Parenthood....then, grandparenthood.

When I was raising my son, Mike, I worried that I was getting “parenthood” right.    At 22 years old, I was pretty young when I started that journey by the current standards of today.   But, something must have been working in my favor as my son is now a very responsible adult with a family, job, and life in Connecticut.  Unfortunately, long distances have always been a part of my grandparenting experience.  Annual and semi-annual visits have been short and sweet.  Even though I have time to plan for the visits and think about what will work, I still worry that I might not be getting this role just right.   

Santa Monica Pier

This past week was one of the best visits with my two grandchildren – Ryan (14) and Meghan (11½).   It was educational, exciting, exhausting, and exhilarating all at the same time.   What I learned in 7 days includes:

Dodger Game

•   Adult interests don’t always = a teen’s
•   Volume of food is more important than quality or variety
•    Noise doesn’t faze youthful ears

•   Getting ready to leave the house is very different for girls vs. boys
•   Their knowledge on merchandise and brands exceeds Consumer Report’s analysis
•   Entertainment media in some form is vital to survival
•   Watching the 2012 Olympics is a universal favorite of all ages

After dropping them off at the airport at 5 a.m. on Saturday for their long trip home, Dennis and I came home to a very, very quiet house.  Later in the morning, the cat finally came out from under the bed; but even she seemed a little sad that they were gone.   Given all the fun and excitement, the busy schedule we had kept in order to squeeze everything in, and the ups-and-downs with the food I had on hand and prepared --- in the end, when all was said and done, the only word I had for the visit was….exceptional.