Grandparenting is a glorious thing. There are so many wonderful aspects to this role in life that it is difficult to capture my thoughts in writing. My husband and I are astounded by the plethora of deep emotions we experience as grandparents. On a  macro-level, the circle of life archetype is astounding.  Bearing witness to our children parenting their children, and taking such joy in doing so, makes our hearts overflow with joy. Watching our kids dote on their nieces sometimes brings tears to our eyes. Having little people around allows everyone to see the world through fresh eyes. The constant barrage of questions, the wonder displayed at the smallest of discoveries, the belly laughs, and the silliness all smooth out the rough edges of this wild and crazy world. Since these two munchkins currently live out of state, we’ve tried to combine the equipment we already own with a few strategic purchases to make their visits more comfortable for everyone.

Our family crib is still in good shape and meets safety standards. A new mattress pad and a few new sheets, and we were ready to accommodate little sleepers in a comfortable way. The matching high chair purchased over 32 years ago sits in the dining room corner ready for action. The straps are long gone, so we use a TotSeat to keep the babies from sliding out. Don’t underestimate the magnetic attraction of measuring cups, pots, pans and plastic kitchen utensils as playtime objects and bathtub toys. Old step stools are present at the two bathroom sinks to help little hand washers reach the faucet, and a diaper changing station is set up on each floor. The coffee table is moved out of the family room when little ones come to call. It opens the room up for more play space on the floor and prevents falls against the hard edges.

The treasure trove in the basement finally came in handy as we unearthed a large set of wooden blocks, a Little Tikes dollhouse with people to populate it, one fairly complete Brio train set and board, Legos of various shapes and sizes, puzzles, and hundreds of children’s books. Old Halloween costumes and dance recital garb make a fun dress-up collection. My leftover stash of school supplies fill a well-equipped art box.

A few purchases were made to outfit our home for the grands. We invested in a good car seat when Amelia was born and bought another one when Caroline came along. Our children have thanked us for the carseats more than once. They are difficult to lug around and check through the airport. It makes traveling with kids just a bit easier not to have to worry about the seats, and we know we’ll use them for years to come.

We bought a a baby swing, a potty seat, and a bedrail.

In addition to the toys we brought up from the basement, just a few purchases have been made. Stacking blocks, musical instruments, a small tent, a tricycle, and a castle for reading are big winners with our littles.

Huge kudos, of course, to the parents who are raising these two children to respect and tend to the spaces of other people. They make our job as hosts very easy.

What equipment have you found to be essential when your grandchildren come to visit?

What is going on with your newspaper? Not the articles, editorials or content (though I could go there if you want me to), but the paper itself. I read the P-D on a table, and rain or shine, low humidity or high, cold temperatures or warm, the paper curls at each corner after just a few minutes of being opened. The thing appears to have a life of its own. New paper grade? Cheaper paper grade? Thinner paper grade? Is anyone else experiencing this phenomenon or is it solely a function of my kitchen table?  Kind regards,  Linda

Though I’m late to this party, I think I’ve found “my theme” for the new year. Recently, two news anchors I watch every morning switched places around the table. Seeing the other sides of their faces, the slightly nuanced changes in their profiles and hairlines made me see them with new eyes. They both looked startlingly different to me. I am trying to apply that simple shift to other situations in my life. For instance, I used to think it was cheating to use a computer while solving crossword puzzles. Now, I see it as research from which I will learn new words and phrases. A slight shift, but so far it appears to have a powerful reward.

I cheated on my favorite holiday. It was an accident, I swear.

Thanksgiving gets the short end of the national attention stick. Sandwiched like a middle child between Halloween and Christmas, poor old Turkey Day never gets a chance to shine. In my mind, Thanksgiving is flat out the best holiday we celebrate. I love the coming together, the harvest, the thankful hearts, the family around the table, the warm and cozy colors, turkey, the very traditional meal, and the Kirkwood-Webster Turkey Day Game. I love it all. As a purist, I want absolutely anything to do with Christmas until the leftover Thanksgiving feast is tucked away in the fridge and the dishwasher is emptied.

My new job requires frequent road trips about town. Earlier this week on my way to a school visit, I flipped to a favorite radio station now playing Christmas music 24/7. The young, strong, disciplined Nana would have flipped right past that music to another more seasonally appropriate station, but the older, mildly mellow Nana froze. Finger pointed and hovering just above the select button, I found myself listening to Amy Grant belt out one of her classic Christmas tunes. I couldn’t resist! I sat back to listen, and I even started singing along. It was so very wrong. I’m nothing but a weak souled cotton headed ninny muggins. Oops.

Someone asked me the date and I replied, “It’s Thursday, August the 53rd.” After receiving a quizzical look, I explained that this is the month that will seemingly never end. It feels as though it’s been August forever, doesn’t it? Fall decorations will adorn our home this weekend. Summer, I’m so over you.

Confession–household chores, as my mother likes to call them, are not being completed to any noticeable degree at our home this summer. However, the list of summer books I’ve consumed has never been longer. If you stop by for a tall, cool beverage, you’ll likely find me stretched out on the sofa with iPad in hand. Never have I experienced a more sedentary, lazy summer. The type A motor seems to be sputtering, which is a change I have come to appreciate.

More to chronicle my summer (and lessen my guilt) than to entice others to read these books, here are brief notes on the books in the “Done” pile. In list form, it’s obvious there is a dearth of heavy, literary fiction and a plethora of  light fluff. Like any good child, I can blame some of this on my Mom with whom I share a Kindle account. My purchases are often made in light of the fact that Wilma will be reading each download. The books are listed in order read, not in order of preference.

