The day we drove up North, the night before my Great Gramma's 90th birthday, Curly and Papa had a little party so we could visit with a bunch of relatives that we would not have been able to see on this very busy trip. Since Sam just had a big birthday, they decided we'd celebrate that too. It was so great to visit with Keith's side of the family. They are all very special to me. I am so lucky I married into this group! It's like having 20 cheerleaders on my side at all times. They are positive, very caring, and lots of fun. And did I say, supportive? Sometimes I wonder what I could have accomplished if I had grown up with a support network like this. Not to say my family is not loving and supportive, we are, but in a quieter, Irish Catholic kind of way. This family has a lot of Italian energy that is just a little different and more exciting to me. I still love that I am Irish...oh, who am I kidding, I am pretty much a mutt and I am getting way off point here. My point is, Keith's loving family is Italian, fun and they love to push food on the adults and candy on the kids. For FOUR kids, they had 80 million kinds of desserts.
Aunt Lene made chocolate dipped rice crispy treats, chocolate dipped marshmallows, and these chocolate dipped pretzels.
Someone brought chocolate cupcakes with candles on the top that Addie figured out made a great tool for getting the chocolate icing into her mouth while waiting to sing Happy Birthday.
Curly gave the kids bags with Ring Pops and candy scented bubbles.
Papa made sure the kids had nice sugary drinks with their dinner too.
Good thing Maddie is too young to get caught up in the rest of the baked goods on the table, like crumb cake and pie and who knows what else. All of this after waiting until like 8:00 PM to have dinner.
Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate all the effort and love that goes in to the dinner and all the treats, but you've got to be kidding me! Did Curly and Aunt Lene let their kids eat like that when they were young? Do Grammas and Grampas forget what happens when you serve late dinners followed by a gazillion pounds of sugar to kids under 5? Or is it all part of a secret revenge plan because they know after the party they get to go to bed and their children who deprived them of so much sleep in their thirties will have to deal with the overtired, sugar-high breakdowns? And, I know it's not just our Grandparents who do this. All the Moms I know talk about how their parents love to spoil their kids with treats. Or is it that the grandparents have a perspective we can't yet grasp. I guess they know it's just for a night, the kids love it, and it's fun, not to mention entertaining. I really don't know what their motivation is but I let it slide. One, because I love 'em. Two, because I know they are sprinkling joy into our kids memories. If only all kids could be so lucky. 
4 comments:
Hahaha...so true! My kids get donuts, soda, Happy Meals, treats of all kinds when they are with their grandmas! And they both live in town!
Ditto, the extra sugar in this family. Don't forget to mention toys with a trillion very small pieces. In 2007 my 5 year old got toys with a combined total of 2,300pieces---Yes, I counted the pieces and the number of days until I could hide them in a closet until they would be forgotten and I could donate them to some other poor mommy!
Great post Marisa -- I struggle to find the balance between routine and special -- they need and deserve both!
This is a great post! I had some coke today and Ethan snuck and tried it, and loved it. He's gonna be with my mom all day tomorrow and told me that he's planning on asking Amma to get him a coke. And he told me that he already knows that she'll say yes because she lets him have all the soda that he ever wants!
I got your message... I'll call you tomorrow :o). Wishing I will be 3-1/2 weeks early too!!!!!!
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