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My Son's a Stay-at-Home Dad
A grandma whose son quit his job to become Mr. Mom shares her thoughts on the situation
When my granddaughter Megan was born, my son held her in wonder, his child, but a stranger, too. He kissed her good-bye every morning, his lips on her forehead, and off he wen ... read more
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We Are Family ... (Kind Of)
When a couple is as close to you as family, you give their baby a grandparent's love
Aidan.
She has named him already. She shows me his room, a tiny space just off her bedroom. Three steps and she’ll be by his side. She shows me his car seat, his bounc ... read more
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Grandchildren Grow Up Fast
We never took our eyes off them; they were our favorite show without reruns
We never took our eyes off them. Well, sometimes. When we blinked. When we slept. But all the other times we were watching.
We watched them when they were infants, first in th ... read more
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Scare Up Some Memories
The costumes, the candy, the creepiness; October 31 is wicked-good fun
I am going to miss the Halloween parade this year. The first time ever. The first time my children and grandchildren will march without me.
It’s a small parade but it c ... read more
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Too Cute Tot ... or Tyrant Toddler?
One grandma shares how even the sweetest looks can be deceiving
There are hints in my daughter’s baby book that maybe she wasn’t quite as sweet as I remember. “Julie has REALLY discovered her voice — also has defin ... read more
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Special Needs in the Spotlight
A grandmother of a child with Down syndrome talks about special needs
In the newspaper business, "sidebar" is the name given to an addendum, a "by the way" separate article that relates to the main story. It is generally short, informative, set ... read more
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Now That YOU'RE the Grandparent ...
When it's our turn in this role, distant memories take on new meaning
I would have more in common with her now. I would sit at her kitchen table and drink my tea and eat the Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal-Raisin cookies she always bought for me and not ... read more
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What's in a Grandparent's Name?
A simple name on your grandchildren's lips could melt your heart
I’ve heard the names my whole life: Grandma, Grampy, Mimi, Bube, Grandpa, Papa, Nonna. Nonny, Nana. Grandfather, Grandmother.
But I never knew these names were magic u ... read more
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Back-to-School in Today's World
Elementary-schoolers practice drills for a classroom lockdown
They will practice for a lockdown. A teacher will secure the windows, pull down the shades, lock the classroom door, pull down its shade, too, then turn off the lights and lea ... read more
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August Dreams: The Innocence of Grandchildren
Children have only to dream and have fun and laugh 400 times a day
The song was on a small, plastic Golden record, which all U.S. children had a million years ago when one small record could entertain you for days, maybe weeks, because we did ... read more
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My Grandchild's Got Talent
For grandchildren, hams or otherwise, all the world's a stage
Amy sings about God in a very serious tone, matching gestures to her words: "My heart tells my eyes to look up and my feet to march on." A natural born ham, an inventor of son ... read more
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The Joy of (Re)Discovery
Grandchildren reacquaint you with the world of natural wonder
I wake to birdsong these days, to trills and cheeps and caws, a chorus that begins in the dark. It doesn't obliterate the noise of traffic and trains and planes and sirens. Bu ... read more
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A Wisp of a Girl
Lucy is just 32 pounds and three feet two inches tall, but all guts and grace
I strap her into her car seat and tell her that we are going to the doctors'. And she smiles at me and says, "Mimi's house."
"First we’re going to the doctor, Lucy, the ... read more
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Adam, Adam, How Does Your Garden Grow?
Apparently, 4 years old is not too young to have a green thumb
Adam has been helping me plant flowers since he could toddle out to the small deck that’s attached to our family room. He’s only 4 but the boy knows his way around ... read more
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Watching Lucy
Minute-to-minute vigilance is required to keep a 4-year-old safe
What you forget when your children are up and grown, full-fledged adults who brush their teeth and buckle their seat belts without your telling them, is that they were not bor ... read more
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Happy Birthday, Charlotte!
She is one of a kind, our new singer with a grand melody
The party was going to be small. Or so they told me. A little celebration. Family. A few friends. “Charlotte’s just 1, after all. We’ll have a cake and some ... read more
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Memories to Last a Lifetime
Grandchildren feel special on a vacation with family
Four nights. Three days. Not long. But long enough for a vacation to remember.
We followed the children. We were children. We woke up at dawn. We leaped up. We smiled. We put ... read more
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Long Distance, No Distance
If they live near or far, grandchildren love you pure and simple
Lucy and Adam are 4 years old now, not babies anymore, full of words these days, full of questions. “Want to play tent, Mimi? Want to go to the Dairy Barn? Want to get a ... read more
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The Gym Set
Building a playset, and a bond, one (small) step at a time
Day 1: There they are, outside in the freezing cold, the pair of them, Mutt and Jeff, father and son, putting together an elaborate swing set.
It came in three huge boxes and ... read more
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When Dresses Were a Sign of Love
The memories of matching mother-daughter dresses
I am 4 in the picture, my granddaughter Lucy’s age, sitting beside my mother, who is leaning against a boulder somewhere in the great outdoors. Scrub pines and scraggly ... read more
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