Rug Rat

The Princess had so much fun on Christmas Eve. But she had to take a break from all of the heavy unwrapping and just stretch out on the rug. I remember as a boy, the eagerness and excitement of opening Christmas presents. I can still recall the disappointment of opening so many presents of socks and underwear. But now that I am older, I understand the economic constraints that were hidden from me as a child. And I have a better perspective and understanding of the meaning of Christmas. It is all about thinking more of others and less of myself.

100 Uses For Dough

You can use it for pizza, pastry, bread, cookies and many other food items.

But it is a necessity at a restaurant, when waiting to be served. You can play with it, make shapes out of it and even have it hold your crayons.

Dough is the "duct tape" of the bakery world.

Story Time

Even on Christmas, Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat, have to be read. I don't understand his popularity! But all you have to do is open a Curious George book and the room will become quiet and the children will all gather around you to hear the story. Everyone wants to be close to the storyteller. There is a difference between a reader and a storyteller. Anyone can read the book out loud, but a Storyteller embellishes and improvises to make the words come alive! And Grammy is a great storyteller!

BoyZ to Men

Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday that they were little boys, but now they are adults with their own children. There is a tremendous amount of pleasure and pride in seeing the type of adults that your children have become. But no matter their age, they will always be my boys.

Keeping It Simple

Despite the complexity of some of the Christmas presents, and the batteries that they require and the assembly that they require, it is the Simple gifts that capture a child's imagination. A Pinwheel is something you can make go around and around and around. And when it spins, the colors become fused into one. And when it is spinning and the colors are one, you should see the smile and glow on a child's face!

The SandMan

The big hit this Christmas were the tools! Immediately they found furniture that needed to be sanded! Tools with batteries, it just doesn't get any better!!

Handy Elves

You cannot underestimate the popularity of hammers and goggles with little boys. Hammers were swinging and hammering away at the work bench. Safety goggles were also a big hit! Safety goggles are what men with tools use. Children learn how to associate what we do with what we wear. Firemen and police wear unique uniforms. Carpenters and plumbers have unique tools that identify their trade. They may be only children, but I think that their non verbal skills of symbols and their association, may even exceed their verbal skills.

California Dreamin'

I completely understand why ancient civilizations worshiped the sun.

They didn't have to have their lives revolve around the evil snow plow operator. He whose name cannot be mentioned, takes the blade of his plow and shoves the entire contents of the street up the whazu of my driveway.

I'm thinking lots of warm thoughts!

Go With The Flow

The kids of today just don't have the same cool straws that I had as a kid.

I had straws with so many loops in them that they looked like roller coasters. I had flavored straws! I had twisty straws! I had bendy straws! I had straws that you could blow a spitball thru and it could dent an amored truck.

There is no generational gap when it comes to fun straws!

Social Skills

He is very popular with all of the young ladies! I was wondering how he does it? Because kids don't have very good social skills. If you want something, you just go ahead and take it away from whomever does have it.

I noticed that whenever someone else begins to assert their authority, that he turns to them and softly says their name.

It is amazing the effect that this has upon neutralizing situations.

A soft voice can turn away and change many things.

The Princess And The Doll

She is busy planning all the new games and activities she can do with her Princess Doll.

Fantasy is imagination unrestricted by reality.

The Christmas Pizza

Tunnel Vision

Maybe tunnel vision really is the best way to view things.

It makes us focus on the things that are the closest to us. Those things that really matter.

By giving them our full attention, they turn their attention to us.

What you give is returned.

HEY!!

She is only one and her vocabulary is expanding. It is interesting to hear how she speaks. The tone inflections, the forcefulness of her speech and her body language.

I had the misfortune of seeing these all come together. She had a hoodsie ice cream cup for desert. It was frozen solid! I took her spoon to cut it into four sections to make it easier for her to eat.

That's when she jumped up, turned around and shouted, "HEY"!

You just can't trust Grampy with your hoodsie.

Burnt Coffee And Denial

We got in the car and I could tell that something was in the air. I asked Grammy if she could smell something.

With a straight face she told me she could smell something like "burnt coffee".

Pul-eeze! Burnt Coffee!! All Grammy had to say was it's your turn to change her diaper.

It was the baddest coffee that was ever burnt.

Sensory Depravation

There was something foul in the air, but what could it be?

It didn't make scents that the sour milk odor could come from the box of toy trains.

But there it was! Someone had thoughtfully placed a bottle of chocolate milk at the bottom of the train box.

And may I say, that the smell of sour chocolate milk is really choice.

Indoor Activities

Why stay indoors and watch football when you can be outside shingling a shed?

Why join an indoor gym when you can weight lift a bundle of shingles? Thirty five years ago, I could carry a bundle of shingles over my shoulder and climb a ladder.

But that was then, and unfortunately, I have discovered the sad realization that I just can't do some of the things that I used to be able to do.

However, there is a great deal of pleasure and pride in seeing your sons being able to do the things that just don't come easy to you anymore.