Tribute Journal

Cinderella Days! Grandma Magic!

Cinderella Days! Grandma Magic!

Tending my granddaughters every Tuesday (and any other day I’m lucky enough to get the chance) is the highlight of my week. My oldest daughter, Malia, is an interior designer and helps her clients design their homes from the ground up. She can do the majority of her work from home, but goes into her office every Tuesday. I first started tending my oldest granddaughter, Makena, when she was just a few months old; she is nearly five years old now and her younger sister, Marli, is almost two. Oh, what fun I have with these two darling, little girls! (I think it’s probably natural to wonder what kind of grandparent you’ll be as you watch your own children associate with their grandparents–my parents provided me with a good example of how to be a “great” grandparent!)

Makena and Marli love having story books read to them! (I admit, I can get a little dramatic and kind of silly–that’s what grandmas do, right.) One of Makena’s very favorite books is Cinderella–even at a young age, she’d pick that book to read more than any other from our collection of books. When Makena was about three years old, I pulled out our old VHS version of Disney’s “Cinderella”, (a rare collector’s item, I’m sure…) and we watched it on a small video/TV combo in our playroom while lounging on her favorite bean bag chair. It was fun to watch Makena’s animated reaction to the movie! I knew right away that I’d added a new dimension to Makena’s Cinderella love fest! It’s safe to say she was hooked at “bippity, boppity, boo”! Makena has since watched the movie over and over a countless number of times. Makena’s fascination with this Disney classic story has made our Tuesdays together extra special and once in awhile I’ll refer to them as our “Cinderella Days”–since they are indeed, magical days! I’m always trying to think up fun and unique activities to do with Makena and Marli, but as I did some research to find out what other grandma’s out there are doing, I found the resources to be rather sparse. I hope as I try and share weekly some of the fun things I do with my granddaughters, as well as some of the things I’m learning as a fairly new grandma, that you will be inspired to share some of your ideas with me! Let’s make Grandma Magic!

Makena has heard the Cinderella story often enough that she now shares her version of the tale with Marli. I often think that if Disney ever does a re-make of the movie, I’ll send them some of Makena’s adaptations…they are hilarious!

Having young granddaughters has reminded me that doing fun and simple things is what really makes children the happiest! One of Makena and Marli’s favorite things to do is play “house” out on our patio. (One funny thing to note is that the Cabbage Patch doll Makena is holding was her mom’s favorite doll named, “Peachy”! Now Makena loves her too! Grandchildren always seem to be drawn to anything that belonged to their mom or dad!)

On beautiful spring and summer days there is nothing like spending time at the park and having yummy treats after. On the playground, children are in their “element” and I find this is when they just chatter away and say the funniest things! (The park we went to last Tuesday, has a fountain and wishing pond. Since “Uncle Jake” was visiting, he gave each of the girls a bag of pennies and boy did they love flinging them one by one into the water! I didn’t get any pictures because I was being careful to watch that Makena and Marli didn’t get too close to the edge of the pond! As a grandma, I think I watch my granddaughters with more vigilance than I did my own children–perhaps that’s as it should be…)

What I’m learning now is…

I love being a grandma! What I’m learning now is that the satirical writer, Erma Bombeck had it right, “Becoming a grandparent is one of life’s rewards for surviving raising your own children!”. Ha!

What are some of the fun things you do to create “magical” times with your children or grandchildren?

–Mary

Work Smarter Not Harder! A Job Well Done–The Revised Version!

Work Smarter Not Harder! A Job Well Done–The Revised Version!

The title of this entry comes courtesy of my son-in-law, Cole and my daughter, Mandi–but more on that a little later…

…since getting home from my son’s graduation a few weeks ago, I’ve felt somewhat overwhelmed with trying to get caught up on everything that got neglected while my husband and I were away. Besides going back to work, many household chores and yard projects needed our attention, as well. I was also trying to get things ready for my son and daughter-in-law’s visit for a few weeks in their transition from dental school to Oklahoma, where Jake will do some advanced training. Forget a job well done, I was barely skimming the surface of everything I needed to accomplish! My poor husband, who seems to take most things in stride–most men do, why is that, I wonder…it’s kind of exasperating! Anyway, my husband would get home from work and start vacuuming in hopes that the hum of the motor and clean floors would lull my heightened anxiety level into a more zen-like state! Even a mental reminder of my father’s sage advice to “have moderation in all things” just wasn’t working for me either. Before drastic measures had to be taken to insure my well-being, I took it upon myself to seek the advice of trusted family members and friends and asked what they did to make their workload go more smoothly. In doing so, I was able to calm my nerves a bit and ease back into more efficient productivity once again!

First, from my husband, I’ll title them simply–

“Tom’s Tips”

It’s all about preparation…blue painter’s tape, drop cloths and quality paint rollers, etc. are key to making the job go easier!

Also, be patient and take the time to broaden your knowledge base when working on a project…further frustration often comes from diving head long into a project (which is what I’m prone to do) and then getting blind-sided by obstacles that could have been anticipated by doing a little research up front. By watching and asking questions from those “in the know”, Tom has tackled anything from expertly painting several rooms in our home, to “distressing” furniture projects.

Second, from my daughter, Malia and my son, Jake–

It’s about making lists!

