Dear Ana and Emma,

This past week, Gram and Gramps came into town to visit. They were celebrating thirty-eight years of marriage over the weekend, and the first stop on their anniversary trip was scenic Duncan, Oklahoma. I don’t know what there is to see around here, but Gram assured me that the two best “sites” in the whole state are right here. (Those two sites would be you two!) While they were in town, they took you two back to their hotel at night with them so that I could get a good night’s sleep. This was much welcomed, since this particular week, Ana, you’ve woken me up at 3am every morning just to try your luck at sneaking in our bed. (It hasn’t worked, and I’ve walked a very irritated you right back to your own bed every single time.) Thanks to Gram and Gramps, though, I was able to sleep all night that one night!

It made me think of the many things I’m writing down on my list of “What Kind of Grandparent I’m Going to Be.” It gets longer and longer the older you two get, and I’m happy to say that all of the entries are because of things that your grandparents have done right and not in reaction to things that have been done wrong. You have two sets of incredible grandparents!

So, God willing, I promise these things to both of you…

1. I promise to get you a Chick Fil A sandwich the minute after you give birth. Even if it means driving a very, very long distance to get one.

2. I promise to be available for “slumber parties” when you’re hallucinating after a week of no sleep with a newborn. I’ll let you sleep while I stay up during those odd hours of the late night/early morning when newborns are ready to party!

3. I promise to agree that your babies are indeed the most beautiful babies ever.

4. I promise to say, “Well, what do you think? It’s been a long time since I had a baby!,” pretending to not know the answer to your infant care questions. You’re better off figuring it out yourself.

5. I promise that when they’re old enough, I’ll take the grandbabies for overnight visits so that you can relax. I promise to have a standing appointment on your wedding anniversary so that you never have to wonder if you’ll have to celebrate that day with Happy Meals at the McDonald’s PlayPlace and with two ketchup-covered toddlers.

6. I promise that I’ll hit the children’s clothing sales, buy out half of the stock, and then say, when you gasp that I spent too much, “Well, it was on sale! Hardly cost me a thing!”

7. I promise that I’ll spend time reinforcing what you’re teaching your children, so that when they come home after a visit, you’ll be amazed that they’re still saying “please” and “thank you.” I promise to read to them, to work on letters/numbers with them, and to answer all of their many, many, many questions as patiently as is humanly possible.

8. I promise to celebrate potty training victories with even more enthusiasm than can be rationally expected.

9. I promise to never criticize how ghastly your home looks or ask how long it’s been since you’ve cleaned. I promise to pretend like the layer of toys all over the living room is neat and tidy and actually not a mess of catastrophic proportions.

10. I promise to give my grandbabies the greatest gift I can give them — I will keep my nose out of their parents’ marriage. No good can come from a parent being too involved in their adult child’s personal business, so I will try my very best (though I will struggle!) to mind my own beeswax and let you be the amazing and wonderful adults I know you’re going to grow up to be.

Love,

Mommy

How about you? What are you putting on your list? 🙂