"I love you to pieces, Perry." "I'm Joseph, grandpa." "Huh?" We all laughed about grandpa and his hearing. We always joked that he couldn't hear thunder. Of course, he never heard the joke either. We pooled our money once and bought him a hearing aid; he said he didn't need it. He always said, "If it's important - speak up!" But when he said it, it was more ... Read More

My daughter and her husband just had their first baby and have been thrown into the pool of parenting stress with a sudden and resounding splash. And so it should be. It's all part of the circle of life, or as I prefer to say, what comes around goes around. Though the actual care of my first grandchild doesn't fall on my shoulders, there is a ... Read More

My senior mom, my sweet grandchildren, my trusty and easy to use digital camera, and I have been having so much fun over the summer with our Sunflower House! What is a Sunflower House, you ask? Let me tell you about it! We bought and had fun planting sunflowers from seeds. (If you want to know how to grow big sunflowers, buy the Mammoth Sunflower seeds. ... Read More

Your babies are all grown up and having babies of their own, such joy in seeing them as parents themselves. Grandparents can sit back and laugh at what your precious grandkids do to their parents. I told my kids I will spoil their children to the point of no return and then give them back so they can undo all the wrongs I instilled in them. ... Read More

My daughter and her husband just had their first baby and have been thrown into the pool of parenting stress with a sudden and resounding splash. And so it should be. It's all part of the circle of life, or as I prefer to say, what comes around goes around. Though the actual care of my first grandchild doesn't fall on my shoulders, there is a much bigger and profound issue ... Read More

Every grandparent wants to be liked and respected by their grandchildren. At the same time, they must remain on good terms with the child's parents and often the other set of grandparents as well. Following some basic rules on grandparenting can make everything go more smoothly. First, remember that you are the grandparent, not the parent. Just as you established rules for your own child, he or she has set rules, ... Read More

When you spend thirty plus years interviewing people, you truly understand there are great stories in every family. When a person tells a story that is significant to them, often they create a magical transformation where the listener goes with them to another place and time, seeing the events through the storyteller's eyes. Making a video of treasured stories of parents and grandparents is now our responsibility. We lucky Baby ... Read More

It has been said that there is nothing like being a grandpa. It certainly brought delight to John when his son, Kyle, broke the news, "Dad, we picked a name for our little boy." Grandpa was not sure how to react when he says, "Oh, very cool. What name did you pick?" Kyle proudly announced, "We decided on the name Brooks. We wanted something that has not been overused." Grandpa ... Read More

1. Make any together time a game. Driving from one place to another can be very boring for young children. The boredom can be relieved by singing songs with the children being encouraged to join in. Make up stories and encourage children to add their own pieces to the story no matter how silly or outlandish it may seem. A story can be a very effective distraction and can last ... Read More