Grandma For a Week

OK, I am actually always a grandma.  The last 7 days, though, I visited my grandchildren at their home in Maryland.  It is a new place for them--small and perfect.  Part of a planned community built back in the '60s, they have one of the units in a line of town houses:  unit F.  Upstairs, downstairs, and basement--room for all their stuff and then some.  Three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms . . . 

and a flowering dogwood tree in the front of the house.

            

After less than half a year, they already know all of their neighbors' names (parents and kids) and what they do . . . a feat that Megan could have not have even attempted when she was in high school.  I remember walking down the hall with Megan when she was 16 or so--as we passed other kids, I heard a continual stream of "Hi, Megan!"  "How ya' doin', Megan?"  "Gettin' out early today, Meg?" from students we passed by.  From Meg, however, I heard nothing at all--her eyes on the ground and her mind on whatever drawing or piece of art she was working on at the time.

Marriage to Anton and her two children have allowed her to grow more fully into her potential.  It is wonderful to see her so happy.

The most thoroughly grandmotherish thing that I did was to push Jon and Kate on the swings.  

While I was there, we made ice cream and cookies and pizza and went out for chicken at a strange restaurant with Meg and Jon and Kate.  We went to an incredible park by a river and waundered through the acres of forest that backed the rear of their small patch of property.  We went swimming at the community rec center and attended a Kale-a-Rama where we had sweet and sour "chicken", collard greens (I actually didn't taste any, but Meg and Anton both raved over them) and mac and cheese (made with cream cheese) which Jon would not touch, but which I loved.

To end?  Some gratuitous pictures of my very intelligent, charming, kind and beguiling grandchildren, my incredible son(-in-law) Anton and my talented and beautiful daughter Megan.

Kate (almost 2) and Jon (4 and 4 months)

Anton and Megan Rytting

Enough superlatives for the evening.  I am home in Florida now and recovering from a severe sunburn on my back, getting ready for a trip to Orlando to celebrate Lauren's birthday at the end of the week.