Hey there! It’s Granny Bunny aka Mary May. My mission with this love letter is to share some ways I try to make magic for the children in my life. Since the last time I wrote to you, we’ve had some amusing adventures with our grandkids. The month started with our annual May Basket assembly and stealth deliveries — then we pivoted to an art brunch, Golden Week and our annual haiku contest, Flower Day, Japan Day, and an unusual Mother’s Day tradition (sweetest story ever). With over half the month still left, I am fervently anticipating how the rest of May will unfold. So far, there are plans for a Snake Day, Viking Day, and Bird Day. I hope by sharing my fun, you’ll share some of yours, and we can inspire each other to create some special memories for those little people we love so dearly. As always, hold on to your wand, cuz here comes some magic spells. — Granny Bunny

As my grandchildren grow older, I find it’s a little more challenging to create activities they want to do with their grandparents. After some experimenting, I’ve teased out a few ideas that I think are successful because they have two critical features. First, they are adult activities, not kid’s stuff. Second, I invite them to bring a friend. Unfortunately, most of the options have been off the table since the pandemic, but there are a few workable alternatives. For example, earlier this month, we hosted a brunch in our dining room with the fancy china and table linens for our 17-year old granddaughter Kallie and her boyfriend Giovanni. The mealtime conversation was delightful and we played and laughed our way through a great art sketching game. With all the craziness around them, it’s important for our emerging young adults to know, in addition to their parents, they have other people who cherish and admire them and have their back. Keith and I think it’s our privilege and our responsibility to be among those people.

To celebrate the Japanese Golden Week, each year Miss Ladybug (one of my alter-ego characters) sponsors a fabulous haiku contest. This was the biggest year yet with 42 entries! The haiku poems are all uploaded online for judging by a hand-picked panel of literary insect beetles. Here are my two youngest granddaughters who completed their quirky haiku poems as part of our Japan Day festivities. The winners will be announced and the prizes awarded this week-end at our Zoom poetry reading. In the meantime, Miss Ladybug will be looking for her next opportunity to encourage creative expression through writing.

To celebrate our bountiful earth, we had a lovely Flower Party. Each artist got a white pot filled with pink violets. Their challenge was (a) to pick one person for whom to make a beautiful flower card, (b) decorate the flower pot using flower stickers and markers, (c) deliver the plant and greeting card with your heart filled with love for nature and our planet. The prizes for completing their mission are shown in the bottom left of the photo, bottles of perfume spray in flower scents and a felt flower craft kit. They also received a bouquet of flower lollipops as a gift from their Granny and Paw. Presley selected her older sister Kallie as her gift recipient. Lilly selected her cousin Roland. And they did some great work on the hand-made cards and pot decorating.

Presley is a shrewd politician. Like many little sisters, she is not allowed entry to our older sister Kallie’s bedroom. She not only reached out to her by selecting Kallie to receive her card and plant, but Presley also wrote this message on the back of her flower pot to be clear about the form of reciprocity she desired in exchange for the gift. Yikes! A lobbyist in the making.

Note: “My Sister’s Bedroom” haiku by Granny Bunny

This was such a glorious celebration of all things Japanese. Before the party could start, we had to make a shopping trip to get our sushi and Japanese candy.

The table was set with Asian dishes when we arrived home with our groceries. After the girls set up a display of their dessert selections, they devoured the sushi rolls while we watched one of their favorite anime shows called “Food Wars.” We learned about wabi-sabi, wrote haiku poems, and dressed up in a kimono and obi. We also learned 10 Japanese words and phrases. Presley wants to learn Japanese so she can visit Japan, so her Granny (and a Japanese language app) are helping her to learn this mysterious language.

Our art project was, of course, origami. We have beautiful papers that my friend Yoko Namura brought us from Japan. When I think of Japan, I think of harmony, beauty, and peace. I am hoping my grandchildren will learn enough about this amazing and ancient culture to understand why.

Since last time I wrote to you, we also celebrated Mothers Day, but with a twist. Years ago when my mom died, my granddaughter Kallie was five years old. A few days after the funeral, she and I were sitting on the couch watching television. I started to cry. “What’s wrong, Granny,” she asked with great concern.

“Nothing, Honey,” I sniffled. “I just miss my mom. I used to talk to her every day, and now I can’t any more. Sometimes it makes me sad. I miss her so much my heart hurts.”

She wrapped both her arms around my neck and pulled me to her. She held my face against her shoulder like I was a doll and patted my back. With deep compassion, she said softly, “I will be your Kid-Mom, Granny. You can talk to me anytime as long as you live.”

And she is. And I do. And every Mother’s Day, my Kid-Mom gets a gift. She has the most loving heart I can imagine.

But that’s not quite the end of the story. When her little sisters came along, they were a tad jealous of Kallie’s special Kid Mom status. A couple years back, when Keith’s mother passed away, Presley jumped in and claimed the role of “Kid Mom” for Keith, and she’s gotten gifts each Mothers Day since. Poor Lilly. The Rat (our family’s criminal puppet), lost his mother too, so Lilly is The Rat’s Kid Mom, but she doesn’t seem to mind — at least she gets a gift on Mothers Day.