Face Time!

I am usually 2-3 steps behind the curve on technology - twitter is dizzying and Instagram a mystery. But Face Time is great! We have a long gap between visit to see grandblessings - they will all be around later in the summer - but Sunday night the Adorables in Iowa FT'd me. I can get carried all over the house, watch the Little Guy shoot baskets, catch up on the Big Girl's summer reading. Even got a glimpse of Dad on Father's Day and Mom arriving home with pizza! For long distance grandparents, it is an easy (believe me!) and wonderful tool!

Not as good a hug, but you can blow kisses!

Remembering and Replicating

I only knew one of my grandmothers. She was a gracious lady, but like most of her generation, not very demonstrative. Much as I hug the grandblessings in my life (with varying degrees of response!) as a long distance grandparent it is never enough.

One thing she did do was signed all her letters "All my best love." Those words were precious and I can see her handwriting in my mind some 40+ years later.

Drop your grandchild a card or post card to day and find a special
way to tuck in a hug!

Great article on all the ways Grandparenting happens!

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/grandparenting/how-to-be-a-better-grandparent.htm



Tips on travel together, step grandparening, full time and quality time with grandkids.

Take a look!
 

Always worth the trip!

We are blessed to have grandchildren a mere 3 and 5 hours away (opposite directions form Chicago, of course!) and try to see them every 6 weeks or more often. Even if all we do is hang around the house and help with the carpooling, we are blessed to be with them in their own casual cay to day lives.



 I often use the time schlepping them to activities to tell Bible stories - the exciting ones! And I am not opposed to a little ham when it helps - did you know that when the Big Fish let Jonah out on the beach he BURPED loudly? What 5 year old boy could resist!


Now that the oldest girls are aging out of the visits to Grandad's we have such wonderful memories. No car hours seem too long in retrospect!