Happy Mother’s Day! Today is for you, whether you’re a mother, a mother-in-law, a grandmother or reuniting with a mom whom you haven’t seen since before COVID. Or, maybe you are remembering a mother? Perhaps you’re also enjoying watching a new mom fall in love with her new baby or passing wisdom to a growing child? However you celebrate Mother’s Day, I hope you enjoy savoring old memories and making new ones.
Whether it’s FaceTime, landline or snail mail: CALL A MOM ! And, if you feel so inclined, check out these links and consider donating to a charity of your choice to help mom’s in India: Help India During COVID.
Catching Up
So, it’s been a while since Dawn and I have posted. Well, you could say that Dawn and I have had a bit of COVID fatigue. And, ahem….we’ve been a bit preoccupied. First, getting vaccinated yay!! Then, helping to make sure that our families got vaccines as quickly as permitted. That was a LOT of late night internet juggling. Can you relate?
Mothers Near & Far
Coincidentally, since our last post, Dawn and I have each welcomed a new grandson. Our latest little guy is named for my dad/Zaydie and northern DIL’s Grammie. This tradition of naming a child for a cherished family member is yet another way to link generations into the future. Passing on these names is also a wonderful way to celebrate lives lived. Truly, this is a way to honor “their memories as blessings”. Many, many blessings.
New Long Distance Grandparents Facebook Page!
While our kids were pregnant with expectations, chasing after toddlers and getting vaccinated, Dawn and I were asked to moderate a long-distance grandparents social media site. Currently, this FB community includes close to 500 long distance grandparents from around the world. We have been thinking of and planning ways to link Smiles Beyond Miles with that spirited group. At the same time, we want to provide options for the ways you like to connect.
For a sample of how Long Distance Grandparents Facebook group benefits from connecting with other long distance grandparents facing similar challenges and joys, check out this wordle:
For more info, search Facebook for Long Distance Grandparents and request to join. This is a monitored, private group so you’ll need to answer a few questions. There, you’ll also find more ideas for connecting with grands remotely, art projects from Dawn and fun stories (emotional ones, too) posted by long distance grandparents from Australia to the Netherlands and across the US.
Stay Tuned…
Meanwhile, stay tuned for a new look for our Smiles Beyond Miles blog. As Dawn and I always learn from this blog adventure… delivering content and building our community in creative and efficient ways is a work in progress! Look forward to hearing how you connected on Mother’s Day and every day.
Cheers and happy connecting to all you mom’s and mom-supporters
Do you feel like this has been a long winter or WHAT?! My northern granddaughter and I often check out the weather through each other’s windows when we videochat, and it seems like we’re always talking about SNOW! So I searched online for a fun snow-themed project that we could enjoy virtually. Many online mamas and teachers offer up creative ideas for building snowmen while you stay warm inside. The main ingredient? The timeless cottonball. Here’s how you and your grands can use cottonballs along with simple household items to “build” a colorful snowman together via videochat. But that’s just the beginning. You can add elements to create anticipation and connection over the following days or weeks.
The Adventure Starts with a Good Story
Our winter snowman project started with Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright read virtually, of course. The story goes like this: Sneezy the Snowman has a problem. He’s always cold, so he sneezes a lot. He tries to warm himself up with hot cocoa and then a cozy fire. But, oh no, Sneezy! He melts from the heat, and his friends have to rebuild him. They also try to warm him up with clothes including a scarf, a hat and a jacket.
The story’s themes of friendship and problem-solving work well with toddlers through kindergartners. There are even some basic “science” concepts to chat about like hot and cold, freezing and melting. So, creating a cottonball, Sneezy the Snowman and dressing him to keep him warm, is a perfect partner for this sweet story.
Easy Peasy and Fun’s Cottonball Snowman
A Visit to Savta’s Fabric Closet
So after reading the story, we “went” to my fabric closet downstairs as I flipped the phone camera back and forth. Together we looked out my window to see that I had “some” snow. My granddaughter realized we were both looking out our windows, and exclaimed that she had even more!
Then I opened the closet door filled with my fabric stash. Organized by colors, we “toured” different palettes and patterns. First, we selected one fabric for Sneezy’s scarf, another for his hat and another one for his jacket. I cut pieces of each chosen fabric, and showed her the pieces that I would send her.
A Tale of Two Packages: One to Send, One to Keep
Next, I put together two sets of supplies. One to mail to my granddaughter and one for me to use during our snowmen video chat. I rummaged through my crafts box to fill a “build a snowman “box. You can personalize it with things like the following:
Fun paper (construction paper, wrapping paper or from an old wallpaper book) for a background
A paper bowl or plate to make a “standing up” snowman
Cottonballs, regular or mini size
Colorful pipe cleaners, yarn, buttons, ribbons
Fabric scraps from old clothes or sheets
Fuzzy balls
Part of egg carton (3 adjacent “egg holders” to put the cottonballs, optional)
Popsicle sticks
White glue (with a cotton swab for spreading)
Inside the package, I tucked in a note with the plan and a picture of Sneezy the Snowman.
