The Cost and Benefits of Having Children

 I received this in email back in 2006, so the cost is outdated, but the thoughts still apply:

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on star's.

You get to:

* frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets
* collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas,
* receive hand prints set in clay or Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

* first step,
* first word,
* first day of school
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits,

So, one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children and grandchildren!

Grandparent's Answering Machine

from my email, thanks, Ruth!

Good morning. . . . At present we are not at home but, please Leave your message after you hear the beep.. beeeeeppp ...

If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1 to 7 in order of "arrival" so we know who it is.

If you need us to stay with the children, press 2

If you want to borrow the car, press 3

If you want us to wash your clothes and ironing, press 4

If you want the grandchildren to sleep here  tonight, press 5

If you  want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6

If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or to have it delivered to your home, press 7

If you want to come to eat here, press 8

If you need money, dial 9

If you are going to invite us to dinner, or, taking us to the theatre start talking we are listening !!!!!!!!!!!"

What is a Grandparent?

From  my email...

If you are not a grandparent you will still love this. If you are it shows how precious the babies are and what we mean to them.


What is a grandparent?  (Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''

GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog...

The Rambo Granny of Australia

Gun-toting granny Ava Estelle , 81, was so ticked-off when two thugs raped her 18-year-old granddaughter that she tracked the unsuspecting ex-cons down - - and shot off their testicles.


The old lady spent a week hunting those men down -- and when she found them, she took revenge on them in her own special way, said Melbourne police investigator Evan Delp.


Then she took a taxi to the nearest police station, laid the gun on the sergeant's desk and told him as calm as could be: 'Those bastards will never rape anybody again, by God.'


Cops say convicted rapist and robber Davis Furth, 33, lost both his penis and his testicles when outraged Ava opened fire with a 9-mm pistol in the hotel room where he and former prison cell mate Stanley Thomas, 29, were holed up.


The wrinkled avenger also blew Thomas' testicles to kingdom come, but doctors managed to save his mangled penis, police said. The one guy, Thomas, didn't lose his manhood, but the doctor I talked to said he won't be using it the way he used to, Detective Delp told reporters. Both men are still in pretty bad shape, but I think they're just happy to be alive after what they've been through.


The Rambo Granny swung into action August 21 after her granddaughter Debbie was carjacked and raped in broad daylight by two knife-wielding creeps in a section of town bordering on skid row.


'When I saw the look on my Debbie's face that night in the hospital, I decided I was going to go out and get those bastards myself 'cause I figured the Law would go easy on them,' recalled the retired library worker. 'And I wasn't scared of them, either-- because I've got me a gun and I've been shooting' all my life.


And I wasn't dumb enough to turn it in when the law changed about owning one' So, using a police artist's sketch of the suspects and Debbie's description of the sickos', tough-as-nails Ava spent seven days prowling the wino-infested neighborhood where the crime took place till she spotted the ill fated rapists entering their flophouse hotel.


'I knew it was them the minute I saw 'em, but I shot a picture of 'em anyway and took it back to Debbie and she said sure as hell, it was them, the oldster recalled. So I went back to that hotel and found their room and knocked on the door and the minute the big one, opened the door, I shot 'em right square between the legs, right where it would really hurt 'em most, you know. Then I went in and shot the other one as he backed up pleading to me to spare him. Then I went down to the police station and turned myself in.'

Now, baffled lawmen are trying to figure out exactly how to deal with the vigilante granny. What she did was wrong, and she broke the law, but it is difficult to throw an 81-year-old woman in prison, Det. Delp said, especially when 3 million people in the city want to nominate her for Mayor.

DEPORT HER TO AMERICA--- WE NEED HER

Disneyland fun

Linda and I got away for the weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary one week late. We had hoped to stay in downtown San Diego for two nights to enjoy the Padres opening night, but the Omni Hotel, which connects to Petco Park and had a two-night special last year, was fully booked this year and didn't have a special deal.

We debated where to go, until Tami called and said they were going to Disneyland on Sunday and why don't we join them? Since we want to use our Disneyland passes, and can't pass up a chance to see Lolo, we happily agreed. We booked the Holiday Inn-Anaheim Resort for two nights and packed our bags.

We actually started the weekend at Petco Park on Friday night when we watched the Padres beat the Angels 4-1 in an exhibition game. The game was quick, we saw our usher and upper deck friends, and we were home at 10 pm.

On Saturday, we had our monthly breakfast with Linda's swim buddies, and then left directly from there to go to Orange county. We wanted to shop and dine in San Juan Capistrano, but when we drove in the place was packed with people waiting for the annual Swallows Parade, so we went to Dana Point instead. There was a small arts and crafts fair, and we bought some baked goodies and nuts there. Then we went down by the bay and walked through some shops. We stopped in Laguna Beach and Linda shopped while I went to the local library. We had lunch at C'est la Vie overlooking the ocean - had a nice lunch. We drove then to Anaheim and checked into the hotel at about 2 p.m. It is a really nice setup. Linda went to the pool and spa while I napped and read my book and checked my email. Linda called our friends Steve and Carolyn who live nearby and we went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse, sharing family pictures and stories.