Stan Musial: An American Life by George Vecsey-A classic, in my opinion. Vecsey’s breezy, storytelling style about one of my childhood  heroes makes this the perfect summer read. The humorous stories that took place during the olden days of baseball are charming. The landscape for professional athletes has changed drastically since Musial played. Humility of any visible amount is often lacking in modern day athletes, but that’s where Musial shines even today.

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story by Elizabeth Bard- This is a great treadmill book.* Bard tries to find herself  between                     the rat race of NYC and the obscure streets of Paris. Each chapter includes recipes about which she writes in her story. I enjoyed the Paris scene, and though I feel as though I’m totally cheating on Rome for saying this,  the book made me want to go back to Paris.

The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher-Light, fun, predictable, yet enjoyable.*                

For the past two weeks, the yard has been littered with dozens of broken twigs with leaves still attached. As we have had some crazy cool summer storms blow through town lately, it was assumed that this was just residual storm damage.

The back story: In Missouri, we spent about three weeks in June listening to the deafening screech of the 13 year cicadas. They were very loud, drowning out the noise of a lawn mower at their worst. They smelled horrid as they decomposed, and they were crunchy ugly. But now, I get it, and I sort of admire their collective effort because it’s brilliant!

Looking closely at the end of the twig, you can see how the cicada gnawed the wood just enough to weaken the branch, so it will fall to the ground. See those tracks on the side of the twig? That’s where the cicada eggs are deposited. “Female cicadas literally saw Y-shaped slits in pencil-size branches of trees and shrubs and lay as many as 600 eggs, 20 to 25 in each incision, weakening and even killing the ends of branches.” (http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jun/05/the-cicadas-summertime-symphony-is-worth-enjoying) When the twig is sufficiently dried out or a strong enough wind comes along, the little branch falls to the ground, the eggs hatch and burrow into the ground where they will feed off of tree roots for the next 13 years or so. Is that not the most heroic effort to preserve a species?

Had we known, dear cicadas, we would have appreciated you more.

My daughter and son-in-law have a food blog. They are all about cooking—cooking magazines, cooking internet sites, cooking stores. They know everyone on the Food Network and search out new chefs and restaurants to try. My husband is also known around town as a very accomplished cook. People have been know to fake illnesses to get on the church prayer list and get a meal from him. Today, he is making a meal for some long-time friends. I offered to help! Here is what happened when I “whisked” the dry ingredients into the butter and eggs. Apparently, whisks are made for another purpose.

Brian Williams’ stock has been raised in my mind. I mourned the retirement of Tom Brokaw, the humble, self-effacing everyman. Brian Williams looked far too hairsprayed and polished for me. However, Brian does a great job of humanizing his newscasts with humor and humility, the two characteristics I admire most from people in the limelight. NBC has wisely caught on to the fact that when they put him in the field, Brian shines. He is a solid reporter and a man with a soft heart–the perfect combination for those of us  here in the midwest.

On tonight’s NBC Nightly News, Mr. Williams commented on a story about high school students who don’t know rudimentary facts about American history. With great indignation, he declared that students spend huge amounts of time on reading and math as compared to the time they spend on American History.

Guess what, Brian? At this point in time, most states don’t test American History, but they all test reading and math. Shouldn’t Education Nation understand that where high stakes tests lie, so too lies the double whammy of time and money? Therein rests one of the greatest frustrations of accountability testing. Being forced to focus on making the cut, beating out neighboring districts and racing to the top isn’t what is best for kids. Something has to give, and unfortunately instructional time in science, social studies, fine arts, foreign language instruction and other important academic endeavors are put on the back burner in the name of test prep.

You’re a good man, Brian, but next time look at the big picture.

For Christmas, we gave my Mom a Kindle. For all of Wilma’s 88 years, she has been a low-tech person. When computers were introduced to her work place in the mid-eighties, Mom said, “Thanks, but no thanks” and retired. She likes to read and though her eyesight is good, print books prove to be increasingly difficult for her to read these days. Her eyes get tired and water easily. As a long time eBook reader, first on a Palm, then an iPhone, and now an iPad, I was anxious for Mom to try an eReader to ease the burden on her aging eyes. Her reaction to the gift, captured on Christmas Eve, is below. She looks thrilled, right?

I’m happy to report that Mom is getting along very well with her Kindle. She’s read several books this winter. Wilma appreciates the larger text and light weight of the device. Troubleshooting problems as they arise continues to require ongoing tutorials, but I’m proud of her efforts to make this big change.

Since Kindle allows for sharing over six devices, we can load the same books on Mom’s Kindle, my iPad, and all of my other wonderful Apple devices, providing easy reading access almost anywhere. I’ve been mindful of the books I order from Amazon, choosing titles I think Mom will enjoy. This winter we’ve read  Laura Hillenbrand’s beautiful story, Unbroken; Stan Musial: An American Life by George Vecsey–a must read for every Cardinals fan; two books by Bridget Asher–The Pretend Wife and The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted; Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen; Suze Orman’s The Money Class; and Emma Donoghue’s haunting Room: A Novel.

Some of these titles might not have been my first choice, but I purchased them because I thought Mom would enjoy them. Truthfully, it feels good to spread my reading wings a bit, and the added bonus of sharing my reading experience with Mom is priceless.