Not unlike the connection I have with my Mom, Gwendolyn and her Gramma have an extremely unique and special bond, too. We've written about it before, but Gramma happily drives 80 miles each way from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara every week to spend time with Gwendolyn and help us out around the house. She's never missed a week in over three years and she wouldn't have it any other way.
Every single week she arrives loaded up with our favorite coffee drinks, lunch for the day, a home cooked dinner and a nice bottle of wine. I know these visits mean the world to her and Gwendolyn lights up the second she arrives. Gramma always brings a special project for them to do together and is super creative with fun activities that Gwendolyn always loves. There's singing. Counting. Spelling. Massage. Books. Peek-a-boo games. Catch. Basketball. Alphabet lessons. Beauty salon. And always — ALWAYS — dancing. Crazy dancing!
Recently, Gramma has been teaching Gwendolyn a dance to the Hawaiian classic,The Hukilau Song. Gramma performs it. Then (with Gramma's help) Gwendolyn does it, too. And she is so serious about the dance. Especially the ending where she does her HUGE, dramatic bow. Then Gramma has one of Gwendolyn's stuffed “friends” or princesses do the dance (Gwendolyn is partial to her stuffed mermaid…which Gramma gave her). Gwendolyn giggles and giggles watching her stuffed friends hula, too. She loves it. And every time I see them doing the Hukilau dance together, it takes me right back to my many special childhood summers in Hawaii where my awesome Grandma — my Mom's mom — would teach my sister and me the same exact dance to the same exact song. I loved it then. And I love watching Gwendolyn get to have the same special grandmother bond. It's so special.
It is Gramma's birthday!!! So, Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to the best Mom and Gramma in the entire world! We hope you have a very special day today and we can't wait to Hukilau with you soon!