Help from other snowbirds please?
 

We are leaving our home in WA state on Monday to drive to the Villages to spend our first winter there. Plan to stay through May. We've got the issues covered re the utilities, turning off, etc. But I m struggling with some other issues and would like your feedback.

1. How hard is it to go from seeing grandkids every to Skyping every week and seeing them every few months? My husband is the 'super' grandpa ( plays like a kid with the grandkids and they adore him) and I worry about how it is going to affect our 4 y/o grandson to not see grandpa frequently.

2. Housekeeping--
a. Should we cover the furniture?
b. Put away all knicknacks?
c. Take pictures asnd art down from walls?

...and do this all again when we leave FL?

3. What about medical providers?
a. Do you have docs and dentists in both locations?

Our WA house will be empty for 7 months. I cleaned out all the cupborads and tossed anything with an expiration date prior to 5/12. Daughter wuill take our refrigerated food. All this seems like a hassle to do twice a year. We only want to be in FL for 7 mos. and up here in WA for 4-5 when it is storming in the Villages. So choosing one house or the other is not the answer. Thanks in advance for your help!

can't answer your ? about g-parenting; but know from friends that it is tough at first and gets easier as time goes by - provided that you have activities fith friends to fill the void; and they love skype!

re housekeeping - all i do is cover the furniture because of the potential dust that can blow thru from the ac. knicknacks and pix stay on the walls.

medical - i get my annual check-up before leaving home and make sure all scripts are current and get a duplicate set of scripts for the meds that i can get for free @ publix or winn dixie. in tv i use one of the emergency medical facilities for the minor stuff - never needed anything serious; friend had a cardiac event and received top flight care at tv hospital and first responders.

don't forget to turn your thermostat down when you leave wa - the house doesn't hafta be so warm while you're not there. you'll do the same with setting the ac when you leave tv to fly home to roost. ;) we don't mind the hassle because getting to the villages is a lot to look forward to! hope this helped.

some find it hard to leave the young grandkids, it will change as they get older

I agree with NJ. My grandkids live more than 6 hrs away and are older. They are beginning their own lives.
I cover the furniture, remove the bedding and put away but cover the beds with old sheets. The knickknacks stay put, the thermostat gets turned down, water main shut off, the ice maker turned off, the washer door open (front loader) the battery charger on the one car, toilets closed, caretaker informed! Don't forget to forward mail!
I have a physical just score I leave and hope that suffices. I do mail order meds now, so that's pretty easy, and if I need something else my doctor can fax it in.
This will be my first winter in TV, but I have another place further south where I was last year. Hopefully in another 2 yrs I will be a frog!! Also make sure your damper is closed if you have a fireplace!

This helps a lot. Thank you both.

This past winter was our first in The Villages and away from our grandchildren. Two of our grandsons are older and moving on to busy adult lives, but we still have a 6 year old grandson - we are very close and I found it extremely hard to leave him behind. However, once we were in our Villages home we became very active and it was easier as time went by. I made a point of talking to our grandson on a regular basis and tried to mail him a letter every once in awhile. I included something in each envelope - like stickers of his favorite characters, a lollipop or a gift card to a local store. It made him feel very 'special' to receive mail from us and it helped to keep us connected. It was extremely difficult to miss his birthday but we did Skype - that helped. We will be leaving Michigan for the Villages later this week and today I had to tell our grandson - it will be a little easier to go this time, especially since our son plans on bringing the little guy down for a visit during holiday break. He is looking forward to coming down to visit Legoland. It will be a special time as it will be his very first airplane ride - his visit will create wonderful memories for him (and us).

It does get easier to leave the little ones - my grandson is 3 1/2 - our first winter away was hard, but we spoke on the phone often and skyped a lot. Now he understands that Grandma & Poppa live in Florida and Pennsylvania. Yesterday on the phone he said "Grandma, I miss you - come home" - instant guilt trip! But he & I both got over it! I will see him for Christmas and his Birthday and when we are in PA for the summer, I will spend every day with him. It works, and before long he won't have time for us and will be living his own life. So get down here & enjoy The Villages - it is the best place in the world!

One of the hardest decisions I ever made was whether I could possibly leave my grandchildren in PA. There are 5 of them, the oldest being 7 and the youngest 4 months. There were a whole lot of tears and guilt and I struggled for 2 years about this move. I spent 2 months last Spring, not to see if I would like TV, but to see how difficult it would be without my "babies". I'm not going to tell you that it wasn't hard, but thanks to Skype it was manageable most of the time.

I just bought a house and moved here and leaving them all this time was just a tad easier (at least there weren't tears). Of course I wish I could see them every week like before, but overall it was a good decision for me and you'll adjust too. Most people here are grandparents and have learned the best way to deal with the separation and again you and your husband will adjust.

I wish you well and welcome.