Looking back in time

Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux


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Have you ever felt like you went back in time as you watched your grandkids? That happened to me last week when I was with our three-year-old grandson and his big sister.

Our little grandson was having lots of fun with his "bow and arrow"—that is, shooting a rubber band from a plastic coat hanger. As I watched him I remembered his daddy being a cowboy in our backyard long ago; his gun was a stick.

Then, as our grandson took a small shovel and began to dig a hole in his backyard, big sis gathered the patio chairs together and turned them upside down. She was making a fort. I remembered the forts I made as a child under overgrown bushes, and the tree house that Pops' and my sons built long ago.

I'm reminded of something that Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson wrote in their book Let's Make a Memory: "We have this moment to hold in our hand, and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand. Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today!"

How do you savor those special moments with your grandchildren? As you watch your legacy, do they ever remind you of your children?

Have a great week!
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart

Article © 2011 Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Photo © Melissa Patton / Dreamstime.com

Bluebird nest boxes

Friday's Grand Connection Fun

by Mary May Larmoyeux

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What do you know about bluebirds? I didn't know much until Pops and I went to a talk about bluebird basics at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center.

We learned that bluebirds usually nest in late March or early April and have two broods per season. They lay four or five light blue eggs and it takes about two weeks for the eggs to incubate.

Guess what? Pops and I are now the proud owners of a bluebird nest box and it's ready for its first family. I can imagine the fun that our grandchildren will have as they hopefully watch the building of bluebird nests, laying of eggs, and development of the baby birds.

If you would like to build a bluebird house or learn more about bluebirds, you can visit the North American Bluebird Society. 

Can you give us any tips about bluebirds or bluebird nest boxes?

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 

“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men,

the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God."  

                              (Luke 12:6-8)

Have a wonderful weekend,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart

© 2011 Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo © Ingrid Perlstrom/Dreamstime.com/

Capturing our stories

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Not too long ago, a good friend, Karen Jordan, and I taught a four-week writing workshop at church called "Capture Your Story." One week we talked about preserving our family stories for future generations, especially our spiritual stories.

We jotted down stories that we wanted to share with our families. Some memories that came to my mind included the premature birth of our oldest son. The doctor said that he would not live through the night, but God knew better. This son is now the father of three of our precious grandchildren.

And I remembered getting out of a taxi as a college student when I was visiting a small church. A middle-age couple "adopted" me and brought me to church every Sunday after that. Pops and I still stay in touch with them today.

What stories to you want your great, great-grandchildren to know about you? What do you want them to know about your faith? If you haven't already begun capturing family stories (in writing, on videotape, through a recording, etc.), you may want to consider starting today.

Doing this can be very simple. You may want to purchase a special journal and just jot down your stories ... His stories ... on a weekly or monthly basis. Someday, a generation you will never know will thank you!

He is able,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux

co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect with Your Grandchild's Heart

Article and picture © 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

The little things in life

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

It's amazing how we remember some of the smallest, most seemingly inconsequential things.

The other day one of my granddaughters was helping me make the beds. "I remember making the beds with my own grandmother," I told her. And then my mind raced back decades ago to my "Nana." I could picture us standing side by side and remember her voice, "Tuck in the corners."

Later in the day I told this same granddaughter that she had been making good decisions and that she didn't have to ask me if she wanted something out of the refrigerator. "If you want some juice or fruit, you can just get it yourself."

"Nana," she said before bedtime, "When you said I could get my own snacks, it made me feel so good."

My comment had been such a casual, little thing. But it had made an impression on my granddaughter, and I sensed that she felt very loved.

What seemingly inconsequential things do you remember about your grandmother? Have they become precious memories?

He is able,
Mary
co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart


Article 2012 © Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

 Picture ©  Lane Erickson / Dreamstime.com

Let's make some Valentine's Day cards

Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

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Valentine’s Day will soon be here. I searched the Internet and found some great ideas for custom-made Valentine cards. Hope that you'll have as much fun looking at these possibilities as I did:

Cupid's Coupons The online description says, “Cupid's Coupons, redeemable for extra-nice favors." You'll even find ideas for blank Love Checks to help you "write your own tickets to niceness.”

Make Some Valentine Cards (from Family Fun)

Pop-Up Valentines (National Wildlife Federations) Includes a cute frog pop-up Valentine

Thumb-bunny Loves You Card  (Baby Center) Even the youngest child can make this card!

Valentine E-Cards from National Wildlife Federation

3D Valentine Cards (from Highlights magazine)

And this article, Valentine Recipes and Ideas, is in the current issue of Encouraging Women With Hearts for Their Homes.

I want to help the local grands make some special Valentine cards for their parents and other loved ones. And I've already printed off color copies of "Cupid's Coupons" for our out-of-town grands. I think the ones who can write will have fun making these. And the little ones who doesn't know how to write yet ... well, they can color their coupons.

Last but not least, Valentine's reminds us of love. This month I want to focus on 1 Corinthians 13 and pray that God will fill our grandchildren's hearts with His love.

Have a great weekend,
Mary

http://www.marymaywrites.com/
co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart

© by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo © Dennis Cox / Dreamstime.com

Indoor Fun with the Grandchildren

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Friday’s Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Well, it’s already Friday … and time to have some fun with the grandkids.

Two of our grands will be spending this weekend with Pops and me. Although it’s not supposed to rain in the next few days, it’s going to be too cold for the kids to play outside. So, I’ve been looking for some things that we can do together inside.

Here are a few ideas:

This activity can provide hours of fun and imagination for older children.

Make a doll couch. What little girl couldn't use a little furniture for her beloved doll?

Play storybook bingo. Make a bingo card by drawing 16 squares on a piece of paper or cardboard. Ask the players to list common words that they can recognize. Then cut the words out and place them in a small bowl. Before you begin reading out loud, select a word from the bowl. As you read, the kids will listen for the word that you drew, and they will cover the appropriate square (with a marker from another game, coin, etc.) when they hear it. You may want to play straight-line bingo (cover four squares in a straight line in any direction) cover the card, etc.

You also could use a deck of word flash cards for very young readers. If you do this, you will simply draw the “bingo word” from the stack of cards.

This activity can easily be done with grandkids who live out of town. Mail them the bingo card and markers, read a story on the phone, and play bingo together.

Storybook Bingo is one of the rainy day activities that I found on a family education website. They have a long list of activities that include games, reading and writing activities, science activities, gardening, kitchen fun, dance and movement, and more.

Simple to do and good for the imagination.

Make a Bear Hospital. Just give your little "doctor" or "nurse" a supply of Band-Aids and non-breakable first-aid items to use with his/her imagination. You may want to have a "pretend and play doctor" kit on hand.

Go on a Scavenger Hunt. We can download scavenger hunts from the Internet and enjoy them with local or long-distance grandchildren. Just mail a copy of a downloadable scavenger hunt to long-distance grandkids, and follow up with an e-mail or phone call.

Visit a library an online. You'll be amazed by all that you can find there!

Work a simple jigsaw puzzle together. This is always a fun activity to do and great for the entire family.

Make a puppet. Until I went to the Family Fun website, I had never thought about making puppets out of vegetables!

Hummmm so much to choose from. Right not, an indoor scavenger hunt, storybook bingo, and making a bear hospital sound good to me.

Please share some indoor activities that you do with your grandkids in a comment below. Or, send an e-mail to mary@marymaywrites.com and I'll be glad to add the comment for you.

Have a great weekend,

Mary

Mary May Larmoyeux

The Grand Connection

article and picture © by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.