It’s incredible what a grandmother will do for her grandchildren. Lately, I admit that not much has been happening for my crew. I got the brilliant idea that I would make sundresses for all of my girls and make a collared shirt for my boy. I thought it would be an easy sewing project, and everything would come out ideally. I was wrong. I’m no seamstress. Let me tell you how my first big weekend with the grandchildren went.
The outfits for the photo
First, I purchase fabric with an Easter/Spring feel to it. Be mindful that I have never sewn a dress for the little ladies before this project. The fabric happens to be on sale, so not only was it cute, but it was also budget-friendly. I have five (5) granddaughters. In the end, two (2) dresses were too small. For my life, I could not get the sizing for the button-down shirt correct, so it kept splitting. Eventually, I had to adjust the two dresses on the spot to make them fit properly, and I caved in and purchased a button-down shirt beforehand. The children were gracious and patient. I didn’t expect so many little things to go wrong on my first big weekend with the grandchildren in 2024.
The Portrait of Me Contest
Things are so expensive that I had to devise a practical activity. I like painting and have had painting parties with kids before, so I challenged them to paint my portrait for a prize. All I can say is that you have to embrace how others see you despite what you believe about yourself. My crew painted me like their lives depended on it. They have a lot of spot-on elements. Elements like my salt and pepper hair color, the family trait of a pink bottom lip, my eyeglasses, and my skin tone were correct. They had to mix the paints to get that part. I believe the one below is the closest.
A Movie and Lunch
By the time we got to Sunday, I was already tired, but we had a movie and lunch before we ended our time together. They wanted to see Kung Fu Panda 4. I can’t tell you if it was good or bad because I took a power nap in the theater. I know, it’s giving old lady, but they enjoyed it, and that’s all that matters to me.
The first big weekend with the grandchildren was a little pricey. Making the dresses was reasonable. The sewing materials and the shirt I had to buy cost $75. I think that’s good for six kids under twelve. After the photo session and dinner, I took them out for ice cream to the tune of $54. All I did was buy canvas for $10 for the painting contest. I keep artist’s paint on hand. Of course, I had to go grocery shopping because if you know nothing else about children, they constantly want to snack and eat. The weekend grocery bill was $77. Thank goodness I found a Groupon for the movies. We got tickets for everyone for $54. Finally, on the way home from the film, we grabbed lunch at the fast food place with a whopping bill of $62.
All in all, for a 36-hour visit, I spent $330, which is broken down to $55 per child. That’s a bit much for me, but we have not done anything together for a long while. We made some memories and had a great time together. My journey into becoming a grandmother was a life-changing experience. If you want to know more, pick up a copy of my book Being a Grandmother, wherever books are sold.