Rah! Rah! Sis-boom-bah!!

I’ve never considered myself “cheerleader material”.  As a shy kid, I was too self-conscious to get in front of a crowd of people and recite perky little chants while jumping and flipping around.  I think I’d rather poke myself in the eye!  However, like most young girls, I was fascinated by the pretty, outgoing, popular cheerleaders.  Their lives seemed so glamorous!  They were always having fun, laughing and flirting with the boys.

Little did I know that one of the most important jobs of a wife and mom is being a cheerleader.  A husband counts on a wife to support him, encourage him, and cheer him on.  Over the last 20-some years, I’ve cheered my husband into taking jobs, quitting jobs, opening a business, closing a business, buying a house, and renovating a house.  When a decision needs to be made, we discuss it, we make a decision, and I start cheering.  Kids, of course, need Mom to be a cheerleader, too.  It starts with shouts of joy when your little one takes his first step or learns how to use the potty, and continues to adulthood, when they’re making decisions about college, marriage, buying a home, etc.  Never underestimate the power of a cheering woman!

Every once in awhile, I find myself a little weary of being the cheerleader.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to support my hubby and kids.  I want to be the one that they can always count on to be in their corner.  However, it can be an emotional rollercoaster at times!  Today, I find myself surrounded by doom and gloom.  We seem to have a “perfect storm” of emotion – hubby, son and daughter are all needing some cheer today.  It's hard to deal with them all at once!  So, tonight I find myself weary of the negativity.  My even-keel, “go with the flow”, “take it in stride”, “keep it cool” personality has reached it’s limit for this 24-hour period.  I’m tired of being positive and encouraging.  More than likely, they’ll be back to their happy selves tomorrow, after a good night’s rest. 

So, I say, “Go to bed.  Wake up in the morning to a new, sunshiny day.  We’ll tackle all this tomorrow.”  Which, in actuality, is a little bit “cheerleader-ish” when I think about it.  Almost makes me want to break out in song, “The sun’ll come out tomorrow!  Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun!” 

So . . . I guess I am cheerleader material.

All MY Children

I heard this week that, after 41 years on the air, ABC has canceled their soap opera, All My Children.  I’ve never watched it, but I’m sure there are many women (and men?) that have invested time and energy into the characters and stories over the years and will be sorry to see it go.  Not being a soap opera fan – the only thing that comes to mind when I hear “All My Children”  is all MY children.

 

We’ve had a lot of kids come through our house in the last 20-some years.  Some came in and out of our lives in a flash, then were easily forgotten.  Others wormed their way into our hearts and home and became a part of our lives forever.  Some call us Mr. and Mrs. Granger, some call us Todd and Mary, and those special few call us Mom and Dad – or some variation of those terms, like Pop, Ma, or my newest and favorite nickname, Momma G. 

 

Of course, the most famous of our “adopted” kids is Nicole – she is now considered one of our own; but there have also been several others at different times over the years.  First were Jacquelyn and Spencer – we met their folks in pregnancy class and had our first babies together, then a couple years later, we were both pregnant again.  We spent lots of time together those first five years before moving to Florida and drifting apart.  Then, of course, there were the school friends that came over to play Barbies or Nintendo, swim in the pool, or spend the night on the weekends.  Some of these kids remain friends today:  Hollie, Cari, Justin, Kristen, Lindsey . . . and some we haven’t seen in years.  Now that our kids are technically adults, we don’t acquire many “adoptees” anymore.  But, occasionally one comes along – like my son’s roommate, Austin.  He even bought me a Mother’s Day gift this year and is responsible for my new moniker, “Momma G”.  Of course, the fact that we usually provide him a home-cooked meal when he comes over might contribute to his affection for us! ;)    

Next, come those that will legally join our family.  So far, that’s just Kristi – our future daughter-in-law, but there will be sons-in-law coming eventually.  We adore Kristi.  She’s a great addition to the family . . . and will be a terrific mommy to our grandkids some day!  Of course, along with grandkids come their life-long friends who will become our “adopted” grandkids!  It’s an evolving family – and we welcome them all! 

 

My motto when it comes to family?  -- The bigger, the better! 

 

Mother’s Day

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  I love, love, love being a mother!  I was MADE for it!  To date, it’s the best thing I’ve done with my life.   I was blessed with perfect, beautiful babies and was given an amazing opportunity to teach them how to walk, talk, count, share toys, respect authority, contribute to society, communicate and share their lives with others.  That’s a huge responsibility – but I love every minute of it!  And, I’ve done a great job, if I do say so myself!  (Could I be a bit biased?)  My kids are smart, funny, caring, responsible adults, who make the world a better place – at least my world! 


