Hooray for Daddies!

What better way to celebrate Father's Day than a baseball game? GrandBoy took in his first big league game today at Turner Field in Atlanta, where the Atlanta Braves beat the Texas Rangers. Yahoo! His mama, Grandpa George, and Grandma Lois tagged along with the father-son duo.

This GrandMary's thankful that GrandBoy has such a great daddy. And like all the generations of mamas supporting him, he has generations of good daddies doing the same. Daddies who have worked hard and loved their families. Daddies who have taught important life lessons, as well as the not-so-important but fun lessons.

Thank you to the long family line of good men who have shown the true meaning of fatherhood. What a precious gift!

Looks Like Toddler Spirit

Parents are never quite prepared for the transition from baby to toddler. Even a fast crawler can't hold a candle to a toddler determined to get from point A to point B. I've never quite understood how those tiny folks with newly-acquired (albeit shaky) balance can outrun full-grown marathon-running adults, but those little stinkers will leave the grown-ups in the dust every time.

Yes, they fall and trip and stumble once in a while, but their ability to maneuver around furniture, corners, up/down stairs, and bigger, more powerful humans is a wonder to behold. Which is amazing, since the average toddler looks a little lead-footed, walking with the un-syncopated rhythm of Frankenstein's monster.

But, beware!

That off-balance movement is a ruse. A cover-up. A little toddler trick. Those sly little devils walk unsteadily to lull you into a false sense of security. First chance they get, it's off to the races. Just try to catch them. This GrandMary's convinced that toddlers are two parts jack rabbit, one part Weeble.

So, to all toddler-chasing parents (and grandparents, babysitters, protectors of public safety) out there, good luck. There's no training for the toddler race. The little tykes have found their legs, and they mean to use them. All the time. Usually when you're the most tired and/or not paying attention.

But look on the bright side. Just think of the gym fees you'll save!

The Joys of Summer Reading

One of my great growing up memories is throwing myself headlong into any summer reading program that came along. I usually had at least two going during the hot days of June, July, and August - one from the local public library and one from my church library. These programs weren't the mandatory summer reading lists required these days by every grade from kindergarten through high school. Nope. These were completely optional.

I loved having a new crisp, clean form with sections for Fiction, Biographies, Non-Fiction, and whatever categories some dear librarian wanted to toss my way. Oooh, the feeling of getting to carefully write in a finished book and its author - well, it gives me a thrill even today. Yes. I am a book-nerd, and obviously always have been.

Then when Daughter was 4 or 5 years old, we'd grab our library cards and participate in whatever summer programs the establishment had to offer. It was so much fun introducing her to joy of selecting her own books and finding a quiet time amidst summer activities to crack open a whole new world. It was a great daily habit that I hope she loved as much as I did.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, Sydney Taylor's All of a Kind Family, and Edward Eager's Half Magic were some of our favorites. Yes, I may have had a hand in guiding her to the Ingalls family, but the others she found on her own. It was wonderful learning about Taylor's Lower East Side Jewish family or figuring out the right way to make a half-magic wish. Great stuff after a day's work and heat!

GrandBoy's still on board books so he's a little young for a library summer reading program. But just think how much fun it will be to let him choose a book - at a library, bookstore, Kindle or tablet store, or whatever new book delivery option will be available in 2-3 years - and share it with him! What new worlds and people will we meet?

Do you have a favorite summertime reading memory?