We were up early on Sunday morning, and had breakfast at the American Brasserie restaurant in the hotel. Her omelet was terrible, and my eggs and bacon were cool. The hotel manager said he would take some off the bill, but he didn't. We took the ARTS bus to Disneyland - it's $3 a day per son for as many trips as you want. That's a real good deal, since parking is $10 each entry at Disneyland. We got there by 8:30, and rented a wheelchair for Linda since she had such a hard time walking around last time. The side benefit is that we can enter through the handicap entrance at Disneyland and avoid long lines. We did the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean before going to Winnie the Pooh to meet Lolo and her parents at 9:15 a.m.

Lolo came running into our arms for a big hug when she saw us - that sure makes grandpa feel good! She had a mental list of the rides she wanted to ride and who she wanted to ride with (I tell everyone that she comes from a long line of controlling females). I didn't complain, because she wanted to go on Winnie the Pooh with me, then on Buzz Lightyear with me. Then it was on to Fantasyland, and Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White and Pinochio in quick succession. We went over to Tomorrowland for pizza and salad, then to Carnation for an ice cream cone. From there it was to California Adventure and Lolo and James went on some of the Bug's Life rides while we almost went on Soaring over California but didn't want to wait an hour in line. It was 2 p.m., and Tami and her family went home and we went back to the hotel - me for a nap and Linda to swim and mingle at the spa.

We left for Disneyland again at 5 pm on the bus, got a wheelchair, and had dinner at Carnation on Main Street. We waited through the Main Street Parade at 6:30 - the sound was messed up and there was no Mickey and friends. What's up with that - they're messing with tradition here. We decided to go on Soaring over California and waited 45 minutes in line (cold and windy) but got on finally and enjoyed it again. I tried to catch the golf ball this time. Then we hustled over to watch Phantasmic, but stopped for a hot cocoa first! The wheelchair got us in a spot up front on the water right across from the sheet of water. The special effects were fantastic, but I didn't like the video shown. We left at the end, walking down Main Street with the crowds with the fireworks going off over the park. We just missed the bus and waited 20 to 30 minutes. A family from Calgary was next to us and we talked about Disneyland, the weather and our lives. We finally got back and hit the sack - pretty tired from all the walking and pushing (me) and sitting (Linda).

We slept in this morning until 8:30 when Tami called, and we checked out, had breakfast at Denny's, and were home by 12 noon. We have the Padres opening night game tonight against the Astros, so it will be another night out (4 straight!).

Santa Cruz - Days 5 and 6

Saturday was an interesting day with Lori and the boys. The boys were up by 6:30 and we had cereal with milk, frozen pancakes, and frozen waffles. When Lori got up, she made blueberry muffins and we ate them too. We took off at about 10 a.m. and stopped at the coffee shop for chai and hot choc. We got to Henry Cowell park at about 10:45 and had to hurry to get tickets for the Roaring Camp steam train ride. We were packed into the second train with the canopy (which my head appreciated - it also protected us from the soot from the engine). We rode up the track and back - it took about 75 minutes. We had sandwiches for lunch. When we got home, the boys and I had naps. Lori left with Lucas for a nature celebration, and Logan and I took a walk, played outside and watched TV. We had left over Chinese food for dinner, and shared an ice cream cone. Lori brought Lucas home and then she went back out for the evening. The boys played, watched TV, had baths, read books, and went to bed pretty easily for me.

On Sunday morning, I was up at 6:30 with Logan and we had our breakfast while watching Disney. Lucas was up at 7:30 and Lori at 8:30. Logan helped me pack my bag, and strip the sheets off the hide-a-bed, and we were ready to go to the airport at 9:30 a.m. We stopped at a bagel shop and we got food for the car. They dropped me at the San Jose airport at 10:50 a.m., and I got through check-in and security easily. My flight was at 12:15 p.m. and it was clear all the way down to San Diego. The Sierras were off to the east, and I was able to see most of LA, the San Gabriel Valley, Orange County and coastal San Diego County from the left side of the plane. Linda picked me up and we were at the Hob Nob Hill cafe by 2 p.m. We were home by 4 p.m. I was tired from the cumulative sleep deprivation and the physical exertion of lifting and carrying my two little bundles of fun and joy.

