This weekend has been hectic. Megan and Joe, his fiance Jade and baby Ted came home to spend the weekend. My niece Kate also came to visit and my parents came over too. We had a houseful! It also happened to be the weekend before both mine and Ella's birthdays so it was a real celebratory family weekend. We also had a quick visit from my sister and two of my other nieces who got to meet baby Ted for the first time, which was lovely.
During the weekend I took lots of photographs. It is really important to me to record all these family moments. We have four generations of our family now since the birth of baby Ted and my niece is soon going to give my parents their second great grandchild and me my first great nephew. These are really precious times and I want to save them to look back on in the years to come.
Being a grandparent has made me feel like I have a greater responsibility to be a keeper of our family memories and to uphold our traditions. I treasure my children and the arrival of this whole new generation is exciting and wonderful.
I am currently reading The Sixty Minute Grandparent by Rob Parsons. It is interesting to read about other people's perceptions of this new role that is thrust upon us when our children start having their own families. The book is pretty light hearted and easy to read or dip into. The emphasis is on becoming the best grandparent you can be, in whichever way you are most comfortable. It reminds us that our grandchildren only really want two things from us: to be loved and to know we are there for them.
Grandparents are a varied species! Some are very hands on and play a major role in their grandchild's life. I don't see Ted very often so I'm not a nappy changing, babysitting, disciplining, bottle making grandma. However, what I can be is someone who can give Ted unconditional love and the promise of quality time spent together whenever I do see him. As he gets older, this will become more and more significant to his life. I can tell him about his dad and what he was like as a child. I can tell him about our family and our past. I can make him feel included and embraced, a brand new branch on our family tree.
The line in the book that really resonates with me is this one on the job description of a grandparent:
"Individuals must be loving, caring, loving, selfless, loving, accepting and loving."
I think I am definitely up for that job!
I received a copy of The Sixty Minute Grandparent by Rob parsons which is published by Hodder and Stoughton priced at £11.99.