Winter Project Anticipation
Next came the phone calls and video chats about when the package would arrive. After it was delivered, we talked about when to start. We settled on an afternoon the following weekend. She was so excited. As you’ve probably experienced, talking about a project or an event can be almost as much fun as doing it! And of course, the younger the child, the harder “future time” is to grasp (like how about NOW?!)
The Project Unfolds Over Videochat
Best laid plans… wIth all the supplies ready on my end for an afternoon video chat, the call to get started actually came hours before, while I was still in bed! I threw on my bathrobe, and was downstairs at my craft table in a flash. As we long-distance grandparents know, when the grandchildren are ready, we will be, too!
Here are some snowman-making ideas that we used, that you can, too!
Decide if this will be a “standing” snowman or if he/she will be flat on a background paper. Pick a background paper or paper bowl/plate. Build your snowman from the bottom up.
Use white glue (a Q-tip works well) to glue cottonballs to each other to form larger “balls” – 2 or 3 and stack them with glue. (You can use part of an egg carton to keep the round shape).
Add body parts: Ask the child what he/she would like to use for eyes, nose, mouth, arms, etc.
Dress your snowmen! What kind of scarf or hat would be fun? What color? How about a jacket? (Ideas from Sneezy the Snowman).
Read the story with your new snowmen and change up the outfits with different fabrics.
Talk about snowmen you’ve seen in your neighborhood.
Creations Beyond Snowmen
When my granddaughter was all done, she noticed that there were still plenty of decorations leftover. So, she started another project. Using letters as the base for her new creation, she encouraged me to do the same! With leftover supplies, it’s fun to see where the grandkids take us with their imaginations. And don’t forget the hot cocoa and selfies!
Will you be dining on turkey and memories this Thanksgiving? For the past three Thanksgivings, we visited kids and grands in three different states. Each one holds memories of anticipation, travel delays, cooking marathons and satisfying feasts. Our Remote Thanksgiving 2020 will be much quieter. This year, we’ll be mixing new ideas with old favorites: A remote Thanksgiving mocktail hour, pumpkin bread, a few family members via zoom. We are swapping a deli platter for turkey, coleslaw instead of sweet potatoes and mustard for cranberry sauce. For this Gramps and Savta, Thanksgiving 2020 will definitely be different!
In the spirit of resilience and half-full glasses, I’m sharing a cornucopia of treats and ideas to link generations during Thanksgiving 2020, including ways I’m expressing my gratitude and counting our blessings.
Share Favorite Thanksgiving recipes
Here are two of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes that span generations. You can enjoy making these “together while apart” or on your own.
Gratitude Pumpkin Bread Recipe
This pumpkin bread recipe was created by a much loved family friend, Phyllis, and makes three generous loaves. As it bakes, the house fills with sweet, spicy smells. I can picture her beautiful smile. An hour ago, I shipped off pumpkin bread loaves to our kids and grands.
Created in 1982, the synagogue cookbook with this recipe is full of appreciation and gratitude for a group of loving, talented women, including my mom. I love to read the inscriptions.
Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe with Apples and Chestnuts – Vegetarian
Created by Mim, this amazing Chestnut-Apple Thanksgiving stuffing’s secret ingredients are homemade croutons and apple cider. She’s been making this in our family since she was 10 years old. For Thanksgiving 2019, this recipe was made with siblings in different cites. Instead of eating together, we shared the photos.
Mim’s Chestnut and Apple Stuffing
6 cups cubed country-style or sour dough bread. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, drizzle the olive oil
Make bread cubes (we do them a day ahead): Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake seasoned bread cubes with olive oil on 2 sheet pans (middle or upper oven rack) for about 15 minutes. Hide them where no one will snack on them.
In a large skillet, cook leeks and celery in olive oil, covered until softened. Stir occasionally. Add sage, apples, 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered for a few more minutes. Stir occasionally. Then add chestnuts and pour apple cider over the mixture. Cook a few more minutes. Add parsley and bread cubes and toss to finish. Transfer to a large bowl to toss with bread cubes if skillet is not large enough. Spread stuffing mixture into a 9″ x 13″ pan or shallow casserole dish.
Bake uncovered at 375°F for about 30 minutes until top is a little crispy and golden. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
Below, our southern daughter-in-law shows off our scrumptious creation.
