Deerfeeders come in all shapes and sizes.
|12.Oct.2007
This is my dad; resident deer whisperer. Cesar Millan has nothing up on my dad. I think I should buy my dad one of these shirts. I mean, isn’t that what Grandpas are supposed to do? Dress badly? He doesn’t – we still have some training. I’m sure it must be in the How to be a Great Grandparent video. I betcha the number one guideline is “Wear silly t-shirts, lavishly stick bumper stickers like ‘My grandchild is an honor student’ all over the back of your vehicles, and whenever possible, feed wild animals that appear in your backyard.”
Yours don’t do that?
Obviously you have some training to do too.
Buy the video.
I’m SURE it doesn’t say things like, “Hide behind random pieces of cookery whenever your daughter tries to take your picture.” *ahem* MOM!
“Luke”… I mean, “HEATHER, I am your Mah-ther.”
This one is better. This is my mom’s smile. She’s laughing. I can hear her in this picture. I can hear her laugh. I can also here here talking. Y’know what’s she’s saying, right?
"Heather, stop taking pictures of me."
NEVAH!
My parents moved into their home here in August. To say I’m thrilled out of my mind is an understatement. I’ll admit NOW that I did have some concerns. What if I was the same ol’ brat as before and we couldn’t get along? What if they sent me to my room or grounded me from my husband? What if they treated me like a child and started advising me how to raise my kids? WHAT IF THEY NOTICED I AM FAT? Oh good Lord, please don’t let them notice that I’m FAT! (heh heh) What if I find out I’m really doing everything wrong and in fact, my mother WAS right all those years.
The pressure was almost too much.
Moving day came and went.
And with its departure went all my concerns.
Life is so sweet. My children get to see their Izzy and Poppa Ken almost any time they want to see them. After all these years, they have grandparents at Grandparent’s Day at school. They get to go swimming at their neighborhood pool. They get to go and hang out with them at their house and I don’t ask what they ate or how late they stayed-up, because it doesn’t matter.
My parents finally get to be in my kids’ everyday lives and it makes my heart sing.
Recently when I was picking the kids up from school Meredith said, “Can we go to Izzy and Poppa Ken’s today?” I told her that no, we couldn’t because I hadn’t talked with them about a visit today, to which she responded, “We don’t have to ask. Izzy and Poppa Ken LOVE for us to come over after school.”
And y’know, they do; they really do.
24 Comments
sherry
My mom is the same way, it’s so hard to get pictures of her.
My parents are only a 20 minute drive away (give or take) but we don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like. I wish they lived as close as my in-laws so we could get together more easily.
Jill - GlossyVeneer
That’s great that your parents can live so close. My mom is really struggling with the fact that her only grandbaby lives so far away (in Denver) and it’s hard to get there to see the baby.
And I gotta train my grandparents about that whole feeding wild animals thing. They aren’t doing that. Of course, not a lot of animals wander into their Salt Lake City neighborhood.
Emily R
Okay! You win! We’ll move back to California. The East Coast is great, but I miss my folks, and all my siblings and their families.
bethany actually
It’s wonderful that you, your kids, and your parents are all able to enjoy each other’s company and have that dropping-in-after-school relationship while they are living close to you! We live over a thousand miles away from all of Annalie’s grandparents. Annalie has a really special relationship with my mom, and it just breaks my heart to see them saying good-bye to each other after a visit. That alone may get us back to our hometown someday, when we’re able.
MMM
That is so precious! You are so blessed!
Kami
Ok first of all, your mother, seriously? A sister I would believe. What is her skin care secret… we all NEED it!
And how wonderful to have them right there. I wish my parents lived in the same city. Neither of us are willing to move though so it won’t be happening.
Melissa in NZ
Your parents look precious! A huge blessing to have them nearby.
Aileen
What’s your mom making? It’s making me drool.
For the first time in 10 years I’m an hour and 40 minutes away from my family. I don’t see them that often because they all work full time, but definitely more than once a year. The kids love them so it’s nice when we all get together.
Lanna
I am totally jealous. My mom won’t be able to move up here until she can retire in 5 years. :( At least it gives us time to build a garage with an apartment over it so the kids can scamper over there whenever she lets them.
