It's true----in just about 6 weeks, I'm going to suddenly, overnight, or over a day, in a matter of hours, turn into a grandmother! I've been excited about that ever since I received a wonderful Mother's Day gift, a baby blanket. You see, my "typical" new baby gift, for years, has been one of those even-weave, thermal baby blankets, to which I've added some cross-stitched embellishments. Hearts. Sailboats. Bunnies. So, this past Mother's Day, I looked into my gift bag, and I knew. It wasn't a blanket----it was an announcement. A wonderful, fantastic, exciting---and for the time being, secret----announcement. I immediately went into craft mode. What could I make? What could I learn? I had always wanted to learn to smock, and suddenly it seemed like I didn't have much time. Made some burp cloths out of diapers. The fun was beginning.
About 8 weeks later we learned, the baby is----- a------girl!!! Woo-hoo! We raised two boys, and wouldn't trade them for anything. I always felt that I was meant to be the mother of boys. Baseball and Lego's and trucks-----loved it all. But now? To have a granddaughter----wow! It opens up so many new possibilities. Did some research, and ordered a pleater. Made some hair bows. Made some more hair bows. Made even more hair bows? Do you know how easy those are? Do you know what cute ribbon is available? Even in Dollar Tree? If you need almost any color, I probably have it! Do you know how cute dresses and panties and ruffled hats are? I mean, seriously? I have more projects in mind than I have time to complete them----hope she'll be patient with me!
But what kind of grandmother do I want to be? I had two, very different ones myself. One was fun and playful-----I remember building a snowman in her yard. She was creative, always sewing, or doing paint-by-number, or needlepoint (she didn't follow anyone's rules for that, but made her own), or Liquid Embroidery (that must have been a fad, but she had every color tube there was, and we all had decorative pillowcases and dresser scarves). In later years, she developed Alzheimer's, and didn't even know me, but childhood memories of her are of a fun-loving grandmother.
My other grandmother was more serious, for lack of a better word. She was the kind who would sit with you and ask you what you liked, what your favorite TV show was (I remember telling her it was "My Three Sons"---I guess that dates me), what subject you liked in school. She came to visit from out-of-town fairly regularly, even unannounced (I wouldn't do THAT!).
So, what kind will I be? I want to be involved, and interested, and available, and fun, and engaged. I've been watching some great role model grandmothers, and I'm soaking up all sorts of ideas from them. I'm looking forward to "Christmas Craft Day(s) with Granna,"----shoot, I've already planned the craft for the first year. And the third. And have a whole board on Pinterest with ideas for other years. I want this to be a fun place for her to come, a safe place to hang out and chat, a place she asks to come to. We can cook, read, play the piano, glue stuff, paint stuff, make stuff. I want to be a mix of my two grandmothers-----a little serious, a lot of fun, Or maybe some days it will be more serious, and less fun. I can't wait to spend time with her, watch her grow, teach her things----and not just with her, but with any future siblings and/or cousins she will have. And if they are brothers or boy cousins, no problem----I'm already experienced, and will have fun pulling Tonka trucks out of the attic and Lego's out of the closet.
So, Granna is ready. Or not ready. I've got to be trained. I've never done this before. I want to do it right, but I'll probably make some mistakes. Hopefully our little lady will be patient with me----she's in charge of the training!
And about the name---one of those role model cool grandmothers I've been watching is a "Granna." I decided some years back that I wanted to try out that name. I get the fact that grandbaby may very well decide to give me a different name once she's talking, and I'll be more than happy to accept it. But for the time being at least, I need a name other than "the mother of the baby's father"----who wants to be called that?!?! And I'm living with "Pa"---and I think Pa and Granna sounds good together. Come on, let's go to Pa and Granna's house!!!
Gotta go-----there are projects to do, and I only have 6--or fewer----weeks!!
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