A Name Change: From Little to Grand
I've been listening to At Home in Mitford, one of my top ten books BTW, on Audible, as Lily and I meander throughout the neighborhood on our daily walks. I read the entire series over twenty years ago, but listening to it on Audible, catching every word, has been such a treat. If you haven't read it, do. And if you have, read it - or listen to it - again. Such a heartwarming, uplifting book.
I hope when the neighbors hear me laughing out loud they see the airbuds in my ears, so they don't wonder about my sanity. Not that this post is about that book.
But when I heard one of the characters in the book refer to her grandchildren as 'grands' I realized ours aren't little anymore. I've called them Littles since we got the first one 17 years ago. A few of them are, in fact, still rather small, but some of them are taller than my 5'10" and several are passing up their mamas. So Littles is no longer appropriate. Many of them have switched from calling me Grammy, a name I chose after Cub Sweetheart's own grandmother, to Grams or Gramster, even more endearing. I love that they've taken my name and made it their own.
So since some of them have changed my name, I decided I should do so too, with the bunch of them.
Hence, they are no longer Littles, even the little ones, but Grands.
Because they are, every stinkin' single one of them. Grand that is.
A few days ago I was stealing photos from our kids' Instagram and Facebook feeds, to paste into our annual Christmas letter, and as I went through photo after photo, I was newly struck by how much they have all changed. Those kids have grown without me being completely aware, and most of them started out so darned little!
I was also struck by how great they are, by how blessed CS and I are to claim them as our own, but not have to feed and clothe them. What a deal is that? They love us but never expect us to get them to swim meets or basketball or football games. We don't have to make them do homework or chores or quit squabbling. We give them a bit of cash now and then, but by the pound they are a pretty cheap investment. We are rich indeed!
Then I started thinking about how they all fall into one big lump most of the time, or at best, two, since the two groups live 2000 miles apart. I rarely take the time to think on them separately, and even less often, to tell them how great I think each and every one of them is, standing alone.
So - here's why I think they're Grand, one at a time (in order of appearance into our family):
This kid - Caiden. First of all, he made me a Grammy to begin with. It really doesn't seem that long ago his parents brought him to visit, and he and I laid on the upstairs bed and I rubbed his back to lull him to sleep, watching it rise and fall to be sure he was still breathing. It wasn't that long ago he was learning to swim in the shallow end of the pool, and sprawling on his bedroom floor to spend hours with a bin of legos. Now he's 17, a jr in high school, captain of his swim team, a fierce competitor on his water polo team (thank you God for making him a leftie). But over all that he's just a really great kid. Fun, full of life, he has a love of eating that is a joy to behold, and a hysterical sense of humor. There's not a shy or modest bone in his body, which is good since he spends a good amount of time wearing speedos. And he's the life of the party wherever he goes. Caiden Pace, I am crazy about you.
In spite of this photo, Grayson is one of our shy ones. Modest and a deep thinker. Gray not only thinks outside the box, he's not aware one exists. He talks faster than any of us can follow, is rarely, rarely in a bad mood, and is our family cheerleader. He likes almost any food on the planet, is tender hearted and kind and a snuggler. Which Mamas and Grammys like. His knack for anything technical or taking a box of a bunch of broken things and creating something entirely different is amazing. Content, easy to be with, happy to be along for the ride, whatever and wherever it may be, I expect he's going to turn out to be a lot like his Daddy, in personality and looks. He can quietly talk an eskimo into buying snowballs, so it'll be interesting to see what he ends up doing in life. He's the kid you want when you're having a bad day and want to turn it around. Grayson Tate, I am crazy about you.
And then we got a girl! Addison started out being our highest maintenance Grand, being extra small with some challenges at birth, then a major surgery; that she made it and stayed with us was God's grace. Then she turned out to be the sweetest thing on the planet. Quiet and shy in a crowd, but funny and quirky and happiest when she's sitting in the middle of her bed creating something as scraps of paper fly left and right, or baking something for the rest of us to eat. Modest to a fault and isn't that refreshing in today's world? She loves all things girly, and it's really fun to watch her growing into a lovely young lady. She's also the life of the family party, and can hold her own with all those boys she's surrounded by, including her three months younger cousin, who is about a foot taller than her. They are the best of buddies and I can't say how much I love watching that relationship. Oh, the stories she'll have to tell his wife someday. And her laugh? It should be sold as tonic for what ails the world. Addison Elisabeth, I am crazy about you.
