So I have been thinking a lot lately about how I need to make more time visiting loved ones. It seems like there is a generous amount of our family that live so close by, and yet it is so hard for me to make it to their house to see them. Especially grandparents. Last week we went to visit our Great Grandparents in Bremerton. They have lived here for approaching a year now, and I have only been to their house two times! That is so lame! So many times, I think visiting with my three noisy kiddos would completely stress them out. Not to mention the screaming bloody murder fits, or the wanting to touch all of the (breakable) sparkly glass pretties.
Something last week made me change my thinking. I offered to help line the cupboards in the kitchen with cabinet liner (Is that what you call it?) , and I was thinking to myself the whole conversation, who am I going to get to babysit the kids so I can get this job done? Then Grandpa said, "make sure to bring the kids, grandma loves to play with them." That really stopped me in my mental tracks. My life is so CRAZY/busy right now with three kids 4 years old and under. When I am similar to their age, all I can hope is that my family will make time to see me, and provide some excitement in my life. I am thankful for the life stories that our grandparents so eagerly tell. And this is my note to self that I want to know them and for my children to hear them and become closer to their grandparents. I think how wonderful it must have been before children spent endless hours watching t.v. shows, video games, and cell phones. I remember my childhood as building forts, wading in the creek nearby, climbing trees, playing catch until dusk. Those are memories are so important to me! How many people will look back and say "Remember when I beat this video game or watched that t.v. show, what an awesome experience!" Lame.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Jen,
I loved this post and I think you're so right about many things.
I hope and pray that our children won't wander off to another state when they're older. It will break my heart if I can't see them and my grandchildren on a regular basis. I think grandparents can be more patient than parents sometimes because they only are with the noisy little rascals for a "visit" instead of being there in that crazy, chaotic, stressful life 24/7. There is something about grandparents that is just so special. I have a only a few memories spent with my grandma but they are so "magical" and special to me.
On the childhood memories thing... I totally agree with your observation. Thanks to you we found a home where hopefully our kids will grow up having those same kinds of memories. I'm a lot like you in the way that I grew up and I long for those same memories and experiences for my kids. It may sound extreme but Aaron and I both agree on the video game thing (we don't have any video games of any kind). I just don't think I'm the kind of mother that could be good about monitoring their use and I know that with boys they'd probably be on them all the time. I just don't think that anything is a good substitute for fresh air, exercise and imaginative play.
Sorry for the long post. I think you're great. (:
Love you.
Great post, Jen. You and Andria both said it well. When I was a kid, the neighborhood children roamed in packs and our parents had no idea where we were half the time. I'm too much of a worrier to let my kids wander like that, but I do wish they could have some of the experiences I had.
When we first moved up here 7 1/2 years ago, I have to admit I was a little bit glad to move away from the hordes of family that we lived by and all the family obligations that we had to attend. But now, I really miss all of them and the chance to just stop by for a visit. It makes me sad to think about all the cousins my kids have that they don't get to see all the time, like Brad did growing up. I'm glad that you are taking the chance to see your family and let your kids get to know them.
my parents live close by and we don't see them as often as we probably should!
Post a Comment