iPad The Babysitter

Sometimes your getup and go, just gets up and goes. That's when iPad the babysitter steps in. The rear leg of the dog provides the proper support for the iPad. And with video streaming, Caillou appears to save Grampy. Better living thru technology!

Rome Was Destroyed In A Day

With grandchildren has come great understanding. I realize that military strategies of the past have been poorly planned.

If you really want to destroy your enemy, drop a dozen kids behind enemy lines. They will completely destroy them.

Traffic Management Strategies

Massachusetts is famous for it's traffic rotaries. Rather then waste taxpayer money on stop signs, a large rotary is constructed. A traffic rotary is a hamster wheel that has been laid on it's side.

Hamsters, people, and cars can't get off of the circle.

Which Way To Oz

The scarecrow is pointing the way to the Emerald city. But Eric is pointing the way to cider donuts, apples and carmel apples.

The power of tasty food is more powerful than the flying monkeys of Oz.

Fords And Can't Affords

It's an old ford tractor at the apple orchard. It may have worked hard back in the day in the apple orchard. But it really takes a beating at the hands of little kids. They climb all over it. Slap the gears. And pretend that they are driving the Indy 500 and not a tractor.

It appears that tractors, like people, suffer greatly at the destructive hands of kids.

At Last! He Arrived!

Brendan arrived on October 17, 2010, weighing in at 9 lb 9 oz. Both he and mom are doing well.

When you hold a newborn infant, you realize how very wonderful the gift of life is and how very precious it is.

New Big Brother

Eric just became a big brother. He celebrated by climbing to the top of the jungle gym.

When I was a boy, we didn't have indoor jungle gyms. We had dead trees in the woods to walk across and to jump over. The live trees were for climbing and for swinging on.

I like the indoor gyms a lot better!

The Magic Carpet

This is a very magical carpet. It transports kids to far away lands, and to different times. Just by sitting on this carpet, you can be a drummer with the Jonas brothers, work with Handy Mandy, build railroads and be whatever you want to be.

But one of the very best things is being able to step on your cousins project! Priceless!!

Pink Is A Fall Color

The Princess loves to dress like a Princess, even when going to the apple orchard. I was told that birds of the air made her dress. And you know, I believe it.

Fall In New England

The air is crisp and so are the apples. The kids kick at the leaves and send them scattering into the air. Then they scream as the leaves fall down around them. There is hot apple cider, cider donuts, and hot apple crisp. It's a great place to be.

Urban Planning

It takes a true visionary to look out at the landscape before him and to visualize it's possibilities. Some see sand, surrounded by walls, boxed in. Sort of like, sand in a box. But some see sand castles with underground tunnels.

But I only see tons of sand to clean up out of my car.

Rock Climbers

Two years ago Ethan couldn't climb this rock. At that time, he tried to climb it from it's steepest position and couldn't climb it.

But now he has improved problem solving skills. He walked around to the side of the rock where he was able to establish a foothold and climb up.

Sometimes in life, all it takes is to see things from a different perspective to make us overcome our obstacles.

My Big Brother

The Princess really adores her big brother. She wants to do whatever he is doing and play with whatever he is playing with. He sometimes thinks that she is copying him and competing with him. But he is able to handle any competition and can quickly immerse himself in something else.

I watch and I realize that I have a lot to learn from him.

The Pumpkin Patch

There are songs that can transport you back to your youth. There are smells and fragrances that can bring back memories and make them seem like you are reliving them.

But if you want to bring the past into the present, then go to a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard.

I have yet to see any sad faces leaving the apple orchard and the pumpkin patch.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood met Mary's Little Lamb at the real school house from Sterling, Massachusetts.

Two little people that are literary giants.

Clothes Horse

Buddy got the Princess's socks all wet from being in his jaws. Grammy cleaned and dried them but the Princess had her own idea on how to dry her socks.

By the end of the day, everyone and everything will be wearing pink!

The Destroyer

The Destroyer shall come from the north, and shall desolate the Beall house.

I came back from shopping and asked Grammy what happened? She looked at me and said "the destroyer"!

The Beat Of Time

Almost twenty years ago, you could hear me yelling "keep it down!", as the boys would jam with their band. The band broke up, the boys grew up and moved out, but the drums remained.

Recently, the grandchildren have been allowed to go into the basement. And to their astonishment, they discovered a drum set that has been perfectly preserved, just for them.

Grampy has learned that a quiet house is not a home.