Landon is one of our more quiet ones, happy to be in the woods or behind a duck blind, killing animals with his Daddy. But he actually loves animals, and is usually asking for another pet in some form or another. He's a keeper of chickens, a very hairy dog, an enormous cat appropriately named Max, guinea pigs, hamsters, and fish. He loves ketchup more than anyone else I know, tolerates school, and says his favorite thing about playing football is 'hitting somebody'. Yet he's tender and sweet and adores his Mama. He's a really great brother to his eight years younger little sister. I suspect Landon is going to sport the broadest shoulders in our family, and will likely bring home a petite, bubbly, chatty girl someday. Landon James, I am crazy about you.
Then it was Christmas Day and she was born. Jae Elisabeth started out shy and quiet and hating any form of spotlight, but in the past few years she's grown into her own. She's a great mixture of girly girl and tomboy, has her own quirky sense of style (bright colors and stripes show up frequently). She loves animals, crafts of any kind, is equally happy curled up with a book as she is out running up and down the back yard, trying to beat whoever is foolish enough to accept her challenge to race. A true first born, she's growing into having a mind of her own, loves school and friends and me. I'm thankful to have a girl in our Texas bunch, because Grammys need a girl to get pedicures with, or bake cookies, or go out for fancy schmancy lunches. Jae Elisabeth, I am crazy about you.
Then came this. Starting out at almost 11 pounds, he still fills any room he's in with a big presence. We fondly call him Party in a Body, and that he is. He has a solid obsession with animals in any form, models of them, books about them, going to see them. He's his Daddy's meme in looks but nothing alike in personality except for the energy level, which leaves his parents worn out by the end of the day more often than not. He and his older sister are best friends, except when they're not. Skinny and already almost as tall as his sister, I'm betting he's going to be the tallest of the bunch of them. And he should, if my calculations work out, marry a quiet, calm blonde girl someday. I have no idea what on earth he'll end up doing, but watch out world! Daniel Wayne Jr., I am crazy about you.
This one. Eight years younger than her next sibling, we call her the pistol of the family. However she is feeling, she's 100%. Being raised not only by her parents, but the three kids above her, she has a mind of her own, thank you very much, and will articulate it without hesitation. She comes up with words that leave one wondering what on earth? This little one has always had a thing for clothes, changing umpteen times a day and you're as likely to see her in church wearing a mermaid outfit as anything else. And really, couldn't most church services use a few more mermaid outfits? She has a strong penchant for crowns, and insists she's going to marry her Daddy someday. She's the blondest person in our family, with blue eyes that are going to melt some unsuspecting boy's heart. He better be ready because he could find himself in the role of First Man when she decides what she's going to do in the world. Sarah Grace Elisabeth, I am crazy about you.
And finally, the caboose of the family. It took eight years to get her here, and I am so happy her Mama got to have a girl to go along with that animal killing brother of hers. She's an absolute chatterbox, feisty and opinionated, loves animals, art, books, and has her Daddy wrapped completely around her little finger. I love that. And that she talks his ears off. She's a girl with opinions, but already says 'Yes Ma'am' and 'Yes Sir'. And still hauls around Sheepie, her beloved Woobie. And I really love that because, in spite of her being Grand, I really, really like that we still have one or two that are Little. Hallie Grace, I am crazy about you.
I used to flippantly say my goal was to have ten grandchildren, but now that we have these eight, I can see that God was perfect in his planning, surprise, surprise. Some are getting too big so fast, and some are still little, but overall they are Grand and I'm beyond thankful for each and every one of them.
I hope when the neighbors hear me laughing out loud they see the airbuds in my ears, so they don't wonder about my sanity. Not that this post is about that book.
But when I heard one of the characters in the book refer to her grandchildren as 'grands' I realized ours aren't little anymore. I've called them Littles since we got the first one 17 years ago. A few of them are, in fact, still rather small, but some of them are taller than my 5'10" and several are passing up their mamas. So Littles is no longer appropriate. Many of them have switched from calling me Grammy, a name I chose after Cub Sweetheart's own grandmother, to Grams or Gramster, even more endearing. I love that they've taken my name and made it their own.
So since some of them have changed my name, I decided I should do so too, with the bunch of them.
Hence, they are no longer Littles, even the little ones, but Grands.
Because they are, every stinkin' single one of them. Grand that is.
A few days ago I was stealing photos from our kids' Instagram and Facebook feeds, to paste into our annual Christmas letter, and as I went through photo after photo, I was newly struck by how much they have all changed. Those kids have grown without me being completely aware, and most of them started out so darned little!
I was also struck by how great they are, by how blessed CS and I are to claim them as our own, but not have to feed and clothe them. What a deal is that? They love us but never expect us to get them to swim meets or basketball or football games. We don't have to make them do homework or chores or quit squabbling. We give them a bit of cash now and then, but by the pound they are a pretty cheap investment. We are rich indeed!
