So, you perhaps witnessed the birth of your grandchildren. I did! My daughter had her first and it was quite a, shall we say, an experience! "Mom", said the coolest Doctor west of the Hudson River, in his Cowboy Boots and Cowboy Hat, looking way too sexy to have been a scientific scholar, "you are too weak for this..." as he was about to inject my "baby" with some sort of something. "We'll have Dad hold her..." I waited on a comfy couch until the nurse appeared and said, "Oh, Mrs. Macy! Please come with me...Dad is out cold! The Doctor has asked for your assistance!" HA! Mr. "I'm too cool and sexy passed out!" From that time (8 years, three months, 12 days ago), I have been the support, the MeMe (may-may - familiar French) to beat the band! There are no limits to my time, talent, finances (thank you Mr. Macy) to enter and win the gold in the Grandparents' Olympics!
After Todd, Tess blessed us with her presence. Dad had the intelligence (fleeting though it has been) to STAY AWAY and let me take care of Todd (#1) and the delivery where I talked MY MOTHER through the entire thing. (Too graphic?). I wanted my Mom to share the experience of her second great-grandchild.
With # 3, Tanner was high risk, however, all is well. Madonna baby-sat the duo and three years after Tess, we were graced with Tanner. God bless cell phones and my New York aggressive streak, Mom and Chaunce, Grandpa got the play by play. Dad not allowed in AGAIN.
The trio basically "had everything". I was the fun grandmother who moved Heaven and Earth to "help" Santa, etc. I made sure that the trio had the most, the best, etc. Now, I know that "Money is the Root of Evil" and "You can't buy love" and "Family is important, not gifts". I have heard all of that from those who HAVE NOT. I appreciate the sentiments. I respect them. However, if you can and don't share, SHAME ON YOU! If I have $5.00 and my grandchildren/children need it, I give them $10! My grandmother did that, you know! My parents do that, you know! My mantra...IF YOU CAN...DO! I was not raised with a silver spoon, I sported a "knock off". I just didn't realize that we were not wealthy. My childhood was what I call "Grapevine Days" (someother time). The family was open, loving, giving (even an orange instead of gold), and there was a peace, security wrapped it that!
So, now, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, Easter gifts and the like are in the form of "trips". Todd and I flew to New York, Tess and I flew to New Jersey; Tanner (young yet) had a day at the Theatre, we've gone to Hockey Games, special weekends of lunches, ear piercing, jewlry, etc. We have done the Water Parks...Kalahari, Great Wolf, CoCoKey. This year, shhhhhhhhhh, we will board a "Pirate Adventure Cruise in Ft. Lauderdale.
Last year, we went to Great Wolf Lodge. My daughter and I are Pros at this with the Trio. We travel extremely well together! The Hotel dropped the ball, I wrote a nasty-gram and now, we are guests of a "Comp" weekend to make amends.
My point of this Blog: I stood behind a Grandmother from Englewood, Ohio in the Check In line. This is actually something that you could include in your resume, because you spend a lot of time attempting to check in and get "soaked", literally) She told me (because, Great Wolf is making amends, but the system still stinks), she is of my thought that instead of buying "another sweater, etc that no one needs or wants", she saves for an entire year and treats the family to a vacation for Christmas! I really felt that this woman was my "sister". She said that she had never been to an Indoor Water Resort before and didn't know what to expect.
Sadly, I KNEW! I explained that at Great Wolf, for a mortgage on your garage, you could purchase magic wands and Kids can go on "quests" when they already felt water logged! The Ice Cream Salon was for our little princesses to have ice cream flavored Mani-Pedi s for at least your next car payment! Restaurants are passable, but if you have a bottle of Vodka rolled into your undies, the time is NICE! It is the only place on earth, in my experience, that people (children and adults) run around in either: 1. pajamas or 2. bathing suits (oh, and shouldn't). She laughed and laughed. Obviously, she wasn't taking notes and taking heed. Until, I moved in for the Kill...
WHEN THERE IS A PULSE RISING IN THE WATER PARK, WHEN CHILDREN ARE SHRIEKING AND GATHERING IN ONE SPOT, WHEN THE WOLF IS HOWLING AND YOU CAN JUST FEEL THE TENSION MOUNTING...TAKE COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There will be an emormous (in Kalahari, an elephant, in CoCo Key, a parrot & bucket) container of WATER that will empty itself every 20-30 minutes and drench EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING within a 10-15 foot radius. If she is as "with it" as I guessed that she was as grandparents go, she will be wearing one of the dry clean only coverups like mine and just not leave the water facility with a big smile! What about the hair? What about the mascara!