Santa Cruz - Days 3 and 4

The main reason for this trip was that Lucas was having significant dental work done under anesthesia on Thursday and Lori wanted my help with him and Logan. We were up early - before 6 - and on the road by 6:15 a.m. Lucas cried the whole way - scared, hungry, thirsty, tired before he got there. The doctors were good - came out and talked to us, and to Luke, before giving him an anesthetic and taking him back for the work. After about 90 minutes, we went back and he was still unconscious. My heart went out to this poor little guy as the doctors told us what they did and what was going to happen when he came out of the anesthetic. Lori held him and talked to him as he gradually came awake. He moaned a bit but wasn't in any pain. After an hour, we took him home. I ran to the store to get ice cream and cones and when I got back he enjoyed a cone - ate the whole thing, no real problems with his teeth.

He was tired, and we all took naps. Lori brought Logan home and I played with the boys a bit. We went to the store, came home and Lori's friend Joanna brought her two little ones over for dinner. The kids played, we ate dinner, Joanna took her two boys home, and Lori went off to a school meeting. Logan and Lucas and I played on the floor, we watched some TV (thank goodness for On Demand!), they had their baths and I put them to bed. They usually do what I ask them to and are cooperative.

Logan was up at 5:30 a.m. today, so I got up and we ate breakfast and watched TV. Lucas was up at 7 a.m., and Lori by 8. We got the boys ready for school, dropped Logan at 8:40, and Lucas at 9 a.m. Lori and U stopped at the coffee shop for her chai and my hot choc plus a muffin, and then we walked Annie the wonder dog in the park with tall redwoods. We came home, Lori got ready to go to school for a meeting, and I worked on the laundry, did my computer reading, and then had lunch. I took a nap (with Mira draped on my chest and shoulders), then read my book while watching USD beat UConn in the NCAA tournament. Great game. Lori came home with the boys at 3:15, and we packed up and went off to Lucas' soccer class - this is 3-4-5's running around kicking the ball. Cute. They chase really well, and some of them understand what they doing. It was fun. We went for dinner to Lori's friend who has two small children at their house, and I had fun playing inside and outside with the four of them (and the two big dogs too). We got Chinese takeout and all of the kids ate well. I played with the kids some more and got tired out (again), and we came home and the boys went down quickly without any fuss.

Tomorrow we will go to Roaring Camp and ride the steam engine train - this is a big highlight for Lucas and Logan - they never tire of it, and it's fun to see all the families with kids enjoying an old-fashioned train ride.

Return to Santa Cruz - Days 1 and 2

I flew to San Jose on Tuesday from San Diego. Lori and the boys picked me up at the airport right at 11 a.m. and we stopped at the park on the west side of the airport and watched planes take off and land. The boys enjoy this. We had lunch at a Carl's Jr. in Los Gatos - Lucas was very tired and fussed the whole time, except when he was climbing on the play equipment. Logan learned to go up and down a slanted rope ladder. They both slept a bit in the car, and we got to their house by 1 p.m. Lori and Logan slept some, but Lucas didn't. We left at 3:15 to go to swimming lessons and Lucas fussed more and didn't go in the water. Logan did and had a ball - he does really well, but still needs support. We came home and then went back out to the store for food for dinner. Dinner time was a major hassle - neither boy ate much. We played a bit, they had their bath, I read books to both boys, and they went to bed. Lori did her board work and I read, after doing the dishes.

I sleep on the living room couch hide-a-bed, so at 6 in the morning I hear the little feet on the floor, look up and see Logan going for the back door. It was locked, but I grabbed him and sat with him for an hour, then we watched the Disney channel. Lucas got up at 8, we all had breakfast, and left before 9 to get Lucas to his pre-school. We came home, I played with Logan a bit, and then at 11 we left again for Logan's music "lesson" - a sing-a-long and playing musical instruments. He had fun, but didn't do much more than watch and dance a bit. Then it was home for lunch - quesadilla and carrots. We all took long naps - I had Mira the wonder cat on my chest the whole 2 hours. Lucas got a ride home from school at 3:30, and we went out back to play baseball. He swings pretty good when his timing is right. He's also learning to field and throw - his throws are short but pretty accurate. Then we rough-housed for about an hour - until I was tired out! Lori got dinner going, and Darcy came to help with the boys. They ate everything on their plate, then had strawberries for dessert. No fuss, no muss. We played some card games, and then they had theirs baths. We watched a JayJay cartoon (talking airplanes) and Lucas fell asleep in my arms. Logan went down quietly too. That gave me a chance to get on the computer and read my email, write some blog posts, and I'll go read my book later.

Tomorrow is the day that Luke has his dental work done. We have to leave at 6:15 a.m. Darcy is coming to take Logan to school.

Logan and Lucas came to visit

Logan (age 2) and Lucas (age 4) brought their mother to visit Grandma and Grandpa last weekend. They had a grand time - managed to hit the San Diego quadfecta - Legoland, SD Zoo, Sea World and Science Museum. Here are some pictures:





Logan at Legoland loved driving the cars.

Lucas liked riding the knight's horse.

Ice cream is really fun to share!

Grandma has two little boys right where she wants them.

Logan's favorite birthday present was his train conductor's outfit.

