My family took a weekend trip with my parents. They're still full-time caretakers to my younger siblings, so the time with my kids was priceless.

"I consider my mom the crème de la crème of mothers. She was the involved kind; always pulling out crafts, baking cookies, and making you feel deeply loved. But as a grandma, she's the first to admit things haven't unfolded the way she imagined. I can't think of a time when my three kids, ages 2, 8, and 13, had my parents entirely to themselves."

"I'm the oldest of eight children, five of whom were adopted. Growing up, our home was full, loud, and exciting, making one-on-one time with my parents a rare occurrence. Still, I snagged spare moments with them when I could - helping paint a room or keeping them company on an errand. That hasn't changed much in the last three decades."

The oldest of eight, including five adopted siblings, grew up in a crowded, lively home where one-on-one time with parents was scarce. Parents continue as full-time caretakers while four children, ages 10 to 22, still live at home. The parents rarely have uninterrupted time with their grandchildren; the three grandchildren are ages 2, 8, and 13. A proposed multigenerational weekend away for fall leaf peeping in Stowe, Vermont, became an unexpected opportunity for parents to take dedicated grandparenting roles. The mother arranged babysitting and offered to make extra meals so the trip could happen. The weekend provided concentrated, meaningful time that family members had not previously experienced.

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