My Seven Grandkids

Sophia Cayenne

Kai Luca

Our first grandchild was born to my son, Mykel, and his wife, Ann in the city of Boston in 2004. Her brother, Kai, was born in Boston, too a few years later, 2006.

When Alex and Rowan were 8 and 11, my son, Adam, got together with their Mama, Lisa.  Lisa and Adam had two little boys a few years later.
In 2010, Desmond was born, and this year, 2011, Leonardo arrived.  What a big, adorable family they are now.

Des and Leo

Alex and Rowan, my new Step-grandkids

 now 13 and 11.

Seven is our family lucky number. and 11 is, too, so perhaps there are 4 more grand babies to come. Lisa and Adam will be married on 11-11-11 and it will be the first time all three new boy babies will meet. Now, if only I had time to make them tuxedos.

Our newest grandchild is Eko, Jade and Jay's baby boy. My daughter has been a Mama for 6 weeks now and of course she is loving it. My new East Coast Trio of baby boys is complete. My West Coast grand kids, Sophie and Kai,  we all miss so much, and their parents, too. I look forward to the day I have all my three children and their families all together for a big gathering, but until then, we are so lucky to have email and once in awhile, skype. There's nothin' like the real thing, though.

                             I am a happy Oma.

I am Oma

I had a childhood friend from Germany who lived with his 'Oma'. She was so interesting and kind and I always liked her and learned so much from her. She and her husband planted their whole L.I. fenced in yard as a European style walk around garden. It was enchanting. She made Alfred and I tea with orange slices and merengue cookies with walnuts inside. I never could manage to make them myself.

I had two loving 'Nannys' and my Mom was Nanny to my three kids, but I didn't want to be a Nanny, I wanted to be an Oma! Since my own grown up kids asked me to choose what I wanted my grand babies to call me, it was easy. I am Oma.

Anne Frank House in Amsterdam

Anne Frank

In high school I played Anne Frank in a play and I always loved her. I went to Amsterdam after my first baby was born and when wandering around with him on the back of my 'feets' (bikes are called that there!) I found my self on a side street off a canal and on the brick road was a post card, face down in the rain. (it always rains there, too). I stopped and picked it up. It was the Anne Frank House and I realized I was standing right in front of it. What a thrill and a psychic chill

When I looked up "Oma" recently, I found out it was a term used by Jewish/Germans and it suddenly opened up a new understanding of my friends German speaking grandparents. They were two of the lucky ones who made it to America before being captured by the Nazi's. It made me love that Oma, Mrs.Klien, even more.

Oma Dor and Grandpa Gary with our newest grandchild Eko

Our lives are so mysteriously filled with co-incidental spirals and sometimes these mysteries are illuminated and we learn. If Anne Frank had lived and had grandchildren she would have been Oma, too. And so, for you, Anna, I am Oma.