SANTA SAMMY

Its funny how sometimes things will happen to make you remember things that you had forgotten all about.  Today I was looking through a suitcase that I have full of memories and pictures. I found this picture of My Grandson Sammy taken when he was only a couple of months old. I found a "Santa Suit" at Wal-mart and I thought how cute it would be to have his picture made in it. I made arrangements with his Mom and Dad to let me take Sammy to JC Penny's to have pictures made. They would meet us there after they got off from work. I was so excited to be taking him to have his first Professional Pictures taken!  I didn't realize that I would have to change His clothes for different poses. I was the one who packed his bag for the pictures and I packed plenty of clothes but NO DIAPERS!! Well You can guess what happened! Can you believe that the Portrait Studio didn't have any spare diapers!!! What?? I would have to go buy some diapers while we were waiting for Mom and Dad. To my surprise JC Penny's doesn't sell diapers! How did I know? We were at a BIG MALL and you would think a MALL would have a store that sold diapers! NO!  So I went back to JC Penny and started wondering around the infant department until I spotted a young couple with a baby! I explained my situation to them and they laughed and gave me a diaper. I offered to pay them for it but they just laughed and said no! So thanked them and we went back to get the pictures made. Turns out they were the cutest pictures ever! So glad I didn't decide to leave and not get them taken! And So glad JC Penny has an infant dept. You can meet the nicest people there!

Grandmas at Church

I was thinking about all the Great Sundays I've had over the years at Church with the Grands. There is something special about being a Grandma at Church. It's like being a member of a "Special Club"!  My Grandson Sammy was born on a Thursday so I was so excited to see everyone that Sunday! Everyone was waiting to congratulate me. Of course I had plenty of pictures and everyone else had a chance to pull out their pictures too! It's almost like contest! Put a bunch of Grandmas together and let someone pull out some pictures! Here you go with the competition!
I was Choir Director at my Church and every week I would take a picture of Sammy and tape it to my music stand in the choir room so when everyone came in they could admire his picture. Of course I would always RUN to get him after church so I could parade him around!
One Sunday his Mom and Dad were sitting on the front row with him in church. I usually sat there when I was finished leading the singing. All I had to do was look at his Mom and smile BIG and she handed him to me to hold during church. When It came time for me to go back up to lead singing again I handed him back to his Mom.
Little did I know I forgot to take the "Bib Cloth" off my shoulder!! I couldn't figure out why everyone was laughing! My Son finally came up and got the bib cloth off my shoulder!  Guess EVERYONE knew I was a Grandma then!

Picking Up From School

I usually get to pick my two youngest Grandchildren up from School and Daycare at least once a week.
You can learn a lot just from talking to a 6yr old and a 3yr old in the car. They can't run away when you are talking to them!
Just last week I asked Sammy on the way home if he had a good week. He said almost. Just one day bad! Of course I asked what happened to make THAT Day bad?  He said, " I was just minding my own business when the teacher asked "Who was TALKING in the class"? EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the class pointed their finger at ME"! That was a BAD day! I said I guess it was especially if he had been the one that was talking! No Comment! Ha!
Now Maddie who is 3yrs.old doesn't like to tell too much about what happens in her class. She may tell on herself!
I was talking to her today and she asked me when we could go to see the "Christmas Lights" again. I tried to explain that Christmas only comes once a year and she would have to wait awhile to go again. She asked if "Awhile" was tomorrow? So I tried to think of a way to tell here how long it would be. I finally told her that she had to wait until she had her Birthday and she was 4yrs old. She immediately said with excitement "Then I can DRIVE"!  I said No it wouldn't be that long! She didn't say anything for a few minutes. When Sissy is quiet she is thinking! She finally said, "Well Daddy and Mommy probably wont let me Drive so can I use Your Car?? Ha! See what I'm in for!