We had a lot of fun with the boys, but the weekend was sure tiring!

Our Christmas story

We celebrated Christmas at our house this year rather than visiting our daughters' families in Victorville and Santa Cruz, and Linda's brother's family in Sonoma County in the Bay area. It was much more hectic for us than if we had traveled around California! Here is a day-by-day rundown:

Wednesday, December 19: I flew to Santa Cruz (into San Jose, picked up by Lori, Lucas (age 4) and Logan (almost 2)) and spent the night at their house on the hide-a-bed. The boys have a lot of toys and are always playing with the airplanes and race cars, not so much the trains any longer. They also watch a lot of Disney Channel (Wiggles, Tigger and Pooh, Little Einsteins, etc.) and Nick Jr. (Diego and Dora) on TV and video. Lori had a board meeting in the evening, so I got to bathe the boys, read to them, and put them to bed. Lucas likes stories about dinosaurs, airplanes and my childhood. Lori's computers are on the fritz, so we will take them to Chula Vista and see if James can resurrect them.

Thursday, December 20: We packed the car in the morning, then visited Logan's school, Lori's friend's family , went shopping, and had lunch at home before we started the 500 mile drive to Chula Vista. We left at 1:30 PM and got to CV at 11:30 PM. We stopped in Paso Robles for a break and walk the dog (Annie), then in Santa Maria, and had dinner at a forgettable Chinese place in Santa Barbara. Then it was straight to Chula Vista, stopping for short breaks in Santa Monica and Long Beach. The boys watched videos most of the way, and slept after Long Beach. This was not a fun trip ... but necessary.

Friday, December 21: I came down with a cold overnight - fever, headache, cough, snuffy - so I started my Tylenol Cold regime augmented by Robitussin overnight and Hall's lozenges when needed. I don't remember much about this day except wrapping some gifts in the garage with Lori after the boys went to bed.

Saturday, December 22: Still sick, feel even worse. Stayed home. Watched TV with the boys and read a lot.

Sunday, December 23: Still sick, but getting better. The boys and I watched videos all morning, and went for a walk. Linda went to church. I watched football games and played with the boys in the afternoon - lots of chasing through the house, wrestling on the floor, race cars on the kitchen floor, etc. After the kids were down, Lori and I put Logan's trike together - she's good at mechanical things - I couldn't have done this by myself - no step-by-step directions, only pictures!

Monday, December 24: I'm feeling much better, but Linda has a stomach virus - can't keep anything down, so she's miserable in bed. Lori took the boys to Sea World for awhile. Tami, James and Lauren (age almost 3) arrived in the afternoon with Walter (a basset hound) and the kids had fun playing with each other. James looked at Lori's computers on the fritz, but couldn't fix them without more diagnostics. We watched most of the Chargers game - they won 23-3 - no stress! Lori cooked a pot roast for dinner - and it was timed for halftime. We had to house Tami and her family on short notice at a friend's house due to Linda's sickness, so I escorted them over there at Lauren's bedtime and they spent the night there. Lori and Lucas wrote the letter to Santa and set out cookies and milk. She got the boys to bed while I got the stuff into the back yard. Lori and I put up the Blow-up Jump House in the back yard ready to plug in on Christmas morning. Then we brought all of the gifts around the tree and in stockings. Lastly, Lori wrote the Santa letter back to Lucas and Logan, and we ate the cookies.

Tuesday, Christmas day: The boys were up by 7 AM, and Tami and her family came by 8 AM. We turned the tree on, got the stockings down and distributed and the kids tore through the gifts in a frenzy. Then we distributed the gifts from under the tree. In the mean time, Logan played his new drum, then discovered his tricycle and rode it around a little, while Lucas played with his new airplanes from the aircraft carrier box and put on his astronaut suit and helmet. Lauren was happy playing with her gifts - we gave her a scooter and helmet, Disney princess boombox and microphone, and lots of goodies. After the opening frenzy was over, we turned on the Jump House and the kids were surprised again, and ran out and jumped away for awhile.

I was exhausted and took a nap at 11 AM, then went into the Jump House with the kids after lunch. The moms tried to have the kids take naps - they had short ones. Tami and her family decided to go home early - they left at about 3 PM.

Linda and Lori started the turkey at 2 PM, and worked on the other dishes for a 6 PM feast. We had turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie and ice cream for dessert. Linda ate dinner but took it easy. The boys ate pretty well, but really scarfed the dessert. They went to bed fairly easily, having had an exciting day. The house looked like a tornado hit it - we tried to gather toys and gifts in boxes for each of them, and put the trash in bags. The cartons and boxes and plastic wrap were stacked for recycling. Whew. It was a long day.

