Last week the granddaughters and I went to Atlanta to join some friends and their girls for an "American Girl" day. Shopping, lunch at the American Bistro, and the new Kit Kitteredge movie was our all day excursion.
We arrived the night before and left the day after so my friend was more than generous offering us all lodging at her house for both nights. Maybe she knew I'd bring wine.
Driving up was full of anticipation; the girls singing to EVERY song on the Disney channel and then requesting me to play Miley Cyrus; youngest granddaughter brought a CD. In pops the CD and suddenly I am flooded with requests. "Play number 4!" "No, play number 12!" "I want 4!". They were reading the back of the CD cover and yes, once again, knew all the songs. I suggested we take turns; Youngest brought the CD so she goes first, then the oldest. The first song she picks is Miley's remake of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". They are in the back seat singing and laughing and occasionally yelling "GIRLS RULE!" and "ROAD TRIP!". It's a madhouse back there. Now it's oldest granddaughter's turn she chooses.... the same song! It went like that for awhile.
I wish I had posted during the trip, with my advanced age and decreasing short term memory, I forget things until about two weeks later, then it becomes a long term memory and I can retrieve it.
The girls and I shared a futon at night. It was quite comfortable. I was expecting to be jabbed and poked during the night but they were so wiped out each day that they just fell asleep and barely moved. And one interesting note, they both loved "The Deadliest Catch". That show appeals to everyone... just how do they stay ON the boat?
One night though I awoke in the middle of the night to find youngest granddaughter's face about two inches above mine, peering down at me. "Hello" I said. "Hello" she replied. Satisfied it was me, she rolled over and went back to sleep. Sort of freaked me out.
The girls looked like little white China dolls. All four of them were dressed alike in sapphire blue mandarin collared pajamas. Even their dolls had matching pjs! Our friend from North Carolina bought each of them a set - they were the hit for pictures and I think created a sense of girl unity on the night that they all were decked out in them.
I have figured out what oldest granddaughter will be when she grows up; a dentist. She was the one who brushed her teeth without prodding. And she flossed. And she rinsed with this Smart Rinse product. Maybe I will get her a Water Pik for Christmas, bet she'll love it.
Before we left, I made up some "rules for the road". Each girls were given the rules prior to the first mile logged.
The rules were as follows;
Be nice to everyone in our group
No screaming
Share
You don’t have to eat something you don’t like but no one is making something special just for you – we eat as a group of friends
If you order it, you eat it
One doll and one outfit each or one doll and one pet. No whining about this ----
Play
Tell jokes
Laugh
Love each other
Funny how they focused on "if you order it - you eat it".
When we were at the Bistro for lunch, they gave us three choices, an appetizer, an entree, and a side. Youngest granddaughter was easy, pretzel bread, chicken strips, and curly fries. All oldest granddaughter wanted was macaroni and cheese. So I went ahead and ordered her that along with the pretzel bread (which was warm and chewy and dipped in gooey cheese - right up her alley). When the waitress brought it she said "I didn't order that!" I replied "No, but I figured you'd like it and we have to wait a bit for your macaroni and cheese." Youngest granddaughter listening in on this exchange said "If you didn't order it, you don't have to eat it".
Thanks dear.
We arrived the night before and left the day after so my friend was more than generous offering us all lodging at her house for both nights. Maybe she knew I'd bring wine.
Driving up was full of anticipation; the girls singing to EVERY song on the Disney channel and then requesting me to play Miley Cyrus; youngest granddaughter brought a CD. In pops the CD and suddenly I am flooded with requests. "Play number 4!" "No, play number 12!" "I want 4!". They were reading the back of the CD cover and yes, once again, knew all the songs. I suggested we take turns; Youngest brought the CD so she goes first, then the oldest. The first song she picks is Miley's remake of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". They are in the back seat singing and laughing and occasionally yelling "GIRLS RULE!" and "ROAD TRIP!". It's a madhouse back there. Now it's oldest granddaughter's turn she chooses.... the same song! It went like that for awhile.
I wish I had posted during the trip, with my advanced age and decreasing short term memory, I forget things until about two weeks later, then it becomes a long term memory and I can retrieve it.
The girls and I shared a futon at night. It was quite comfortable. I was expecting to be jabbed and poked during the night but they were so wiped out each day that they just fell asleep and barely moved. And one interesting note, they both loved "The Deadliest Catch". That show appeals to everyone... just how do they stay ON the boat?
One night though I awoke in the middle of the night to find youngest granddaughter's face about two inches above mine, peering down at me. "Hello" I said. "Hello" she replied. Satisfied it was me, she rolled over and went back to sleep. Sort of freaked me out.
The girls looked like little white China dolls. All four of them were dressed alike in sapphire blue mandarin collared pajamas. Even their dolls had matching pjs! Our friend from North Carolina bought each of them a set - they were the hit for pictures and I think created a sense of girl unity on the night that they all were decked out in them.
