at church whose kids and grandkids sat in the pew with them on Sunday, and then headed off to Sunday brunch afterwards.  Even now, we hope that dream has just been postponed!   But for the time being, we have been forced to join the technology age.  Our first shock was that James arrived about 10 days earlier than his due date, and our flight was booked for 2 weeks after his due date, so we didn't get to meet James until he was almost 1 month old.  The waiting was agony!  Neil Jr. and Bianca were great sports and agreed early on to Skype every day 'til we could visit. That was when the technical difficulties began!  We confiscated John's old computer that had a camera for Skype.  According to Neil, that camera wasn't "good enough", so we went to Costco and bought a better camera.  Unfortunately, Neil Jr. joked that James was going to grow up thinking Mimi and Bop were just big question marks because that was all they could see on their screen!  According to Neil,  the upload and download speed wasn't "good enough", so we called Time Warner and upgraded the bundle package.  For a mere $10 more a month we got the "Extreme Broadband" package...30 mg download and 5 mg upload!  I am happy to report that most of the time James sees Mimi and Bop on the screen and not just big question marks!  In the last week or so, he really does seem to be seeing us and it is a wonderful feeling.  He is grabbing toys and babbling and it really does feel like we are sitting in his living room.  We always look forward to our Skype visits with James a couple of times a week, and love taking Skype pictures.  Although we can't reach out and touch him...it really is the next best thing!

The Perfect Remedy

January has always seemed so bleak to me.  Christmas is over. The decorations are put away 'til next year.  The house feels very empty.  This year was even more difficult because James and his Mom and Dad flew back to Colorado after a magical Christmas week at our house.  I came home from work one day several days later and Neil had even put away all the baby stuff...he said it was too depressing.  Normally January melancholy leads to a new home project.  Last year it was repainting the living room and foyer and reupholstering the chairs and sofa.  This year it isn't as easy to fix.  So...I've come to the conclusion that only a trip to Colorado will remedy what ails me!   I've spent the last few days trying to "schedule" a trip.  James and his parents are coming back to Raleigh in August for his Aunt Breck's wedding, so I thought a trip this spring would be perfect.  Neil checked the flight prices and I asked at work about a couple days off.. we are almost ready to book!  We are hoping to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with James in Colorado.  Now I can start counting down the days again...52!  I feel better already!!!

How much is too much shopping for James?

As a first time grandmother I am having trouble setting limits, and not just on shopping.  I am overwhelmed by the latest and greatest gadgets, outfits and toys for babies out there. And I want to buy them all!  I remember before James was even born, Neil and I would marvel over all of the changes in baby stuff.  For starters, we didn't know there were warmers for baby wipes, rubber duckies that change color when the bath water is too hot, baby carriers that with one quick press of a button pop in and out of the car seat or stroller.  Did you know that diapers now have a line that turns from yellow to blue when they are wet?  It's been almost 19 years since we had our last baby, but in many ways, it feels like a century!  Our grandson James lives across the country, so when he came to our house for the first time we wanted to have everything.  We bought a portable crib, a car seat base, a fold up stroller...you get the picture.  Then along came Christmas.  We only bought one toy, but I couldn't resist the Christmas outfit, the Christmas pajamas, and then my favorite...the Christmas bib that says "Who needs Santa when I have Grandma"!  This week I started on the Valentine's Day stuff.  There are definitely times when Neil has to reign me in...but it's hard.  He's even been known to say on occasion, "James will get his a-- kicked in daycare if he wears that!"  I know that material things aren't what's important.  We truly do treasure the visits and would be lost without skype...but shopping for James is just so much fun!!!