Wednesday, December 26: No rest for the weary. Linda felt sick again and stayed in bed. I took down the jump house, packed it in the car, and packed everything else - the van was very full! We had lunch, then left at 12:30 PM hoping to get to Santa Cruz at a reasonable hour. The traffic through LA was OK, only one or two stop-and-goes, and we stopped in Thousand Oaks for a break. Lori bought some new videos at Target, while I walked the dog. Then we went to the Foster's Freeze for ice cream (the boys loved it) and gassed up for the next trip segment. Traffic through Santa Barbara was terrible - a 10 mile backup, and we got to Buellton at about 6:30 PM. We ate at a pancake house across from Pea Soup Andersens. We got the boys in PJs, then took off again, stopped in Paso Robles for gas and a break, and finally got to their house by 11:45 PM. It was 1 AM by the time everyone got to bed.

Thursday, December 27: Logan was up by 7 AM, so I got up and let Lori and Lucas sleep until about 9:30. We ate cereal and played in his room and watched Disney channel shows. After everyone was up, I unpacked the car (put all the toys into the garage) for Lori and put my bag in the car. We left for the airport at 11 AM, and they dropped me off at noon. The lines were long but I was at the gate by 12:45 for a 1:20 departure, but the plane wasn't. When I got to San Diego, I hitched a ride home with Linda's friend Barbara who came in from Sacramento about 30 minutes after I arrived. We had an early dinner (leftover turkey) , watched a bit of the Holiday Bowl, and talked about the week a bit before I adjourned to the computer room to retrieve two days of messages.

Looking back, most of my time and energy was spent with Lucas and Logan. I feel like I neglected Lauren when she was here, although we sat in my chair cuddling, played on the floor with blocks and puzzles, and bounced in the Jump House together. She played most of Monday afternoon with the boys, and all of Tuesday morning was devoted to opening gifts.

The boys require a lot of patience and attention - they are very "busy" - always playing, talking, testing and trying. They whine a lot, and often tussle with each other. In the mornings, I usually watched them for an hour or two while Disney Channel played - we have waffles and pancakes (Lucas eats them frozen, Logan eats them toasted with me), and cereal (Honeycomb and Rice Krispies with milk) until they got dressed and went out and played or went somewhere. At bedtime, I put Logan down several nights - we rock, lie down together and I sing to him - then I recite his genealogy and he passes out quickly!

The most fun is talking to the boys - listening to them talk and think out loud, asking them questions, and playing games with them. Lucas talks a lot about his feelings and about what is happening around him - he really enjoys life. He is very bossy - he tells people what to do and wants to lead his brother and any body else in what to play and do. Logan has some words and is directive too - he says the word for "yes" a lot. Their grandpa is just a big kid at heart, and they know it.

I'll put some pictures up when I have had time to upload them. We didn't take very many pictures this week because of the sickness and the hecticity of the days.

Two nights with Logan and Lucas

I flew up to the Santa Cruz area for a day, then drove back to Chula Vista (500 miles) on Thursday with my daughter and her two sons, who will all stay with us for Christmas. I'll do the reverse after Christmas - drive up and fly back.

I flew to San Jose on Wednesday, getting in just after 11. My daughter, Lori, and her son Lucas, age 4, picked me up and we drove to the Santa Cruz area and picked up her 2-year old son, Logan, at his pre-school. We stopped to get lunch, and then drove to their home in the woods. The boys had swimming lessons after their naps, and we came back for dinner, playtime and bedtime. I got to put Logan to sleep, and read books and told three stories (he loves dinosaur stories and family stories) to Lucas before bedtime.

On Thursday, Lori had things to do in the morning - visit friends to exchange gifts, go to the store, stop at the school, have lunch, pack the car, etc. The four of us, with Annie the Aussie cattleherder aboard, left at about 1 PM. We stopped for a break in Paso Robles, and in Santa Maria, and ended up in Santa Barbara for dinner. While I walked the dog, Lori and the boys tried to find a fast-food restaurant for dinner. We ended up at a sit-down Chinese place, and ate, but it wasn't wonderful and the boys were antsy - Logan spilled his drink and needed a clothes change. We left there and drove to Chula Vista, stopping in Santa Monica and Long Beach for breaks. We got to Chula Vista at about 11:30 PM.

Today, the boys got up earlier than their mom, so I got them breakfast and entertained them until about 9:30. We took Annie for a walk, played tag in the yard, and had lunch before naptime. I slept for two hours, but Lucas didn't sleep at all. After naps, they played in the house, we went for another walk, played ball in the back yard, and watched videos. Logan bangs on his drum and sings his "mommy" song. Lucas runs and jumps everywhere. We forgot to kid-proof the house before they came, so they got into the M&M canister, the candy bowl, and found the pens and pencils before we could put them up. After dinner, their mom went out with friends, so I put Logan to bed at about 8 PM and Linda put Lucas down at 8:30. Hopefully, they'll sleep the night.

I fear that I picked up a cold over the last weekend, so I've been fighting fatigue, headaches, snuffy nose and coughs for three days. I hate when that happens!

