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Raising the Bar

Nothing makes you feel more proud or more inadequate than watching your mom as a grandparent. It makes my heart swell to see how excited the kids are when they learn we are going to visit them. When it’s time to leave, my heart swells to bursting to hear them say they want to stay at Mimi’s “for a long time”.

It was a decade ago this year that my mom became Mimi to baby Claire. It was the beginning of many precious moments and memories, watching my mom with this first grandbaby. And it’s only been a year and a half since she became Mimi to our then 5 and 7 year old kids. From day one, she loved and accepted Ana and Yoseph as if she had known them all their lives. It makes me so proud of and thankful for my mom and her huge heart of love.

But inadequate? Oh yes. My mom is Betty Crocker, June Cleaver, and Ruth Bell Graham all rolled into one. She is an amazing cook, has a servant’s heart, and is a great listener. And she is so humble (she’ll be so upset I’m even writing these things about her!). When we showed up at her house last week, she was scooping homemade cookie dough into perfectly shaped mounds. By contrast, the kids think it’s a treat when I buy premade cookie dough and spoon chunks of it on to a cookie sheet. It’s even more exciting when I don’t burn the cookies because I’ve forgotten about them! But to her, throwing together a batch of homemade cookies was no big deal. That’s just what you do for family–along with a special trip to the grocery store to buy our favorite things, clean sheets on all the beds, fresh flowers, and trinkets for the kids. When my dad and I shared the traditional father/daughter dance at my wedding, he whispered, “Just aim to be half as good as your mom, and you’ll be great.” For Tim’s sake, I hope I can get there.

We had a nice day together. After way too many of said homemade cookies were consumed and TV commercials were watched, it was time to call it a day. Before I put the kids to bed at my parents’ house, my mom asked, “Do you read to the kids before bed?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I usually read with Yo as part of his homework each day and Ana reads to herself before bed.” My mom nodded, passing no judgment. But after turning down the beds, I came upon this Norman Rockwell sighting.

Mimi Reads

The kids were DELIGHTED. They were also enthralled to discover a new book series, the Berenstain Bears. Ana kept sneaking new books on to Mimi’s lap to prolong reading time.

She has set an amazing example as a mom and as a grandma. We are all lucky to have her.

2 Comments

  • Heidi
    Posted June 9, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    Ughhhh make me cry, why don’t you?! She’s an amazing mom and Mimi. You’re a pretty amazing stepmolly, too. Maybe one day you’ll be a featured item in a blog by Ana (complete with initials in the heart).

  • dollybike
    Posted June 10, 2016 at 12:59 am

    I refuse to compete with Mimi as a grandmother, just so happy that she shows so much love for Ana and Yoseph! And the Berenstain Bears are fun books, with subtle lessons….

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