2011 Calendar
Date Host Presenter
Sep 18 Carleen Rona Renner Nov 6 Dee Ruth O'Hara
I'm starting to plan our 2012 calendar. Please let me know if you can host one of these meetings:
January 8
March 4
May 6
July 8
September 9
November 4 |
2011 Programs
September 18 Rona Renner, RN, a nationally recognized parent educator and radio talk show host of Childhood Matters, will lead a discussion about learning differences, temperament, and family communication. "Nurse Rona" has four children and two grandchildren.
November 6 Dr. Ruth O'Hara, research professor at Stanford School of Medicine, will discuss some of her work on sleep issues and give us some suggestions for improving our sleep.
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Microwave Caramel Corn
My two granddaughters and I had so much fun making this recipe together and the results were delicious. Now it's one of our favorite special treats to make.
8 quarts popped popcorn*
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
* We popped 2 packages of Orville Redenbacher's Light Butter Microwave Popcorn.
1. Put popped corn in a clean, large, brown paper grocery bag.
2. Place butter in a large glass bowl (about 2 quarts or larger) and microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Add brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and salt. Microwave on high until mixture begins to bubble and boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
3. Remove carefully from microwave and stir in baking soda. Mixture will foam slightly. Pour mixture over popcorn in bag and use a long wooden spoon or spatula to thoroughly mix syrup into popcorn.
4. Fold top of bag over and put into microwave any way it will fit. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove popcorn and spread on cookie sheets or a section of counter top covered with wax paper. Cool. Store in zip-style plastic bags or other airtight containers.
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Greetings!
I've been fascinated by rituals since I was a child. About 20 years ago, I started reading books on rituals to understand their importance in our lives. I've collected several dozen books on the subject and given talks and workshops on the value of everyday rituals as a way to deepen our family ties. At our July GaGa Sisterhood meeting I asked the GaGas to introduce themselves by describing a favorite ritual they have with their grandchildren. The variety of responses tells me that we grandmas appreciate the special power of rituals in creating bonds with our grandchildren. This month's newsletter is devoted to understanding why rituals are important and how we can create more of them. Have fun creating some new ones with your family, |
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Rituals Are the Glue That Connects Families
Rituals are repeated actions that are meaningful to the people who do them. We often think rituals have to be serious, solemn, or centuries old. But they can cover a vast range of life's compelling ceremonies, from a simple grace or goodbye hug, to elaborate holiday celebrations and rites of passage.
 Author Meg Cox writes about how to create great family rituals in The Book of New Family Traditions. "They're everything we do to celebrate our families, not just on special occasions but also every day, every meal, every bath and every bedtime story. These everyday traditions determine how we experience our families, and demonstrate hands-on love to our grandchildren."
When you greet your grandchild with a new song on your iPhone every time you see her, as GaGa Lois does, you are creating a connection she will come to expect and remember that's a special bond between the both of you.
When you say Friday is "Grandma Day" and it's sacred, as GaGa Carol W. does, her 3 grandchildren know they'll have some special project at Grammy's house awaiting them.
These consciously repeated actions provide comfort and security for our grandchildren and show them that we value our relationship with them. They also provide vivid memories that they'll cherish when they reminisce about their childhood.
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Prescription for Rituals
Sometimes rituals just "creep up on us." Like the time my granddaughters were visiting and we planned to have a picnic, but it rained. I got out the picnic basket and packed it with some leftover paper birthday plates. We spread out a blanket on the solarium floor and I served scrambled eggs on toasted English muffins. The girls put candles in their eggs and we sang "Happy Birthday" to each other very quickly so the wax didn't melt into the warm eggs. Now every time they come for a visit, they ask for our breakfast picnic ritual! Read more ...
Meg Cox suggests families have one solid ritual of connection everyday and a modest weekly family ritual. In addition, all major milestones, accomplishments, and relevant holidays deserve to be celebrated. She also recommends creating rituals that help children get through a bumpy spot in the regular routine. Transitions are always tough for young children; substituting a fun or silly ritual for tantrums and fussing can miraculously smooth over rough patches.
 Daily rituals can take many forms but should give every family member a chance to act or speak. Many families have a dinner ritual called "high-low," where each person gets a chance to say the best and worst part of their day.
Weekly rituals can be a family night with a favorite menu or a special weekend breakfast. Rituals to comfort young children can be creative like the dad who invented a bottle of "Monster Spray" to scare away the monsters his son worried about. At bedtime, father and son sprayed in the closet, under the bed, inside the toy box, and anywhere else monsters might lurk. The little boy even took the spray to sleepovers with his grandparents.
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Favorite GaGa Rituals
- Marcia lets her 2-year old twins watch YouTube videos on her laptop. Their favorite is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and I can see why. This version has gotten over 37 million views.
- When Sherry visits her 7-year old granddaughter, she always wraps up a healthy snack and hides it in her car seat.
- Dee plants seeds in the spring with her 4 and 2 year old grandchildren. They check the progress weekly and love picking the peas and carrots.
- Irene has sleepovers with her grandchildren--the record is 6 at one time. She always fixes popcorn and hot chocolate for them.
- When Donna babysits for her 6 and 9-year old grandchildren, they throw a sock monkey down from their bunk bed and Donna improvises silly antics with the monkey--kissing him, hugging him or being choked by him! Wouldn't you love to see her?!
- Jen really indulges her 4-year old granddaughter when she has a sleepover. They sleep together and in the morning watch TV while they have breakfast in bed. Her 20-month old granddaughter loves to be bounced on a ladybug pillow to music from Lady Gaga, of course!
- Jeanne always brings her 3-year old a new book wrapped in funny recycling paper that pops open.
- Susan's family tradition is going to Huntington Lake in the high Sierras with her 3 grandchildren from Southern California.
- My 2 granddaughters like to watch YouTube videos of horses jumping and galloping. Recently, they wanted to search for other jumping animals and we found this amazing video of an elephant on a trampoline. I dare you not to laugh!
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The GaGa Zone
Please continue sending me pictures and stories of you with your grandchildren for the GaGa Zone. | | GaGa Kathleen with Bridget and Cate at Asilomar |
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