Although the IL’s… I’d rather them not live close. I prefer to keep my marriage intact.
mamalang
My mom moved here a year ago and it’s been great. My DH is active Army, so when he’s away, the extra help is awesome. My MIL also lives here, but she has been battling breast cancer for the last year. Having my mom even helped her out. Isn’t it great when it can work that way?
Angella
You are so blessed to have family like that nearby. Really. I’m envious. In a good, loving way.
xoxoxo
BOSSY
Bossy’s mom lives on the next block. It’s crazy great for everyone. Nearly as crazy great as having Bossy’s brother only two blocks away in the opposite direction. Bossy likes shtetl living.
Liz C
Aaawwww… now I miss my Mom and one of my brothers! I’ve had the experience of living three blocks from my Mom (during single life) and loved it. We moved to our current city because my brother and his little family were over here, and said, “Come on over, you’ll love it!” So we did, and we have… but the stinker of a little brother moved his family 10 hours west to our hometown last year, after six years of living in one another’s pockets, with frequent Cousin-ly Get Togethers For No Particular Reason, and now we’re all bereft of family close-by again.
When I call Mom, there’s usually at least one of the three brothers living in our hometown talking in the background. I definitely miss them all! Luckily, it’s sunny out today, so I can miss them in a sweet, autumnal way, rather than in a depressed, miserable way. :)
Mrs. G.
You get daughter points for this one. Cute parents and sweet post.
Mrs. Wilson
Oh cool! I have to ask … what are those blue things? My parents live close to me too … it’s bittersweet. My mom drives me nuts sometimes. But, my daughter loves to go there – weird thing about grandparents, hey?
Michelle
Heather – Your mom is beautiful! I was wondering too what the blue things on the deck were…at first I thought, “beach towels”…but then I thought, “moving blankets” – please unravel this mystery :o)
MR. OMSH
The “blue things” are really trendy to lay around your back patio/porch in our area of Texas. Tradition has it that the original Native American tribes would set out their family blankets to welcome home the spirits of their dead ancestors. The blankets you see pictured portray OMSH’s original family crest from Stegolauthia.
Believable? I think not.
Seriously: If I’m not mistaken, they were ‘airing out’ the moving blankets….
Michelle
…See, I told you they were Native American family blankets set out to welcome home the spirits of their dead ancestors! Yeah, I just said “beach towels” b/c I didn’t want to look like I “knew too much” ;o)
Michelle
Okay, there was a part missing in my post…I had …See, I told you so on and so forth.
Michelle
OMG it did it again – Allright, let’s try this – Nudging Mrs. Wilson
OMSH
Mr. OMSH is hopped up on dreams after visiting, sitting on, and caressing the Yamaha motorcycle he is itching to buy.
Stega-what? Who?
ANYWAY!
Those of you who noticed my mother is absolutely gorgeous … no skin tips. Seriously. She moisturizes and washes, but not with high dollar stuff.
IT IS HER GENETICS – and that whole “beauty from within” thing she has going on. I should upload a photo of HER MOTHER. Beautiful, beautiful, women.
KYouell
As I type my husband is in Oregon exploring a new place to live, farther away from the Crazy Grandma’s. I wish we had beautiful relationships like this, but we do not. And a person can only stand crazy for so long.
Before The Biscuit was born they went and took a Grandparenting Class at the same place we were taking our Birthing Class. They seemed to take away one piece of info: their job is to spoil their children so that their children can take good care of their grandchildren. I say seemed because they are now saying things like, “It’s written somewhere that I can spoil my grandkids.” Uh, no, just the opposite.
Maybe someday.
OMSH
KYouell – I’ve never heard that the grandparents job is to spoil their children so that their children can take good care of their grandchildren, but I gotta say I LOVE IT! HA!
KYouell
Yeah, well, I am a little bitter. My mom and MIL go about it different ways, but they are both passive aggressive control freaks. Hubby and I are just plain control freaks. Not only are we annoyed by them trying to control things (MIL: “You need a new tv. I’ve been doing research but don’t understand HD. Explain it to me.” Us: “We don’t need a new tv.”), but that they won’t admit they are doing it. Big sigh.