“Mothers couldn’t be everywhere. That’s why God created Grandmothers.”  I love this saying. I found it on a plaque once and gave it to my own grandmother. It made her cry. It was especially true in her case. My grandmother did step in for my mom for a time when I was very young and she remained really dear and special to me. I miss her very much, but I’m grateful for the many years of wonderful memories I have of her.

I am blessed with four step grandchildren myself now and I want to be the kind of grandma (or Nana in my case) that she was, or at least as close as I can get to it. My own grandmother was full of fun and adventure when she was with me and I want to be like that with the next generation for as long as I can.

Now that my son has grown and moved on I realize, to my shock, how fast his childhood fled by and so as grandparents John and I want to s-l-o-w it down and enjoy every second. We just spent the long weekend here at our place with 3 of our kids and their friends/spouses, and 4 grand kids. The weather wasn’t ideal but we still had a lot of fun together. We all get together every year on the Canada Day long weekend and I love that it has become “our” time. Blow up beds and foamies everywhere; chip crumbs and ice cream drips on the floor. It doesn’t get any better!

For those few days our usual quiet routine was interrupted by the sound of a little one singing Frère Jacques and Itsy Bitsy Spider over and over and over, the adolescent squeaks of a boy-voice-changing to-a-man-voice, doors constantly opening and closing, the boom of gun fire from video games, and laughter…lots and lots of laughter. And we loved every second of it!

As I write this I’m surrounded by pictures of my family and it makes my heart swell. I can’t believe how lucky I am. Once I’ve swept and washed the sticky floor, washed the eight loads of sheets and towels that wait for me, had a nap, ordered out for dinner and put my feet up…I’m really going to miss everyone.

In a day or two I’ll probably even stop hearing these words repeating in my head:

Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques, Dormez vous? Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines, Sonnez les matines, Ding, dang, dong! Ding, dang, dong!

I understand why my grandma had to have a nap everyday now. Dormez vous? Soon, little one, soon.

Cherish the moments everyone!