Days Six and Seven - 30 Creative Days Hath November

Grandmothering 101

OK, despite my intention to post every day in November, I missed posting yesterday. Shoot me. Mom always said "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all..," which is exactly what I said/wrote yesterday. My muse -- old, decrepit, shopworn and tired as it is -- apparently resists being held to any kind of discipline and simply vanished.

Although, to be fair, La Muse has been working quite late into the night, but not on El Blog.

I'm planning three grandchildren's parties for the coming weeks, which is almost the total of my socializing for an entire year. This weekend I'll host an elaborate, elegant tea party and sleepover for three of my granddaughters (I have a two-year grace period before the baby joins us...), next weekend is a Harry Potter Feast, Game Fest and Film Festival with my grandson, and a month from today we'll have our annual kids' Christmas party, complete with a nativity play I write each year.

It's been another time of making Lists, ebay shopping for props, prizes and Pottermania, Googling for games and activities, and spending hours making princess garlands and jewelry, creating and printing invitations, treasure maps and clues, menus and parchment scrolls.

I never knew my any of my own grandparents, and I'm not one of those natural grandmotherly, gingerbread cookie-type of children lovers, at least for their first five years or so. (The noise! The crying! The explaining! The noise!)

There aren't many resources available to teach someone "how to be" a good grandma, either... you pretty much have to figure it out on your own, which is difficult when you have no warm, cuddly memories from the perfect role model.

I do love to give gifts, though, and thank God kids' affection can be easily bought. I'm sure when they're adults, all my grandkids will have those warm, cuddly memories of their OTHER grandmas...but they'll remember me like Santa, with a bulky bag of presents over my shoulder. I just hope no one tells them about the Xanax and ear plugs...

One more thing... if you have five minutes to be awed and overwhelmed by a truly gifted muse and glorious writing, check out Jill's blog today, Up In Alaska. You'll be glad you did, I promise.