Then I started thinking about how they all fall into one big lump most of the time, or at best, two, since the two groups live 2000 miles apart. I rarely take the time to think on them separately, and even less often, to tell them how great I think each and every one of them is, standing alone.
So - here's why I think they're Grand, one at a time (in order of appearance into our family):
This kid - Caiden. First of all, he made me a Grammy to begin with. It really doesn't seem that long ago his parents brought him to visit, and he and I laid on the upstairs bed and I rubbed his back to lull him to sleep, watching it rise and fall to be sure he was still breathing. It wasn't that long ago he was learning to swim in the shallow end of the pool, and sprawling on his bedroom floor to spend hours with a bin of legos. Now he's 17, a jr in high school, captain of his swim team, a fierce competitor on his water polo team (thank you God for making him a leftie). But over all that he's just a really great kid. Fun, full of life, he has a love of eating that is a joy to behold, and a hysterical sense of humor. There's not a shy or modest bone in his body, which is good since he spends a good amount of time wearing speedos. And he's the life of the party wherever he goes. Caiden Pace, I am crazy about you.
And then we got a girl! Addison started out being our highest maintenance Grand, being extra small with some challenges at birth, then a major surgery; that she made it and stayed with us was God's grace. Then she turned out to be the sweetest thing on the planet. Quiet and shy in a crowd, but funny and quirky and happiest when she's sitting in the middle of her bed creating something as scraps of paper fly left and right, or baking something for the rest of us to eat. Modest to a fault and isn't that refreshing in today's world? She loves all things girly, and it's really fun to watch her growing into a lovely young lady. She's also the life of the family party, and can hold her own with all those boys she's surrounded by, including her three months younger cousin, who is about a foot taller than her. They are the best of buddies and I can't say how much I love watching that relationship. Oh, the stories she'll have to tell his wife someday. And her laugh? It should be sold as tonic for what ails the world. Addison Elisabeth, I am crazy about you.
Landon is one of our more quiet ones, happy to be in the woods or behind a duck blind, killing animals with his Daddy. But he actually loves animals, and is usually asking for another pet in some form or another. He's a keeper of chickens, a very hairy dog, an enormous cat appropriately named Max, guinea pigs, hamsters, and fish. He loves ketchup more than anyone else I know, tolerates school, and says his favorite thing about playing football is 'hitting somebody'. Yet he's tender and sweet and adores his Mama. He's a really great brother to his eight years younger little sister. I suspect Landon is going to sport the broadest shoulders in our family, and will likely bring home a petite, bubbly, chatty girl someday. Landon James, I am crazy about you.
Then it was Christmas Day and she was born. Jae Elisabeth started out shy and quiet and hating any form of spotlight, but in the past few years she's grown into her own. She's a great mixture of girly girl and tomboy, has her own quirky sense of style (bright colors and stripes show up frequently). She loves animals, crafts of any kind, is equally happy curled up with a book as she is out running up and down the back yard, trying to beat whoever is foolish enough to accept her challenge to race. A true first born, she's growing into having a mind of her own, loves school and friends and me. I'm thankful to have a girl in our Texas bunch, because Grammys need a girl to get pedicures with, or bake cookies, or go out for fancy schmancy lunches. Jae Elisabeth, I am crazy about you.
This one. Eight years younger than her next sibling, we call her the pistol of the family. However she is feeling, she's 100%. Being raised not only by her parents, but the three kids above her, she has a mind of her own, thank you very much, and will articulate it without hesitation. She comes up with words that leave one wondering what on earth? This little one has always had a thing for clothes, changing umpteen times a day and you're as likely to see her in church wearing a mermaid outfit as anything else. And really, couldn't most church services use a few more mermaid outfits? She has a strong penchant for crowns, and insists she's going to marry her Daddy someday. She's the blondest person in our family, with blue eyes that are going to melt some unsuspecting boy's heart. He better be ready because he could find himself in the role of First Man when she decides what she's going to do in the world. Sarah Grace Elisabeth, I am crazy about you.
And finally, the caboose of the family. It took eight years to get her here, and I am so happy her Mama got to have a girl to go along with that animal killing brother of hers. She's an absolute chatterbox, feisty and opinionated, loves animals, art, books, and has her Daddy wrapped completely around her little finger. I love that. And that she talks his ears off. She's a girl with opinions, but already says 'Yes Ma'am' and 'Yes Sir'. And still hauls around Sheepie, her beloved Woobie. And I really love that because, in spite of her being Grand, I really, really like that we still have one or two that are Little. Hallie Grace, I am crazy about you.
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