Since Thanksgiving is about gratitude, I plan to do a session from Yoga with Adrienne that my northern daughter-in-law shared with me. As you might guess, Adrienne’s free yoga class this week is called Gratitude Yoga. An internationally known teacher, Adrienne’s philosophy is quite simple: Find What Feels Good. She has a library of free YouTube classes for all abilities.
Watching Adrienne is like inviting an old friend into your living room. You can use the video chat aids found here on our blog with grands to watch Adrienne’s YouTubes together while apart. Or, each can watch on your own, and later enjoy chatting about Adrienne’s dog, her downhome Texas style, and her down dogs. Try it! You’ll be grateful you did.
Share Your Heart: Feed the Hungry
In these challenging times, I feel so fortunate to have food on our tables. More importantly, we have access to healthy food. Yet, right in our backyards, many people – many children – do not. After hearing on NPR about the sharp increase in families with children with food insecurity, you will see why this has become a priority for me during COVID. Additionally, this is a great discussion topic with kids and grandkids. How can they share with others?
We can each make a difference with even $1, $5 or $10. That’s Thanksgiving. That’s connection. Discussing worthwhile charities is a chance to share values. At the same time, reviewing charity ratings* teaches how to evaluate where limited resources can be used most wisely. (*Ratings can change monthly).
Share Your Talent: A Remote Thanksgiving 2020 Quilting Project
Thanksgiving Day will be the perfect chance to take out the old colorful ties and get to work. We’ll reminisce about where my dad liked to wear each tie. Now, we get to create something new. Having the kids pick out their favorite ties via FaceTime is another way to connect across the miles. As timeless treasures, these will make great gifts. I can’t wait to see the finished products!
Give, Enjoy, Change it Up: Be Safe!
So, what do all these Remote Thanksgiving 2020 activities and memories have in common? They are all ways to process the change that is before us, to be creative and also stay connected while being safe. Helping our grands to be resilient and positive, to thank those we love, and to give to those in need is what Thanksgiving is about.
As you can tell from earlier posts, reading with our grands is truly one of my favorite activities. Recently, my mom shared an article about a new children’s book, The Wild Symphony by Dan Brown, (also known for The DaVinci Code), reviewed in the New York Times. I was intrigued. So, of course, ⌨ click-click-click on Amazon. My three-year old granddaughter received it two days later. Fortunately, this book is also available at public libraries. Many reads and recommendations later, it’s unanimous: The Wild Symphony hits a high note with grandkids. Here’s why…
Like many of you, we have yet to meet our adorable 6-month-old grandchild. I’m obsessed with figuring out the best time to visit him and all our kids and grandkids. Up north. Down south. Throughout the day, travel questions run through my mind…. Should we rent an RV or fly? To go or not to go visit grands seems to be the question many long-distance grandparents are thinking about. We want to see these kids, touch their chunky cheeks. Not just on FaceTime!
In July, since it was a reasonable drive, I decided to visit our northern kids and grandkids. Yes, there were many deliberations. In the days before the trip, worries kept popping up. Who am I putting at risk with my visit? Should I bring my own towels and linens? (I did). Truthfully, once I arrived, the anxiety melted away. As you can imagine, we enjoyed every moment.
Grandparents, we have lots to offer our grands when it comes to reading! Given our experiences, we can help them navigate the route to fun and engaging reading. With our school-age grandkids, virtual storytime is like a partnership. I like to call it, “read-sharing.” Put another way, vIrtual read-sharing is like Uber. And, virtual read-sharing with school-age grands delivers smiles beyond the miles.
For tips about reading with school-age kids, I turned to my daughter-in-law up north (nDIL), master teacher and elementary school reading specialist extraordinaire. For bonding at a distance with reading, I checked in with my mom and cherished long distance grandparent. Read more
During virtual storytime last week with one of our grands, I took out a cookbook we made for her mom’s bridal shower. As you can imagine, it’s full of old family recipes and precious photos. I showed them to my granddaughter. We talked about favorite soups, salads, ingredients and food shopping. It was like a virtual memory tour of loved ones and yummy treats. Inspired by feedback from our readers, I began to think about how we could cook together while we are apart. And, I’ve called it: Parallel Cooking!
What is Parallel Cooking?
Think about how toddlers play together. They sit next to each other, but do their own thing, right? And, they are having a blast. Well, Parallel Cooking is the same idea. Read more
Like many long-distance grandparents, the last time we visited with our grandkids was in the winter. That is, unless I count yesterday’s virtual visit with our granddaughters. Both virtual visits included storytime using video chat to read Pete the Cat, The Incredible Avocado and Goodnight Moon. In fact, each grandchild followed every word and giggled along as I tilted the phone to cover the key parts of each page.
To try virtual storytime with your grandchild, here are some ways I keep it simple and special for different ages. Read more
