Grandma’s House
Thursday, December 29th, 2011
I never really had grandparents. My mother’s mother and my father’s father died when my parents were still children. I only met my paternal grandmother once and my maternal grandfather passed when I was toddler.
Luckily, my children have a different life. They have three sets of grandparents: Nonna and Grandpa Elroy; Grammie and Grampie; and Grandma and Grandpa Tampa (because they live in Tampa).
This Christmas we are staying with Grandma and Grandpa Tampa. In fact, my husband’s entire family is here to celebrate the holidays. That’s two grandparents, four grown children, their spouses, and ten grandchildren.
This is what I love about Grandma’s house. The day we arrived she said, “Nothing is breakable in this house that will be missed.”
Which is good because seven minutes after she said that, the twins started fencing with the candles from the Advent wreath.
On Christmas Eve she said to my four-year-old, “Let’s bake a birthday cake for Jesus! Shall we bake a yellow cake or a chocolate cake?”
When my daughter dropped the open bag of yellow cake mix all over the kitchen floor, Grandma didn’t skip a beat.
“Well! I guess we’ll make a chocolate cake!”
When the boys banged on the piano, she said, “Look how much fun they’re having!”–a phrase she repeated when the boys tried to lick the dogs.
On day four, after a long day at the museum, Grandma calmed our over-stimulated and cranky kids with the magic words: “When we get home, let’s have hot chocolate.”
When one of my sons came down with a fever and suspicious spots, she said, “This is the number of a really good urgent care center.” Two days later when the other son had a fever she said, “I can go to the pharmacy for you.”
When I was busy attending to the sick boys, she read books to my daughter. When I was busy on the phone she put the twins on her lap and watched Elmo videos on youtube with them. She played the movie “My Fair Lady” for the oldest grandchild (“I just know you’ll love the costumes,” she told her) and walked the dogs with the youngest grandchild.
Today (day eight) I alluded to the noise level in the living room–the combination of laughing, crying, screaming, and that dancing chipmunk who sings “Feliz Navidad”–as chaos.
Grandma shrugged.
“That’s what families sound like,” she said.
Thanks, Grandma.
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Janine Kovac is a former ballet dancer-turned-computer programmer. She recently graduated magna cum laude from UC Berkeley and is the 2009 recipient of the Robert J. Glushko Prize for “Distinguished Undergraduate Research” in Cognitive Science. Janine’s hobbies are smiling and remembering to eat breakfast. She’s turned on by champagne, folded laundry, and moonlit walks on the beach thinking about champagne and folded laundry. A lifelong “writer in the closet,” Janine has finally decided to join the Writing Mamas and let her inner Erma Bombeck run wild. She lives in Oakland with a great husband who keeps her laughing, a beautiful daughter who keeps her on her toes, and identical twin baby boys who keep her awake.
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That grandma is also your mother-in-law–a wonderful friend to you and an angel to all kids who visit her. This was so well-written, I could see all the different scenes in her home. Lucky you to have her, lucky us to have you tell us about that neat lady!
I remember know this grandma- and I can tell you I remember her as a mother who welcomed the chaos of her children and her children’s friends the same way…with a smile, with a new idea to embrace …with peace. This made my New year’s day.
Oh wow, she sounds like the best Grandma ever! Lucky lucky you. What a fabulously written piece. You write so well, Janine. Love the chaos and fun and love and laughter. Hope the kids are feeling better now (and you).
Hi, my name is Heather! Please email me when you can, I have a question about your blog!
Hi, my name is Heather! Please email me when you can, I have a question about your blog!
HeatherVonSJ[at]gmail[dot]com
what a special gift for you and family to have such a warm welcoming lady to offer comfort foods and more. enjoyed you story alot.
Hi Janine,
What a lovely, well-written piece! I didn’t really have grandparents either. Although my daughter only sees one of her three living grandparents regularly (my mom), I’m so grateful for the special relationship they have.
Nice to hear from you Dorothy! I was just thinking about our time at Squaw…