As much as I love being a mom, Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me.  My mom was amazing – and I miss her everyday; but Mother’s Day makes me miss her even more.  It causes me to look back and think of sweet memories with her.  I remember as a preschooler, we would play the “rhyme game” when traveling in the car.  “What rhymes with tree?”  Then we would list every possible word we could think of that rhymed.  I remember she would sometimes sit in a chair and let me brush and style her hair.  As a high schooler, we’d go clothes shopping, play games or go for walks together.  We especially loved walking in the winter on a snowy night.  After I got married and had my son, Nick, we would pack up the playpen and various baby paraphernalia and spend the day at the beach.  My mom amazed me.  She not only kept the house, cooked the meals, did the laundry,  managed a household, and performed her duties as the preacher’s wife, but she gardened, canned and still found time to have fun.  She was an amazing example and I strive every day to be like her. 


To all those mothers out there, enjoy your day - celebrating you and everything you do for your family!  And remember the amazing mother you had and thank her if you can!

What makes a house a home?

Our son, Nick, and his fiancé, Kristi, bought a house!  It’s official – they are homeowners!  He will be living there alone until they get married in October.  Of course, in true Granger form, it’s a “fixer-upper”!  So, we’ve been spending every evening and every weekend over there, working our butts off!  We’ve painted, cleaned, scraped and swept.  We’ve tiled, laid hardwood, rewired and built walls.  We’ve done all this to make this cute, little house a home for Nick and Kristi . . . but, here’s the question:  Does all this work really make a house a home? 

Will the transformation from this:

 

to this:

make a happy home for our kids?

Will the the blood (yes, there has been an injury or two!), sweat, and tears make their marriage more successful?  Will the fact that the walls are freshly painted or the floors are shiny and new make our future grandkids any happier or healthier? 

Of course not. 

THIS is what makes it a home:

It’s the family and friends that show up to help.  It’s laughter and silliness, singing along to oldies on the radio, and the smell of chili in the crockpot while you work!  Nick and Kristi are blessed with family and friends that love them.  THAT’s what makes this house a home!  

To my firstborn . . .

Happy 23rd birthday to my sweet boy!

You've been such a blessing and bring so much joy to our home!

Love you, Bud!

What’s Next?!

I went to the eye doctor this week.  It was long overdue.  My eyesight has been getting progressively worse over the last few years.  Although I wore glasses as a child, and contacts in high school and early adult life, somewhere along the way I reached a point where I no longer needed to wear any corrective lenses.  I have enjoyed several years of carefree sight.  However, in the last couple years, I have noticed a steady deterioration.  In fact, it has gotten to the point where I feel I’m taking my life into my own hands every time I get behind the wheel of a car.  But, it’s not just distance sight I’m struggling with.  As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve been struggling with focus issues when reading, too.  Knowing all this, I was still disappointed and totally shocked to hear the doctor ask, “How do you feel about bifocals?” 

Well, let’s see.  How do I feel about bifocals?  First of all, I feel they’re for old people!  I’m sorry, Dr. So-in-so, but you must have read the results wrong.  When, exactly, did I become bifocal material?  Of course, after the initial shock wore off, I realized I’m actually what one would consider “middle-aged”.   It sure happened fast!  But, I’m here.  So, I’d better get used to it.  Time to start preparing for the inevitable.  Which got me thinking:  What’s next?!

• Osteoporosis? I never drink milk – blaaachh!  I don’t take a calcium supplement.  The only calcium I get comes from cheese, ice cream, or yogurt – and I don’t eat much of that.  Are my bones going to get brittle?  Am I going to wake up one morning with a broken hip?   

• 

  Here I am, sporting my new bifocals, deteriorating rapidly!

  Memory loss? This one actually worries me a bit because I’m pretty sure it’s already started!  Did I remember to unplug the curling iron?  We had something planned for May 3rd – what was it again?  Where did I put those sunglasses?  How many times have I forgotten what I was going to say, just seconds before I open my mouth?  Oh, yeah.  I’m a gone-er on this one!
• Dentures?
• Wrinkles?
• Hearing loss? 
• Arthritis?
• Diapers?!

I began obsessing about my deteriorating body and the aches and pains I suddenly felt.  Then there was the fact that I used to get told almost daily how young I looked.  When was the last time I’d heard that?  Awhile.  When and how, exactly, did this happen?  When did I go from a young hottie to a chubby, bifocal-wearing, middle-aged old bag? 

This doctor’s prescription for bifocals really threw me for a loop!  So, I did what I always do.  I immediately called my husband.  He’ll tell me how beautiful and young-looking I still am.  He thinks I’m the bomb-diggety.  Talking with him for awhile will bring everything back into perspective.

However, it didn’t exactly happen like that.  I think Todd’s immediate response was something like, “What?!  Baby, you’re getting old!”  Then he laughed at me!  Not the response I was hoping for; but, before I knew it, he had me laughing, too.  And then, as we were hanging up, he said the best thing he could have said, “Goodbye, grandma!”

Grandma!  Yay!  That’s a good thing!  Something I am definitely looking forward to!  There’s also retirement, travel, Senior Citizen discounts, and being considered “wise”.  All good things.  There will be time to try new recipes, bake decadent desserts, read sappy love stories, and visit with friends.  Getting old ain’t so bad!  This could be fun! 

So, what’s next?!