Sublime Grandmother Moment

My mom loves life when her grandchildren come to visit. She fills a "grab bag" with little gifts that she collects throughout the year, and the kids get to choose something each night while we're here. They never tire of this tradition. They love their tiny stuffed animals, toy cars, wind-up fishing games, unusual rocks, and kazoos. Nonny always finds cool and interesting stuff.

There is nothing more entertaining than the sight of my mom sternly lecturing the kids about the inappropriateness of bathroom humor at the dinner table. She does this without any hint of irony, as they giggle uncontrollably over the repeated, loud "pppbbbbblllllltttt" sounds exploding from the Whoopee Cushions that she bought them.