Her name  is Maria and she is from the Ukraine. When she was 16, she spent some time in a concentration camp. A long time in a concentration camp. Her life was spared because she knew three languages and she was heavily utilized as an interpreter. She lost many friends and some relatives in this concentration camp.

She later married a man in the military, had a child and eventually moved to the United States adding five more children along the way. She would lose one child to a congenital heart defect. The other five children would grow up and have children of their own.

Her skills as an interpreter were in great demand in the United States. She would teach for the prestigious Defense Language Institute and share her knowledge of languages. She would train many, many soldiers for years before retiring.

When I finally met her, she was just Babushka. She never shared these stories or much about her life when I was growing up. I would hear bits and bits from family members.

My Babushka holding my youngest daughter. Laurel was born with the same heart defect that Babushka's second child,Charles died from. Laurel had a successful operation to correct her defect.

But she shared. She shared her summers with me. She shared the huge trees in her yard that I would climb over and over again. She shared her fabulous plum jelly that she made herself from the plum trees in her yard.

She would slather this plum jelly on freshly baked German blackbread (still a favorite of mine today) that she got from her local bakery. I sometimes would only eat blackbread with plum jelly for an entire day. I can still taste it when I close my eyes.

She shared her love of all things Russian, Ukrainian or German. Samovars. Matryoshka dolls. Gummi Bears (for the true lovers, there is only ONE kind). Blackbread. Russian  and German candies that she would hide in her freezer (my baby could point to the freezer and grunt for a candy before she could even talk).

She shared. She shared so much. And she never asked for anything in return.

She is such an amazing woman. My grandmother. My kids adore her. She is my Babushka. She is their Babushka.

It was an honor to give my middle child the name of my Babushka.

Disclaimer: I am sorry for the lousy pictures. They were taken with a pretty bad camera phone. I clearly need a new camera and I need to better document these memories. I am seriously annoyed with myself.

Join the Movement Celebrate National Grandparent’s Day on September 13th!

From Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect:

I invite you to join me in celebrating National Grandparents Day by dedicating a blog post to your grandparents.  In an attempt to make sure this holiday, and the special individuals it honors, gets the recognition it deserves I’ll be dedicating a special blog post to my children’s grandparents. My blog will proudly bear an “I’m Celebrating Grandparent’s Day” badge. And I’ll have the opportunity to dig deep into my arsenal of memories to write a tribute that truly expresses my gratitude and appreciation.

I’m sure you will agree grandparents are a very important part of our lives and the lives of our children. I’d love for you to join in the celebration the grandparents of today. If you would like to showcase a “Grandparent’s Day” badge on your blog, click HERE for a variety of downloadable options.

I encourage you to visit a great online community that provides all the resources you need to make the day of the grandparents in your life. Grandparents.com offers tips and suggestions for creating a truly special experience for both your parents and your children. From activities and crafts to gift ideas and planning suggestions, the National Grandparent’s Day section on the site will help you form memories that span generations.

And because I believe in fun too, I’ll be hosting a Twitter party, along with the great folks at Grandparents.com. On Thursday, Spetember 10th from 8-9 EST at #grandparents, well be swapping stories, sharing ideas and even giving away great prizes that would make perfect Grandparent’s Day gifts! Moms, Dad, Grandmas, Grandpas and Grandkids are all welcome! More details to come but I can’t wait to tweet with you.

Its widely known that there are days for children to celebrate the other role models in their lives, but too few families recognize their grandparents on the day set aside just for them. That’s why I’m making it my mission to make certain that the 30th annual National Grandparent’s Day, September 13th, is a very special celebration.Will you join me in spreading the word to fellow bloggers to recognize National Grandparents Day by posting about your grandparents or your child’s grandparents between Thursday, September 10th and Sunday, September 13th?