One week after Irene, the lights are on and the streets are cleared. We were lucky. No one we know of was hurt, our house is intact and no trees were lost. Thankfully, our children and grandchildren are safe and sound as well. Unfortunately, there are still a few without power and with fallen trees…
NOTES FROM THE PLAYGROUND This is my second post about social dynamics on the playgound, and it most likely won’t be my last – thus the sub-heading. Since mid-July I have been taking Charlie to the park twice a week, and in doing so I have come upon some interesting conversations. I am not referring…
When Charlie and Ryan were infants, a long-forgotten melody appropriately re-entered consciousness. It came to me without effort, although some of the lyrics remained lost for lack of use. The song, fittingly and forever connected to its 1960′s Kodak advertising campaign, nonetheless made an impression for the compelling message it conveyed. Now, with my official…
As I take a walk with my grandson, Charlie, I marvel at how observant he is – how he watches everything from every angle while held back by the straps of his stroller – how he strains to look backward to see the car that just passed, or how he bends over the metal bar…
I have the habit of writing misleading titles so I feel compelled to quickly confess. No, this is not a political post about getting out of the wars in the Middle East without leaving an unnerving situation; rather, it’s a family-friendly post about getting out of the house without leaving an unnerving situation. After about…
I don’t look forward to Mother’s Day the way I used to because I now feel it presents a few dilemmas – not the least of which is the dilemma of the greeting card. Here are my Mother’s Day greeting card questions and comments – feel free to join in: 1. Should we send my…
Every day that I watch Charlie, I keep my cell phone as well as my daughter’s land line nearby. The cell phone is important because I am the “answering service” for my son’s satellite dental office. The land line is for family. When I answer the phone – it doesn’t matter which one it is…
Awhile ago a friend related a story that disturbed me a bit. She told me that her children were always competing and that her son asked her which grandchild she thought was smarter. Her response to him: “You’ve got to be kidding!” At the time I thought it was an appropriate blow-off of a provocative…
As the two grandchildren are getting ever closer to actual verbal communication, I’ve noticed a bit of frustration as they try to get their ideas across. Here’s a typical conversation with Charlie. Charlie: KSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSXKSX (this is a code word for “Sid the Science Kid,” his favorite and one and only TV show. It actually sounds like…