Do we love the time with our Grandchildren? Of course and I wouldn't have it any other way than to watch a "show" and then have snowfall in the lobby and try to catch it with my tongue with the Trio! Do I enjoy singing carols with the Carolers and my Grandchildren? Of course! Visiting with Mr. & Mrs. Claus, listening to Ruldolph read a story before the Snow falls...brings tears to the eyes (well, maybe not...mascara maintainence you know). But, I still believe, I do believe in Santa, in Children, in the Season!
BUT GRANDPARENTS EVERYWHERE...STAY AWAY FROM THOSE SNEAKY WATER DUMPINGS...LOOK UP BEFORE YOU SELECT THE LOUNGE FROM WHICH YOU WILL TAKE PICTURES, WATCH STUFF AND WAVE...BECAUSE, YOU COULD JUST DROWN IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS AND THEY BECOME SOGGY YEARS!!!
Laura Macy Author & Actress
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
You Do Realize It's December, Don't You?
I have been trying so very hard to control my brain, my tongue, my fingers flying on the keys of this keyboard. But, NO MORE NICE GUY/GAL...
Does the general public school teacher, here in Centerville, Ohio know that it is December? Does the public school system know that there are Christians out the wazoo in the Mdwest? I find this an interesting question, because, I know of one Jewish Public School Teacher who has told her class that there would be no take home homework until AFTER NEW YEAR, because there is so much going on! I know that Church and State are different entities. There are snappy private schools who are so happy to rake in our tuition and assure parents that they are the end all of whatever whosoever persuasion happens to be.
BUT
Come on, let's be realistic. I understand our shapes, our math, our spelling and reading homework in the first grade. I, personally, brag that I did earn a scholarship to William Paterson University of New Jersey because I did all of that wretched homework and papers, etc and didn't waste too much time Rocking Around The Christmas Tree (I will fill you in on the West Point Cadet at the time in another blog...remind me) We have Eight Days of the Festival of Light beginning on the 20th. I KNOW THERE IS A SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE! However, some religions consider not just the religious implications of Christmas, but even celebrate Christmas as a National Holiday.
So, why, oh why would a teacher decide on December 2 and again on December 9 to hold "Old Fashioned Day"? Children are to dress up in period costume of, oh, let's say, 1890! Really? Let's see, we are weeks from Christmas and we are doing all sorts of snappy homework, bringing in this and that for those who are not as blessed as we are. We are shopping, baking, creating those "homemade from the heart" gifty gifts. So, now we are to develop the ability to sew or the mega bucks to hire someone to sew an "old fashioned school outfit" because, really, when you signed your teaching contracts you were to create "spriit days" to throw us off the scent of getting anything done for Christmas? Get real. And then, if the two Fridays were not bad enough...the Wednesday, in between, was, wait for it...wait for it...THE SIXTIES!!! The directions in the handy flyer that came home were to find your fringed vest, psychodelic shirts and pants, and to join the fun.!
Now, let me help you out here... it is 2011. I wore my "hippie garb", many lifetimes ago...Okay, I won't argue with you teachers of the children, but I guess I just haven't picked up my "love in" clothes from the cleaners yet!
Why can't we do all of this "Back to the Back" in January when we have maybe, less to do? My "Hippie" clothes and my 1890"s garb are not so readily available when I am frantic to within two weeks be SANTA complete with lableing and wrapping before hiding the enormous stacks of consumer glee? Remember, the last day of school before January 3 is December 16! On the 16th we come in with parties, etc.
Why not decide to get all fired up about "the good old days" when we have nothing else going on? January is a nice month to get involved with insanity. But, please USE YOUR HEADS!!! OLD FASHIONED DAYS? THE 60'S? Two weeks before Christmas, I want to use my JoAnn's coupons for fabric to make Mom's Robe, not recreate her dress that she wore to school! Two weeks, I want to go to the Hobby Lobby with my coupons to gather what might make a cool swing jacket for Mom rather than tie-dye something stupid to go to the Elementary School "love-In"
If you, public schools in Centerville, are attempting to test our devotion to our children even though we help with homework, feed, house, counsel, clothe, finance activites to recreate "days gone by" for Spirit Days, I believe an investigation followed by recommendations are in order!
