[dklassen]

I'm curious about something.

My wife and I have plans to locate to another state and unfortunately our grandkids (two, 3 1/2 years and 8 months) won't be very close anymore.

How many of you have grandchildren that are located outside of your state and how many?

Did you move away or did they?

How do you the grandmothers or grandfathers out there deal with being away from the kids?

Thanks!

[dklassen]

No grandparants live in The Villages?

[Kitria]

We are from NH.. we are supposed to be going there for 2-3 months in the summer. Circumstances have prevented us from doing that for another year or so..but..we go up every 4-5 months for various reasons. Last year, I think we were up there every 2-3 months for family stuff, so it wasn't so bad. This year we go up 3 times from now to September, then at Christmas.

It was hard. Our grandchildren range from 9-14. It is a little different at those ages than your situation.

I email them and call them often. When we are there, we make sure we have plenty of time to see all 5 of them..even though each one as ex's to deal with. We somehow manage to softtalk around the prearranged times.

So, that is how we deal with not seeing them. Not saying it is easy, but, it works for us most of the time.

[Talk Host]

Our two grandchildren, Jack and Sean, are in Syracuse. There is a direct flight from Orlando to Syracuse, so, when we can fly there fairly often. Their parents come down with the on occasion, and we fly the boys down here for a week each summer. They are 9 and 12, so they have very busy lives and are not the clingy little boys they were a few years ago. Sad to say, they are more interested in their friends and activities than they are grandma and Papa. In fact, as I write this post, my wife and I are in Syracuse visiting our family to celebrate the boys birthdays, which are not to far apart. Both boys are off someplace with their friends.

[sammie223]

Well, Syracuse is having some nice weather right now. I am on Skaneateles Lake and it is gorgeous and calm this am. Anyway, Our daughter and 2 grandkiddies ( 6, 4) live now in Ohio, and one son in Chicago with 2 grandkiddies (3, 3 months!) another son in Long Island who is single.

We see them 2-3 times between May-Sept as they all LOVE the lake and manage to get here (11 hr drive from Chi- town, 6 from Cleveland and LI). We spend Thanksgiving together up North at one of the kids' house and also do Christmas that Saturday. That way we enjoy seeing the little ones open their gifts. So far they have come down to the Villages once a year when we are South.

You know, it IS hard not to see them especially when their other grandparents live just blocks away. But we are "special" because we stay overnight or they do when they make the visit. We webcam a lot; and keep in touch through email and phone. I am so proud of the way my kids are raising their kiddies that I don't need to interface with them at every turn. Yes, it would be great to make all their soccer games and ballet recitals, but....been there, done that.

[GERALDINE]

When we moved down here, a year and a half ago, we thought we were leaving our children and 4 grandchildren up north....BUT, due to the lack of jobs in the area where they lived...they ended up moving to Florida. They're about 3 hours away...but at least it's a drive and not a plane trip. We had no idea that would ever happen. Now we're thinking of maybe moving back up north and I feel kind of "strange" when I think about leaving them down here. Funny, but I didn't feel that way when we left Michigan to move down here...go figure ???