An invitation:Mom Mom’s BashYou’re Invited To
Mom Mom’s Bash(Older people know how to have fun too!)
An overnight on October 12, 2007
That’s how the invitation read to three of the five grandchildren: Jessica 22, Rebecca 16, Karissa 14, and the two great grandchildren: Hayley 8, and Jillian 1 year old. I was elated. Everyone of them showed up.
From the very beginning, when the grandchildren were old enough to be “without mommy” they slept over at our home. Once they started school, my husband (who never was a father, but became a Pop Pop through these children) and I, started taking the grandkids on a summer retreat- anywhere from a tour of the Statue of Liberty to a New Year’s Eve bash, to renting a cabin on the lake for a weekend.
We had two groups of children over the years. In the first group were my husband’s nieces: Kate and Sarah and my three: Nicole (now mother of Hayley and Jillian), Jessica, and Jason.
Once this group outgrew us (which we well understood about teens), a second batch came along. These children consisted of my husband’s brother’s children: Rebecca and John, and two of mine, Rebecca and Karissa.
About two years ago, Karissa became a teenager and our retreats were over. That’s why, this year, I missed our times together and decided I’d have one more bash. I felt the older children would be a great help in watching over the one year old, Jillian.
Since the month was October, I dressed in my finest garb -a black witch hat and dress. My accessories were my red hat, boa, orange gloves, and pink heels. I’ve always liked to be in style, especially at Halloween time. Not one of my guests arrived in Halloween garb – the party poopers. I guess they’ll need a couple more years on them to know how to have fun!
My party girls arrived in dribbles due to after school activities and work.
First on the agenda was food. After eating our pizza we headed for the TV room, with the understanding no TV tonight.
On my agenda were games. I placed a collapsible table in front of the sofa and some small chairs around it. We tackled Flinch cards. I play this game with each of us choosing an animal name. Thus, instead of yelling “Flinch” when someone had the same card, we had to remember and yell the animal name they had chosen. There were bursts of animal names yelled that no one even heard of, and gales of laughter.
We had a break between this game and my next venture. To my dismay, someone kept saying “something smells.” Finally, we realized Jillian was the culprit – a diaper change was needed. I asked, “Who changes the diaper?” All fingers pointed to me, but I managed to do a great job regardless of their comments.
By this time, we were hungry again and headed for the kitchen. Everyone had a choice of ice cream: sundaes or floats. There were oodles of syrup, cherries, nuts, candies, and whipped cream. Alas, Jillian had to eat peaches since she’s allergic to milk products. It’s nice to have children around. After eating our ice cream, the girls – without asking – cleaned up the kitchen and placed things in the ‘frig for me.
Again we headed down to the TV room. This time it was photo albums and scrapbook browsing. We enjoyed making fun of photos of their parents from “the old days.” In the scrapbooks were mementoes of not only my children, but things from them as well.
Our bash ended about 11 p.m. The two girls, who had to get up early, slept in the guest room. Hayley wanted the sofa. Rebecca slept with me, in my bedroom, with Jillian on pillows on the floor nearby.
I wasn’t sure how a one-year-old would react if she’d awaken in the night “without mommy.” She awoke about 3 a.m. and started whimpering. Before I realized it, Rebecca jumped out of bed, gathered Jillian in her arms and placed her between us in bed. She fell asleep immediately and didn’t awaken until 7 a.m. This time she crawled back down to her pillow bed and slept a bit longer.
Not one of these children left without me thanking them for coming to my bash – where older people know how to have fun too!