I usually like lists too–I’m pretty sure I taught my kids to do them, but this time it seemed like I was like a character in an over-acted sit-com, scrunching up paper after paper and throwing them into an overflowing garbage can because my lists just got too long and intimidating! Besides a “To Do” list, my friend Kellee, also gives her four boys a time frame to have the list completed–that way they have a little more freedom to choose when they want to finish doing the items on their list! Kellee told me that when her boys have a little say as to when they could do their jobs, it made a big difference in the effort they put forth! Just like my mom, Kellee, conducts inspections to make sure the finished chores meet her high standards! These lists seem to work for Kellee, her boys are all hard workers!

Third, from two other friends, Janica and Sharon–

Don’t be afraid to enlist a bit of technology to help the job go quicker!

Janica told me recently, that her most pressing project lately has been to finish a scrapbook for her youngest son, Brett. The fact that she has completed baby books for her two older sons, but not for Brett, since she has been working full-time, has been a source of frustration for him. Brett has been living in Alaska and informed his mom that his book better be waiting for him when he gets home–which is in a few weeks! Janica said, “Thanks to modern technology and the magic of online photo books, I’m making progress!” Janica also mentioned that this project has reminded her to “live in the moment and try hard not to procrastinate!”

Sharon is another good friend, and she makes beautiful quilts. Although this is a hobby for her, the patterns Sharon uses often need to be adapted to her taste or to the preference of the lucky person she’s making the quilt for; she said it has been “fun” (?) to figure out how to digitize all the embroidery on her computer, then transfer it to her sewing machine. Sharon told me, “If I do it this way, I don’t have to do any of the sewing by hand! Yeah!” After all, it IS about finding a way to make a project easier! Kudos to you both, Janica and Sharon! (I’ll confess that for me, sometimes using technology doesn’t always make the job easier!)

“My Favorite Things” Quilt

made by: Sharon Gray

Now for the final “Coup de Gra’ce” from Cole and Mandi–

When I wrote to ask Cole and Mandi if they had any useful tips that helped them accomplish projects with a little more ease, Cole sent me an answer in his usual succinct style: “Mandi and I have a motto in our family that we thought would be applicable…”

“Work smarter, not harder! It’s all about efficiency…”

Love it! Now what I need to do is figure out how I can do that on a more regular basis, and incorporate it better in my life! Thanks Cole and Mandi!

I’d love to hear some of the tips you have that help you work “smarter not harder”!

–Mary

A Job Well Done…Would Your Work Rate A Stamp Of Excellence?

A Job Well Done…Would Your Work Rate A Stamp Of Excellence?

A few years ago we had some beautiful wood furniture delivered to our home for our family room. Affixed on the underside of our new chairs was a small stamp of the name of the company who built them. My father-in-law was a master wood craftsman and built beautiful cabinets and furniture. He once told me that it used to be common practice for fine furniture companies to brand a small imprint of the company’s logo in an inconspicuous place on their finished products. This stamp not only represented excellence in workmanship, but also superior wood quality. It had taken my husband and I a considerable amount of time to shop for our new family room furniture, so when I noticed the furniture company’s stamp on the things we’d purchased, I felt reassured that our efforts to find quality furniture to meet the needs of our home and family were not in vain!

My parents showed me the value of a job well done by their example, and did their best to help me cultivate a good work ethic, as well. I’ve often wondered however, if I would approach some jobs differently if I was required to stamp my name on a completed task for everyone to see–and then let them decide if the caliber of my work was deserving of the stamp of excellence.

Taking Pride In A Job Well Done Often Creates Lifetime Treasures!

My husband, Tom, learned the skills of making and restoring beautiful furniture when he helped his dad in his workshop while growing up. One of the first things my husband and I did together after we got engaged was refurbish an old wood chest-of-drawers that had been in his childhood bedroom. We used the dresser for a few years after we were married, then passed it on to our son; it’s still in his room today as a special reminder of my husband’s patient work and his ability to do a job well! (He even left his unique stamp engraved on the furniture, just not necessarily in the way his mother approved of at the time it was done!)

Refinishing furniture.

Yes, that’s a “T” for Tom! (My husband comes from a big family of nine children–he told me that when he was younger, this was his way of making his “mark on the world” amid the hectic routine of a large household! My husband wanted to sand the “T” out, but I wanted to keep it as a reminder of his youth–I think it adds character!)

When my husband and I worked to refinish the dresser, I was educated on the superior quality of dove-tail construction–this is always something my husband checks even to this day when we’re looking at furniture! Sadly, it’s becoming a bit of lost art!

My husband later made a matching bookcase for our son’s room.

Other furniture treasures I have that deserve a stamp of excellence!

My husband and his father made this wooden cradle for me when I was expecting my oldest daughter, Malia. I used it with all three of my children. My two granddaughters, Makena and Marli have also used it. I hope to share it with all of my grandchildren.

My husband found an old oak table-top at a construction site and with his father’s help, he made these beautiful table legs to go with it.

Many fun game nights have been enjoyed around this table!

What I’m learning now…

As I look around my house, I see so many things that I know took someone a lot of time and effort to create. The attention to detail on these items reflects a job well done! sometimes I get a little sad when I realize that so many of the treasured pieces I have were done by family members and relatives in the past and are talents that you don’t see being done too much anymore. What I’m learning now is that I will always cherish these items, but I also appreciate many things made by others today and the skill sets learned and acquired to take pride in a job well done–they are just as deserving of a stamp of excellence!

What special items are in your home that you’ve acquired or made yourself that you know took a lot of work to make and reflect a job well done?

–Mary

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