We hear people complain about their mother-in-law all the time, right? It’s a common  subject for jokes all over. Well, guess what? I actually hit the jackpot with mine and so did my kids. True story…..

My kids call my mother-in-law Oh-Oh. Her grown-up name is Alice. There was a progression from Momar to Oh-Oh somewhere along the line years ago. I honestly can’t remember how it ended up as Oh-Oh, but that is neither here nor there.

I liked my mother-in-law right away, but my feelings towards her deepened soon after Nicole was born. She started to come out to stay with us for the weekends often and when she did, she would basically take over. She’d want to bathe Nicole and feed her, etc. I would pretend I was doing her a favor by letting her do these things when in actuality I was thankful for the break. One weekend she came out and Nicole was sick. This tiny baby had the most horrific cold and I had been sleeping sitting up in the glider so she could breathe better and sleep. Well, Oh-Oh came out on that Friday night, took that baby from me and sat up all night with her so that I could get some sleep. I was so touched and so grateful and I absolutely loved her from that moment on.

Alice spent an incredible amount of time with Nicole. When she came out to see us, it was mostly to just be with Nicole. Her amazing love for this child was truly heart warming, and when Michael and then Dana came along, she didn’t skip a beat. The joy she got from being with her grandchildren was clearly evident. When they say grandparents let their grandkids get away with anything, they had to be talking about Oh-Oh. Once I came home to find her tied to a small chair and blindfolded and Nicole was dancing around her. I was horrified and yelled at Nicole and Oh-Oh just said, “it’s ok, we’re playing.” Another time she had a target hanging around her neck while Michael was shooting nerf stuff at her. I kid you not. Whether playing or coloring with them or just watching them play, she thrived on just BEING with them.

As my kids grew up, Oh-Oh was there for everything. I’m talking field days, birthday parties, class parties, plays, dance recitals, basketball games, lacrosse games, lacrosse tournaments, awards, Honor Society inductions, band concerts, chorus concerts, graduations (from all grades/schools), etc. She came away with us, wherever we went, and spent every single holiday with us. My kids knew that Oh-Oh was always included. Basically we were a family of 6 as far as we were all concerned.

My kids are all older now and yet they still absolutely adore their Oh-Oh. I mean, how could they not? Not all grandmothers are created equal. I happen to have one of the best in the world and so do my kids. That kind of unconditional love is something that a kid never forgets. Believe me. Kids remember the things that matter most, like feeling that you are loved beyond words, always. I will forever be grateful that my kids know that feeling. I will forever be grateful that my kids have their Oh-Oh….