Talk to you soon,
Nannette Gilbert
Stay at Home Grandma
info@stayathomegrandma.com
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We celebrated Mother’s Day on Saturday at my daughter’s house with her family and future in-laws. Jeff helped Ryan put a new radiator in his Jeep while Alicia and I chatted. Then everyone had BBQ burgers and brats. Dalton played with all the little ones in the back yard for hours which allowed the adults to visit.
After dinner, we all sat down in the family room to relax. Ryan took this opportunity to tell everyone how much he appreciated both his family for loving Alicia and ours for loving him. It was sweet. Then he dropped down on one knee and asked Alicia to marry him. She, of course, burst into tears and said yes.
So we are all sitting there watching Alicia and Ryan hug with tears in our eyes, when Dalton comes in from the back yard carrying Pia and loudly asks, “Does anyone have any tweezers?” This made everyone crack up.
Definitely a great scene worthy of America’s Funniest Home Videos. I do think it is the first time that I ever got to watch someone propose to someone before. Except for my own.
Alicia's Ring -- the garnets are the girls' birthstones, very beautiful and so "her."
Talk to you soon,
Nannette Gilbert
Stay at Home Grandma
info@stayathomegrandma.com
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Yesterday afternoon was a beautiful day, so I took the girls outside to ride their bicycles. It was around 4:00 pm and the neighborhood children had already gotten home from school.
An older girl was riding her bike up and down the street and stopped in front of the house to talk to the girls. Pia is quite tall for her age and is often mistaken for being a bit older than she actually is. I think the girl at first thought both Biff and Pia were older, because after exchanging names she asked them what grade they were in. Pia said she wasn’t a grade yet, and Biff didn’t answer.
Shortly after that the little girl asked them how old they were, and then she realized that she was actually talking to little kids. My guess, she is around nine. I could tell that she had deemed them too young to actually play with, but sweetly said good-bye and rode off.
They both then announced to me that they had a new friend. Pia said that she forgot her name though and then turned and asked Biff, if she would miss her. Biff stated, “No, I don’t even know her.”
A few minutes later, a young boy also around nine or so, rode his bike up to them. He asked Biff her name and she told him, “I’m (real name) the Princess.” They boy just shrugged and went with it. He then rode bikes back and forth in front of the house with the girls for a few minutes. He even said good-bye before he left.
It’s really nice to know that the girls live in a nice neighborhood where older children wear helmets and will stop by to play with them without making them feel too young or silly. I love being privileged enough to hear these first social conversations. I’m also thinking that I might start introducing myself as “Nana, the Queen” or maybe “Nana, the Exalted One.” Biff seems to get away with it.
Talk to you soon,
Nannette Gilbert
Stay at Home Grandma
info@stayathomegrandma.com
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Dalton will kill me for posting this pic 
Bit of a lame reaction, oh well
Talk to you soon,
Nannette Gilbert
Stay at Home Grandma
info@stayathomegrandma.com
Twitter
Facebook
There has been so much talk lately about helicopter parenting which I see often when at the library or The park with the girls. That’s why seeing a non-helicopter parent stands out.
After going to the library today, we stopped at the park. There was a group of four women and their multiple children ranging in ages from around one to five. While the women were chatting the kids were playing slightly unattended.
Two little girls avoided being seriously hurt mostly by the bigger kids intervening. One was knocked in the head and over backwards by Pia who was swinging. The little girl walked behind her. Another one kept climbing the slide even though she flew off the end of the slide.
The one little girl was yelled at for crying, but the reason she was crying was from falling down which her mom didn’t see. So even though I think helicopter parenting is detrimental there is a point when a parent isn’t providing enough supervision.
I think that being somewhere between overprotective and neglectful is a good idea. For example, the girls play on their own for the most part because they are four and five. Although I stay within earshot and sight to provide help, stop fights, etc. for example, a bigger boy started chasing Pia and it scared her.
Also there is a port-o-pot, I’m not sure I even like using them alone so I always help the girls. Biff is afraid she’ll fall in, so she needs help. Plus I limit unhealthy touching of the facility, ick.
Shouldn’t children under two have direct supervision at a park engineered for bigger kids? Especially when those older kids are playing unattended?
Talk to you soon,
Nannette Gilbert
Stay at Home Grandma
info@stayathomegrandma.com
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