I have figured out what oldest granddaughter will be when she grows up; a dentist. She was the one who brushed her teeth without prodding. And she flossed. And she rinsed with this Smart Rinse product. Maybe I will get her a Water Pik for Christmas, bet she'll love it.
Before we left, I made up some "rules for the road". Each girls were given the rules prior to the first mile logged.
The rules were as follows;
Be nice to everyone in our group
No screaming
Share
You don’t have to eat something you don’t like but no one is making something special just for you – we eat as a group of friends
If you order it, you eat it
One doll and one outfit each or one doll and one pet. No whining about this ----
Play
Tell jokes
Laugh
Love each other
Funny how they focused on "if you order it - you eat it".
When we were at the Bistro for lunch, they gave us three choices, an appetizer, an entree, and a side. Youngest granddaughter was easy, pretzel bread, chicken strips, and curly fries. All oldest granddaughter wanted was macaroni and cheese. So I went ahead and ordered her that along with the pretzel bread (which was warm and chewy and dipped in gooey cheese - right up her alley). When the waitress brought it she said "I didn't order that!" I replied "No, but I figured you'd like it and we have to wait a bit for your macaroni and cheese." Youngest granddaughter listening in on this exchange said "If you didn't order it, you don't have to eat it".
Thanks dear.
The pic above was taken with the pretzel bread... both were demolished - they were hungry!
She finally did it eat once she saw others at the table chowing down enjoying theirs. I will say once she tries something, she usually likes it.
I have watched them with their families and they are a bit more wide open with mom and dad than with me. I think they just aren't sure how I will react and that keeps them in line somewhat.
On the way home they asked to stop for lunch. I gave them a choice either a fancy place or we could go to Mc Donalds. They wanted to hear about the fancy place. I told them about The Blue Willow Inn, where we would eat on blue glass plates which they would carry themselves and pick out their own lunch, a dessert table that had AT LEAST seven or eight desserts on it plus a big ole bowl of freshly whipped cream, and the best sweet tea you would ever drink. They picked the fancy place over a Happy Meal! YEAH!
They even took in their new American Girl dolls with them. I let them get whatever they wanted to eat and when they were ready for dessert they could pick out whatever AND go back for seconds. See grandmas are fun.
Youngest granddaughter lost her first tooth there too! She had a wiggly one and was chomping down on an ear of corn when it must have pulled because she set it down and said " I think my tooth is falling out!". I felt it and by golly it was looser! She hesitantly took another bite of corn and then set it down "I just can't do it" she exclaimed. "It's okay" I assured her. Then I looked at oldest granddaughter...hmmmm--- she has had a loose tooth for awhile now that maybe, just maybe I could get it to budge by enticing her to eat some corn on the cob. "Hey, why don't you eat some corn?"
"NO WAY!" she said.
She was on to me.
As we were eating dessert, the tooth came out. Actually youngest granddaughter just felt it move when she ate her cheesecake and reached in her mouth and plucked it out.
I missed alot when my own children were little; football games, band recitals, even being there when they were sick, all those things I regret.
Grandchildren is God's way of giving you a second chance.
And I am taking it and making the most of it.
She finally did it eat once she saw others at the table chowing down enjoying theirs. I will say once she tries something, she usually likes it.
I have watched them with their families and they are a bit more wide open with mom and dad than with me. I think they just aren't sure how I will react and that keeps them in line somewhat.
On the way home they asked to stop for lunch. I gave them a choice either a fancy place or we could go to Mc Donalds. They wanted to hear about the fancy place. I told them about The Blue Willow Inn, where we would eat on blue glass plates which they would carry themselves and pick out their own lunch, a dessert table that had AT LEAST seven or eight desserts on it plus a big ole bowl of freshly whipped cream, and the best sweet tea you would ever drink. They picked the fancy place over a Happy Meal! YEAH!
They even took in their new American Girl dolls with them. I let them get whatever they wanted to eat and when they were ready for dessert they could pick out whatever AND go back for seconds. See grandmas are fun.
Youngest granddaughter lost her first tooth there too! She had a wiggly one and was chomping down on an ear of corn when it must have pulled because she set it down and said " I think my tooth is falling out!". I felt it and by golly it was looser! She hesitantly took another bite of corn and then set it down "I just can't do it" she exclaimed. "It's okay" I assured her. Then I looked at oldest granddaughter...hmmmm--- she has had a loose tooth for awhile now that maybe, just maybe I could get it to budge by enticing her to eat some corn on the cob. "Hey, why don't you eat some corn?"
"NO WAY!" she said.
She was on to me.
As we were eating dessert, the tooth came out. Actually youngest granddaughter just felt it move when she ate her cheesecake and reached in her mouth and plucked it out.
I missed alot when my own children were little; football games, band recitals, even being there when they were sick, all those things I regret.
Grandchildren is God's way of giving you a second chance.
And I am taking it and making the most of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment