The old gray mare

This whole aging thing has got me perplexed

Kids playing at Boccali's

Christmas came and went way too fast, especially considering that we were able to spend part of the holidays with Courtney, Dave and the boys.

Despite technological advances that have allowed us to do such things as video chat with the boys, which makes our faces and voices familiar to them, it's still hard to be this far away. Especially because they're so young and are growing up so fast.

Still it's obvious they're getting to know us bit by bit. Cody reminds me so much of my brother Rodger, not only in looks, but also in his goofy, loud way. Alex is smart as a whip and has a will of iron. They're both so sweet and loving, which is a sign that they're loved.

I ran around each day making sure I spent time with Courtney and the boys (I don't really worry about Dave). We had a great time, but it's all over now and all the stuff has been packed away and we're back to our old schedule.

I love this whole grandmom gig, though. It's a great perspective to be in the old, wise role even if I'm nowhere near there myself. The whole baking cookies and doing fun things part is fantastic.

Tracy came over a few weeks ago and looked around and said, "It looks so empty without all the Christmas stuff. Don't you miss it?" And I do, especially now that I'm a grandmom.