Grandkids

She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!"
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My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"
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After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"
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A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"
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My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.
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A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."
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I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!"
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When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."
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When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised. "mine says I'm four to six."
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A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said, "how do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."
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Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."
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A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," said one child. "No," said another, "he's just for good luck."A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

My two favorite little boys

We went up to visit Lori and her two boys, Lucas (age 4) and Logan (age 1-1/2) in early September, and then I went up for 5 days in early October.

This is a great picture of Logan - he is a big boy and loves to spend time with his grandpa. He's a really good eater, but doesn't sleep the night. On the other hand, he's almost potty trained!


Lori took the boys to the Blue Angels Air Show in Salinas at the end of September. The boys got two airplane toys there - Blue Angels, of course. They also got a show program that provides descriptions of airplane maneuvers, and I worked with Lucas to help him understand how airplanes fly and maneuver.

The boys are a handful, with definite personalities and likes and dislikes. What matters to me is that they like their grandpa...and the feeling is mutual!

My favorite little girl

Our granddaughter Lauren ("Lolo") was down again this week for a visit with "Papa" and "Mamma." I took her to the park for sliding, riding and teetering --



"Papa" and "Lolo" have a fun time together - riding horsey, chasing around the house, stacking up the blocks, watching TV, running trains over the floor, sharing waffles, apples, tomatos and strawberries, eating ice cream and cookies, and just tickling and hugging. Her bath is really fun too. She is a very darling and good 2-year old.



"Lolo" is talking up a storm, but we don't always understand her. She loves the Disney Channel shows, especially The Wiggles, Tigger and Pooh, and Little Einsteins.

Today's the day

Well, today is a special day for me. The Beatles celebrated it many years ago:

"When i get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If i'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When i'm sixty-four.

You'll be older too,
And it you say the word,
I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.

You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When i'm sixty-four.

Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the isle of wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera chuck & dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view

Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When i'm sixty-four."

Hmmm, most of that doesn't really apply, I guess. But I swore that I would print the lyrics on my 64th.

It's been a quiet day because of the fire disaster in San Diego County. The highlight so far was my 2-year old granddaughter Lolo came into our bed this morning and sang "Happy birthday to you, papa" several times - talk about precious! Of course, she then sang "Happy birthday to you, hippopotamus" to the hippo flashlight she brought into bed with her.

We went to Rubio's for lunch, and she ate her fish taco and chips with salsa, beans and sour cream - all of it, no complaints, asking for more (Linda shared hers, and I shared my quesadilla). We will go out to dinner tonight, and I imagine that she will sing the song again and really enjoy sharing some ice cream with her old grandpa.

Almost a perfect day...

Exhilarausted Again

Our daughter brought her boys, Lucas (almost 4) and Logan (almost 18 months) down for a long weekend - Wednesday to Monday. Her husband came on Saturday. It was a busy weekend - the boys are very active. We saw a lot of the Plane-Train-Bus DVD and hours of Disney TV!


On Thursday, I took Lucas to the Aerospace Museum and the Miniature Railway Museum in Balboa Park. He loved all of the airplanes, especially the small home-builts that he could sit in and pretend he was flying. At the railway museum, he was captivated by all the train cars and bridges and towns. We ate at the museum. While we were doing this, Linda took Lori and Logan to the Padres game.

On Friday, Lori took the boys to Sea World. They came home for naps in the afternoon, and Lori had a girls night out with her good friends in Carlsbad. The boys were really good for us! They love playing in the plastic wading pool.

On Saturday, Lori got home at noon and Michael came at 4 PM. The boys played in the small plastic pool a lot, and had naps before we all went to the Padres game and saw Barry Bonds' 755th home run.

Sunday was a lazy morning due to the 12 inning ballgame, and they all went off to Sea World for the afternoon, while I stayed home and watched the Padres game. In the evening, Lori and Michael went back to Sea World for a date night, and we fed the boys, bathed them and put them to bed. They were both up pretty late.


Monday was their last day with us - and Lori's family went to the beach while Linda and I went to the library. After the boys napped, I took them down to the airport for a 4:50 PM flight.


Whew. We're pooped of course - exhilarausted I call it - exhilarated and exhausted.


Off to Maui! Hooray!

LoLo's on her summer vacation

LoLo came for a visit on Sunday, and is staying until next Sunday. Her mom and dad have things to do and places to see, so LoLo gets a week of summer vacation in cool Chula Vista with Grandma and Grandpa. Oh boy!


FYI, LoLo is now 2-1/2, is cute as the dickens, and is talking up a storm. We don't understand much of it, but we do get the "love you," "mine," "cookies!" and "Go Padres" part of her babble. She is a real sweetheart.