IT'S DECEMBER...IT'S CHRISTMAS...IT IS A TIME FOR FAMILY, FOR SHARING...not for some overwhelmed individual, instead of stringing popcorn AFTER HOMEWORK, run to create clothing from 100 years ago. It is not a time to find our "way out" clothes...which by the way...grandparents have NOT PARENTS at this date. Are you kidding me? Get real!!!
In JANUARY, we have not much to do, nor do we have a whole lot to which we can look forward...This is nonsense in DECEMBER!!!
Does the general public school teacher, here in Centerville, Ohio know that it is December? Does the public school system know that there are Christians out the wazoo in the Mdwest? I find this an interesting question, because, I know of one Jewish Public School Teacher who has told her class that there would be no take home homework until AFTER NEW YEAR, because there is so much going on! I know that Church and State are different entities. There are snappy private schools who are so happy to rake in our tuition and assure parents that they are the end all of whatever whosoever persuasion happens to be.
BUT
Come on, let's be realistic. I understand our shapes, our math, our spelling and reading homework in the first grade. I, personally, brag that I did earn a scholarship to William Paterson University of New Jersey because I did all of that wretched homework and papers, etc and didn't waste too much time Rocking Around The Christmas Tree (I will fill you in on the West Point Cadet at the time in another blog...remind me) We have Eight Days of the Festival of Light beginning on the 20th. I KNOW THERE IS A SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE! However, some religions consider not just the religious implications of Christmas, but even celebrate Christmas as a National Holiday.
So, why, oh why would a teacher decide on December 2 and again on December 9 to hold "Old Fashioned Day"? Children are to dress up in period costume of, oh, let's say, 1890! Really? Let's see, we are weeks from Christmas and we are doing all sorts of snappy homework, bringing in this and that for those who are not as blessed as we are. We are shopping, baking, creating those "homemade from the heart" gifty gifts. So, now we are to develop the ability to sew or the mega bucks to hire someone to sew an "old fashioned school outfit" because, really, when you signed your teaching contracts you were to create "spriit days" to throw us off the scent of getting anything done for Christmas? Get real. And then, if the two Fridays were not bad enough...the Wednesday, in between, was, wait for it...wait for it...THE SIXTIES!!! The directions in the handy flyer that came home were to find your fringed vest, psychodelic shirts and pants, and to join the fun.!
Now, let me help you out here... it is 2011. I wore my "hippie garb", many lifetimes ago...Okay, I won't argue with you teachers of the children, but I guess I just haven't picked up my "love in" clothes from the cleaners yet!
Why can't we do all of this "Back to the Back" in January when we have maybe, less to do? My "Hippie" clothes and my 1890"s garb are not so readily available when I am frantic to within two weeks be SANTA complete with lableing and wrapping before hiding the enormous stacks of consumer glee? Remember, the last day of school before January 3 is December 16! On the 16th we come in with parties, etc.
Why not decide to get all fired up about "the good old days" when we have nothing else going on? January is a nice month to get involved with insanity. But, please USE YOUR HEADS!!! OLD FASHIONED DAYS? THE 60'S? Two weeks before Christmas, I want to use my JoAnn's coupons for fabric to make Mom's Robe, not recreate her dress that she wore to school! Two weeks, I want to go to the Hobby Lobby with my coupons to gather what might make a cool swing jacket for Mom rather than tie-dye something stupid to go to the Elementary School "love-In"
If you, public schools in Centerville, are attempting to test our devotion to our children even though we help with homework, feed, house, counsel, clothe, finance activites to recreate "days gone by" for Spirit Days, I believe an investigation followed by recommendations are in order!
IT'S DECEMBER...IT'S CHRISTMAS...IT IS A TIME FOR FAMILY, FOR SHARING...not for some overwhelmed individual, instead of stringing popcorn AFTER HOMEWORK, run to create clothing from 100 years ago. It is not a time to find our "way out" clothes...which by the way...grandparents have NOT PARENTS at this date. Are you kidding me? Get real!!!
In JANUARY, we have not much to do, nor do we have a whole lot to which we can look forward...This is nonsense in DECEMBER!!!
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