When Grammy Came to Stay.


The nature of our lives - and one of the reasons why I homeschool - is that there is a wee amount of travelling involved. Sometimes just the two of us go away, sometimes we kick it with the entire family, and more often than not - sometimes just Kev goes away for a few days. And typically, if said travel is any longer than a day or so, I usually will make the haul up to my family's house for a little bit of "County Time," or if I am car-less, sometimes my Mama will make the jaunt down to "the big city" to hang with me on my turf.

Both scenarios are delicious.

When it's just us girls, we stay up way later than normal watching movies, we usually sleep in the same bed and talk way later than we should, we eat ridiculous amounts of food that is just horrific for us, and it's really just lovely in every sense of the word. The boys don't sense Daddy's absence nearly as much, they get their love tanks filled to the brim, and I have some help and companionship, as well. It's win win for everyone.

However.

This mother of mine is a lousy bedfellow. First of all, I honestly wonder if she ever even sleeps. She has aches and pains in every joint of her body, so she is constantly moaning and groaning. She shocks me wide awake with random charlie horses in her legs. And if I even move one muscle in the middle of the night she'll immediately start up a conversation because she assumes that just because she's still awake, well golly gee, I must be too.

And this lady smells like an "Icy Hot" factory. You know that menthol-laden cream that's like Mineral Ice that you can put on all of your aches and pains? She uses it like lotion, slathering it all over herself before she goes to bed each night. I swear she goes through about a jar a week. And our kitty - for some weird and freaky reason - is drawn to it like catnip. He goes crazy when he smells it on her, so Mom was worried about our "attack cat" all night long. It really was quite glorious. In every sense of the word. Truly. I wish every night could be like this.

I'm telling you.
We could so easily have a reality t.v. show.
On so many levels.
I have said this all of my life.

So, whilst I am just a wee bit bleary-eyed today because of my, er - interesting(?) night last night -- our visit has been lovely. Stories have been read, tea parties have been had, games have been played, movies have been watched, and vast quantities of junk has been consumed.

It's really been like a mini vacation of sorts.

Well, minus the interesting nights of "sleep" with my insomniac-charlie-horse-aches-and-pains-chatty-pants-Mama and my-wild-freak-fest-of-a-high-on-Icy-Hot cat.....

* * * * *
2537. My mother, my friend.
2538. Tea parties with little boys; proper etiquette optional.
2539. Lemon scones and cake balls.
2540. Late night chats.
2541. Laughing til the tears come.
2542. Lessons learning.
2543. Sharing our hearts - open & vulnerable.
2544. Grammy love - wild and free.
2545. Three boys adoring.
2546. American Idol and Cadbury Eggs.
2547. Following her example.
2538. Learning what truly matters. Watching. Seeing.
2539. Hot grapenut custard.
2540. Snap, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, 31, & Farkle. Repeat.

4 comments:

Rachael said...

Now this post made me laugh. Hard! I can just see the calamities now!!
If you get tired of Marmie's night antics, send her over here. She and I shall make a great pair. I have Charlie horses, leg cramps, night sweats, sore hips and all. I could use some of her Icy-Hot. :-)
All that yummy baking looks like it's all worthwhile!!! I do love Momma Q.! Tell her hello! (And she's welcome to come live with US for....oh....let's say the entire month of May?) :-)

Life With My Joys..... said...

Ha! I just read this to Mom. She says, and I quote: "Tell her I send my love. Tell her I miss her. And I wish her the very best on the birth of her boys."

She loves you too, dearie.
Great memories, eh?

Someday we shall have to road trip it up there....8 kids and all! Whew!

Kristi said...

hahaha -- this made ME laugh, too!! I love that Mom of yours...I miss the days when we had sleep-overs at her house -- though I never shared a bed with HER!! hahaha. so glad she's there to hang out with your and your sweet boys...i miss her cooking - some of my fave recipes are hers! Love you all...

Lajeunesse Family said...

Love this! What a beautiful thing it is to have such a great relationship with your momma....I have the same one with mine and love it! I hope my kids have the same one with me some day! :)