On Monday, LoLo went with Grandpa to the library and dazzled the genealogy meeting with her vocabulary. One of the guys made balloon hats for her while Grandpa taught a class. When Grandma came to get her, she didn't want to go. But Grandma insisted, and they went off to Grandma's reading session with toddlers. LoLo really like that!


They were done at 11:15 AM, so Grandma took LoLo to her new favorite restaurant - Rubio's - for fish tacos, salsa, chips, etc. She really likes that stuff. Then they went to church for the quilting group. After entertaining them for about 10 minutes, she went home with Grandpa and went down for a nap. Grandpa had a bowl of soup, then had his nap!

We left around 4:30 PM to go to the Padres game. We stopped at El Pollo Loco for dinner - LoLo loved the tortilla with butter and the corn on the cob, but turned her nose up at Mac and cheese and the chicken. We rode the trolley to downtown SD and she really liked watching the world go by and looking at the interesting people riding on the trolley. We got inside Petco Park, and Grandma took her to visit friends.

I think the highlight of the evening for LoLo was the ice cream sundae she shared with Grandpa and the cone she shared with Grandma.

As you can see, LoLo wore her new Padres shirt to the game, and really enjoyed the cheering, the lights and all of the people waving at her and making faces at her. Along about the 5th inning, one of the characters came by and gave LoLo a high-five and a soft Padres ball which she clutched the rest of the night. An usher friend came by with a soft whale doll for her and now she had two things to clutch. Grandma got her in her PJs before we left for home.

We left after 7 innings with the Padres ahead (they won, 5-1) and headed for the trolley to beat the rush after the game. She stayed awake on the ride home, but was pretty quiet. When we got home, I read a book to her and put her to bed around 10:15. She went down without a peep.

She is really a good sleeper. She woke up this morning at 8 AM - just in time to watch her favorite show, "Little Einsteins."

So Day 1 of vacation is over - I hope she remembers it, because we sure will!

Lolo and Baba and Gamma

We had the pleasure of caring for every whim and fancy of our 2-year old granddaughter this past weekend. Lolo's dad was on a business trip and her mom had important classwork to do, so Lolo came to visit on Friday. Her mom went home on Saturday and came back on Tuesday to take her home. Four days, three nights of chattering, playing, reading, sleeping, bathing, eating, etc. My only feeling is "Exhilaraustion."

The highlights from Baba's point of view (yep, that's me!):

1) Lolo is babbling quite a bit, and it takes a while to figure some of the words out. She has a decent vocabulary, knows her colors and body parts, some numbers, some letters, and is always naming things.

2) The grandfather clock in the entryway. Every time it chimed, she would point at it and say "Kock." When it ended, she would say "aw dun" and make the "safe" sign. On the hour, she and I would count the chimes. She was puzzled by how it worked. We were afraid it would wake her up at night, but it didn't.

3) Her favorite games are "riding on Baba" and "chasing Baba." She's getting braver riding on my back - to the point of falling off a time or two. We chase through the house - with much laughter and giggles, especially when I catch her, toss her over my shoulder, hang her upside down and give her a tummy buzz.

4) When we go outside, we hide the balls in the weeds and pots, and she goes around collecting them. Then we look for interesting bugs and watch them do their thing. We sit on the wall and watch the cars and trucks go by on the street below - counting them and naming them "blue car" "white truck" and so on. We usually collect some flowers on our walks down the block and bring them home for Grandma.

5) We have a set of stacking blocks called Wedgits which are great. She stacks them nicely, naming the colors every time, and has started being creative in the stacking. Then a sweep of her hand and the blocks fly with a hearty laugh. And then we do it again.

6) Eating. She loves fruit and sweets. She picks the peanut butter out of the waffle holes at breakfast. She eats pretty well when we're out to lunch or dinner. We went to Rubio's for lunch on Monday and she had half a fish taco, half a quesadilla, chips with guacamole and sour cream, and most of the rice. Of course, that night at dinner she just picked at her food. Oh - ice cream is a big hit. Lolo and Baba really enjoy sharing a Cold Stone or Marble Slab treat. She picks out the M&Ms or choc chips - loves them.

7) Bath time is part of the nighttime ritual. She loves to investigate gravity and fluid dynamics by pouring water out of cups, investingating the drain, and squirting water from the fish mouths and frog bellies. I don't know who gets wetter. Then it's time to wash up, and she submerges all but her face to get the shampoo off her head. When she gets out, we dry off and then she runs naked through the house to find Grandma.

8) Night time is amazing. After the bath, diaper and nightie, and teeth-brushing, she gathers 3 or 4 books for reading. Gamma usually gets the reading duty, but Baba does his share. Then we say "it's night-night time" and she runs into the bedroom, lifts her amrs, we put her in the crib, and she lies down with her sleep buddies. Most nights we don't hear another sound until 6 or 7 in the morning. She woke up Sunday night at 3 AM, had a snack, and I rocked her for awhile and she went back down. She takes 1 to 2 hour naps in the early afternoon.