SUMMER VBS

We started every summer for as long as I can remember with "Vacation Bible School".
All the kids loved going. I didn't work in the summer so Our Daughters boys used to stay with us in the summer. Her boys were under 3 yrs. old when Don and I got married.
They loved coming and staying with "Pappy" and "Nanny"!
One summer the boys wanted to stay with us for the week and go to VBS at our Church.
VBS was during the day back then. I got all the kids up and we ate breakfast. We were running a Little late. It wasn't easy to get 7 kids up, dressed and ready to go!
Everyone filed out the door and into the Van.  I yelled out "Everyone Buckle Up" and we were headed down the road.  About halfway to the church I heard a little voice behind my seat say "Nanny I forgot My PANTS"!!  I looked up in the rear view mirror and saw my Sweet little Grandson sitting there with his Shirt, Shoes and Socks on! NO PANTS!  He was so worried he was going to get left behind.  So when all the others started running to the car he followed them.  I turned the van around and went back to get some pants for him. The rest of the week when we got in the Van I didn't yell Buckle Up! I Yelled "Everyone Have Pants On"?

My Big Yellow School Bus

The first few years Don and I were married I drove a School Bus. Back then the School District let us bring our buses home with us. Since most of the morning routes started before daylight it was safer.
Almost every time the Grands would come over to see us they would have to play "Bus Driver" before going home!
For some reason small children are fascinated with "Big Yellow Buses"!  All the kids wanted to ride with me whenever  I drove.
The school that I picked up on my afternoon route was near where one of our Grandsons lived. He wasn't old enough to go to school yet. My bus would go right passed his house coming and going. Usually when he heard me go by the first time he was waiting in the window for me the second time! He would always wave to me and I would wave back!
One day I called his Mom and told her that I was finishing early and If she would let me I would stop by after I finished taking the kids home and let him ride with me to my house.  Well, he was so excited that he couldn't even take a nap! I drove past the first time and he knew I was coming back again so he started getting ready! Second time passed the house and all the kids on the bus were pointing up at his window and laughing!!! I looked up and he was standing on his bed "Butt Naked" looking out the window waving at me!!! He wasn't concerned that he didn't have his clothes on yet!! He knew I was coming back to get him!!
And I did! Too bad we didn't have cell phone cameras back then!  But that's OK!  I still have that picture in my mind! 

Very First Day as a Grandmother

Don and I were married in March 1989 in Summerville at Azalea Park. It was a beautiful day and the park was in full bloom. We had a small ceremony with just Family and a few close friends. After the ceremony we were going to have a small reception at the church we were attending so our church family and others could join us.
Don already had 3 Grandchildren at this time. They were all very young. The oldest was 3yrs old.
As we were getting in the car to ride to the church one of the Grandchildren came running over and wanted to ride with us to the church.
I remember Don looking at me not sure what to do. I smiled and then he opened the door to the "Mini Van" and a smiling Grandchild jumped in!  I was their "Nanny" from that minute on. After that we didn't go to many places when one or more of the Grands weren't with us!  It became sort of a joke every Sunday when we pulled up at Church and opened the doors to the van everyone would count the kids that jumped out!
Thank the Lord for "Mini Vans"!  Those were the "Good Ole Days!" 

Sunday Dinners

Don is working today so I'm spending the day alone. Its nice to have some "Me" time. I was thinking today about all the wonderful times we have had over the years with Our "Sunday Dinners".  We had dinner at home every Sunday after church mainly because it was too expensive to take 9 people out to lunch. It also gave us a chance to spend time with the older kids who were always busy! There wasn't a Sunday that we didn't have some "extras" too! Friends, girlfriends,etc...
I was remembering one particular Sunday afternoon we  finished eating we all gathered in the living room. One of the youngest Grandsons was playing on the floor in the middle of the room. Everyone else was talking and laughing, like we always do when we get together, not even paying attention to him.  All of a sudden he yells out  S**t(the dreaded S word)! Now I know I have been guilty of saying it a time or too when the kids were babies and I was up to my elbows in it!  But this was a 3yr old!!!
You could have heard a pin drop! He didn't even realize he had done anything wrong. His Dad jumped up and was getting ready to spank him when My Husband came to the rescue! He said he must have heard SOMEONE say that!
Pretty soon everyone was confessing that MAYBE they had "slipped" up in front of him a few times!
Out of the mouths of Babes!!! Ha!!
Always be careful what you say in front of the Little Ones! You may here it coming right back to you!!