Tag Archives: being a grandmother

Tomorrow’s THE Day!

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Thursday, July 17, 2025

They were “supposed” to arrive today but they got delayed by a day because my daughter had an in person audition (they rarely happen these days) and they’re coming tomorrow. I can hardly contain my excitement. Two weeks with my daughter and her family and my son’s coming on Monday. Yay! I am one excited mama! So, of course, I’ve been going a little bit crazy with preparations and cleaning up but I think I’m almost ready to have them arrive. Who am I kidding, I’m totally ready and have been for ages.

I decided to try to cast on and knit the little blanket for my granddaughter’s bed. It’s a pattern from the LYS where I work called the “Three Cable Baby Blanket” and it’s made with Hayfield’s Baby Blossom Chunky yarn and US 10 1/2 needles so it’s a quick knit and I’ve been pushing it. I have made it to the 14th cable twist and that means that I have three more plus the edging to go. I should make it by the deadline of bedtime tomorrow night. I love this yarn – machine wash and dry – and it’s soft and snuggly. Sylvie has one in pink at home that was a gift and she loves it. I thought a few things that were like those she has at home would make our house feel more like home, too. Tomorrow night will be the test.

Today I took a few minutes between folding loads of laundry from the wonderful visit with my brother and sister-in-love, my nephew and his family, to do a tubular bind off on my Big Love Cardigan. I don’t remember doing a tubular bind off before but it’s really slick! I love the way it looks, it’s stretchy but not stretched out and It’s a really nice bind off … this one was a lot of sewing but it’s now off the needles. On to sleeve island when I finish the blanket.

I tried it on after the bind off and I hope it’s going to relax a bit when it’s blocked. It’s a little bit “tight” so I can’t wrap it around myself but it’s a cotton sweater and I think it’s going to be a good addition to my sweater library – and in the summer, on a cool night, I think I will grab it a lot. The Berroco Pima 100 yarn is so soft … and it seems to love being knitted up in a textured stitch pattern and I’m hoping it won’t grow too much. AND today I was wearing a dress in the same color.

We’ve had a salad with lettuce from the garden this week. My lettuces and kale are growing like crazy and we have a few baby tomatoes on the vines. Yay! The squash plants are getting big (I wonder if I can move them once the garlic is pulled?) The garlic leaves are still pretty green but we’re going to try to pull some when the kids get here. I love growing our own food and am learning a lot about how to get the best yield. This year seems to be a good one so far. Cross your fingers! We harvested about six blueberries from our little bush … our first ever! The birds or critters have always gotten them before.

Gone knitting …

Empty Tank. Full Heart

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Saturday, June 1, 2024

One of my college friends on social media said that she always left her grandkids with an empty tank and a full heart and I can tell you that is exactly how I feel after this week. I got home last night from Marblehead and five days of what I’m calling “grandmothering” (because babysitting just doesn’t cut it.) My daughter had a gig with the Boston Pops on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and rehearsals started Monday afternoon. We might have been in a hotel room for the week but we asked my brother and sister-in-love if we could come stay with them and they enthusiastically agreed. So we spent four nights with them in their house and we all had a blast!!! My granddaughter is a little 19 month old spitfire with a pleasant, upbeat, happy personality. She’s at that age where she’s challenging the boundaries and stinking independent and what a joy she is to be around. She’s also exhausting!

She quickly warmed up to the big dogs and was sharing a dog bed and Cheerios with Dory in her bed by the time our first day was through. She loved the garden, found puddles to splash in and loved picking and eating the kale and peekaboo. It got warm enough for the baby pool to get filled up but she liked sitting in it just as well (almost) and throwing the ball for Buck. Auntie bought a huge wonderful bubble machine and bubble “guns” and they were a huge hit with Sylvie and her cousin, Noah, who we had several play dates with. Mama visited on Thursday for a few hours and went out in the rain to blow bubbles and splash in the puddles. The lights on the garden fence and the neighbors and their dogs were another hit. We went to the playground, the Muffin Shop, the grocery store, the book store and the toy store – all via stroller. We didn’t get in the car once. And by the time I got her into bed in the evening, I was unsure whether this body of mine would make it up or down the stairs once more. Ha! Ha!

My family embraced this little girl like they do everything, with love and caring and we all made some really great memories together. And how can you not laugh when this little peanut turns a corner and sees you and smiles, waves her little hand at you and says, “hi!” She is so happy to see you every time.

Hermione’s Everyday Socks (yes, again!) – As of bedtime last night

Needless to say, I did very little knitting. I’ve started a pair of sock for my brother-in-love and I knitted exactly 21 rounds of 2×2 rib on the first sock. That has to be the least that I’ve knitted in a decade. Last night I got another inch or two knitted and the socks will be lovely. And when 9 pm arrived, this little YaYa took herself to bed and slept really well. I’ll do the same tonight and hopefully I’ll be feeling a little less exhaustion. I was very proud of my body that ached at the end of the day but was feeling pretty good again the next morning. Lifting and carrying that little 20+ pound body up and down flights of stairs and chasing her around is more action than I’ve seen since my kids were little.

Tonight we are going out for dinner to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We love being home and go out very seldom … less seldom on the weekend! But this special occasion is a good reason to celebrate in a different way. He’s chosen Front & Main at the new boutique hotel in Waterville as our spot. Tomorrow I’m attending Maine Arts Academy’s graduation ceremony and celebrating our newest graduates. What a privilege it is to volunteer my time for the school! Who knew that when I got older I’d have such a full and meaningful life?! I’m so grateful every day.

Gone knitting!