Needless to say, she is a delight, cute as a bug, smart and fun, always laughing and giggling, a pretty typical 2-year old.

We had a fun, happy and tiring three days with her. We can't wait to go visit her and her parents, or have them come visit again. But not for another week or two!

Lauren is still very cute

We were away last weekend to visit 2-year old Lauren and her parents up in Victorville. We drove up on Wednesday and met Lauren and her mom at Ontario Mills, a big shopping center. After some shopping (I bought 3 books) we had dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe - they have animated animals and birds along the walls that occasionally come "alive" - Lauren loves to watch this, but not get too close. When the cheetah snarled, she jumped.

The next day we went to the mall in Victorville, and we met Abby and her mom there for a play date. The mall has a nice play area for toddlers to climb on and jump from, and run around, and the girls had fun. Then we had lujnch - Lauren likes the Mongolian Beef barbecue - I went for the pizza. The highlight was the chocolate chip blizzard from Dairy Queen - Lauren shared mine and loved it. It's called bonding...

When Lauren's mom had to go to a class, we took Lauren to the park - there are slides and a lake there. She had a blast climbing and sliding, and we had to go to lunch afterwards at In-n-Out. Lolo shared my cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake (remember...bonding!).

Lauren is just starting to name things and string words together. She calls me "ba-ba" now - hopefully that will improve to "grand-pa" sometime soon, but "ba-ba" is OK with me. It was fun teaching her "milk shake," "blizzard," and "chocolate."

It was a busy - and fun - long weekend

My daughter brought her sons - Lucas (age 3 and a half) and Logan (age 13 months) down on Thursday for a five day visit. Her husband was already in San Diego on business and all of them were delighted to see him after a week apart.

Lucas is about 110% boy - he runs everywhere (including out the front door - I can catch him within 100 feet or so), talks constantly (he's very smart and remembers well), and is mechanically minded. He rarely sits still unless he doesn't feel well. That was the case the first night - he had a fever and headache - he just wanted to sit and watch videos. The fever cleared up and he was back to normal - meaning that he was real active the rest of the weekend.

Logan is a hugger - he loves to be held and played with. He is almost walking (stands alone, but drops to the floor, walks with one hand held) and crawls really fast. The little swivel hips are fun to watch. The knees are really tough - he went out on the street with bare knees! He is a great eater and loves to share his food, and yours too.

We went to the Model Train Museum in Balboa Park on Friday and the boys loved watching the models run on the tracks, past the towns, over the bridges and through the tunnels. We spent about 90 minutes there, bought some toy train engines, and had lunch at the Space Theater. On Saturday, they all went to Sea World for the day, and on Sunday they met some friends at the beach, but ended up at Chucky Cheese. They went back to Sea World on Monday and met friends there. On Monday night, another of my daughter's friends came for dinner and enjoyed the boys.

Linda and I kept the boys overnight on Saturday night, giving their parents a real night out. We always dread this, but it almost always turns out OK. When their parents left, they cried for about 10 minutes, then became interested in other things. Before bedtime, Lucas went in with Grandma to read books and play games on the bed. They had so much fun together - it was a wonderful bonding experience for both of them. By 10 PM, they turned the lights out and Lucas went right to sleep in my bed next to Linda. I put Logan down about 8:30 in the "couch room" with the queen mattress on the floor, but he awoke about 10 PM again. I got him right back down - lying down with him lying on my elbow and rubbing his back. I went into the kids bedroom and slept until 1 AM when Logan woke up again. It took an hour to get him back down, and I spent the rest of the night in bed with him. 6 o'clock was too early to wake up!

The morning routine is interesting. Lucas always wants frozen dollar pancakes for breakfast right away, and Logan will eat one but prefers berries and juice. Neither one wants to share my banana any more, but they love "Grandpa's cereal" - Rice Krispies with milk and sugar. I went through two bowls of it with three mouths slurping it up - Lucas on my right arm and Logan standing in front of me. They usually watch the Disney channel - and love the wiggles, Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins and the rest.

Lucas is really good on the computer. We go to the Sesame Street workshop web site and he plays the games by himself - he mouses well and responds well to commands. He also likes to take pictures of his hand on the scanner for some reason. He drooled on it too, and I need to clean it up.

I took them all to the airport this morning and they flew home. I came home and put all the toys away, took out the trash, got the sheets off the beds and the mattress back on the sofabed. My daughter cleans up pretty well - the bedroom and bathroom are in good shape. I need to swifter the wood floors to get the grunge out.

We had not seen the boys since Christmas, and that is too long. We hope to go up to visit them in early May for their parents' birthdays and Mother's Day.

The memories are fresh, the house is quiet, and we're going to take a long nap this afternoon to try to recover from our latest grandparenting experience.

We are off on Wednesday to my other daughter's house to see Lauren for a few days. A grandparents job is never done, and that's the way I like it.