Day 3: Big Questions

Now that I've settled into the baby-routine, certain questions keep coming up. Funny thing, seems as though I had the same questions 27 years ago with GrandBoy's mama. Hm. So, if anybody has the answers to one or more, I'd appreciate hearing them.

1. How can such a small, sweet baby contain so much poo? Good, rich fertilizer poo, certainly, but poo all the same. What comes out of him weighs about three times more that he does. How is that possible?
2. How - after hours of vigorous kicking and bouncing, a tummy full of carrots, bananas, and milk, and a dark room with a relaxing ceiling fan and ocean-wave sound machine - can GrandBoy still try to resist sleep? (GrandMary - 'way bigger than the babe - nods off quite easily with just half those elements in play.)

3. And speaking of vigorous kicking and bouncing, how on earth does this tiny creature keep it up for so long? Today he bounced in his little horsey bouncer for almost 45 minutes. Really. Didn't even break a sweat. Just boing-boinged minute after minute.

It was such a beautiful, cool morning, that GrandBoy ate al fresco, licking bowl and the spoon. No wonder he's Mr. Chunky Thighs. Then he amused himself for a while, giggling at himself in the mirror. We also ventured out for the first time in a few days - just drove around with the car windows down, getting a little fresh air.

Oh, and we really got into Sesame Street this morning and learned a new song: Let Your Piggies Breathe, whereupon we let our piggies breathe by going barefoot.

Looking forward to tomorrow's adventures!

And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Day 2: A Perfect Saturday

Well, things could've gone one of two ways after yesterday, up or down. Fortunately for all concerned it was up, up, up. A day filled with a couple of long naps (and yeah, I took advantage of GrandBoy's morning nap to take one of my own), sticking to the schedule, eating all the designated food, playing outside and letting the breeze blow through our hair, laughing, singing, and dancing.

I'm trying to introduce some new songs to his repertoire. His top two favs - "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "If You're Happy And You Know It" - are getting a little old. Our standard mealtime song is now "Sing, Sing A Song." Liam particularly likes the "La la la la la, la la la la la la" part. Always makes him smile, even with a mouthful of peas. I'm also getting him ready for Christmas caroling with "Away In A Manger," "Midnight Clear," and "First Noel."

We welcomed in the 2010 college football season with a photo session, complete with his baby TCU t-shirt and his mama's Alabama cap. Alas, neither game was televised in Atlanta and both were scheduled after his bedtime. I'm sure he'll have several chances to catch up with both teams later on in the season.

Baby Boy is sound asleep after his busy day. Wish you could see him right now, in his little footed pajamas, tiny butt up in the air, sweet little hands next to his face. A good day deserves a good night's rest.

Sweet dreams, sweet GrandBoy.

Day 1: Successful Morning, If-fy Afternoon

The good news is that both Liam and GrandMary survived a full day. The babe is down for the night - well-fed, duly bathed. And as you can imagine, GM is plum tuckered out and, for all intents and purposes, is down for the night, too. The dogs are sympathetically a-lounge. We've all played our parts in keeping the Young Prince as jolly as possible.

The morning went right on schedule, even though it started very early by getting the ma and pa on their way to the airport by 6am. The nap, the meals, the playtime - all perfectly wonderful. Alas, the afternoon proved more troublesome. That nap didn't last quite long enough, and GrandBoy's temper went a bit downhill afterwards. We played, we bounced, we strolled to the park and played on the swings, and one of us was a bit of a Grumpy Gus. I won't say who. (Liam)

But do not think that the day was at all dreary. GrandBoy and GrandMary got in plenty of laughs, lots of songs, numerous dances, and kisses, kisses, kisses. Such a yummy little baby!

Despite a few last-minute tears before guzzling down his last bottle, GrandBoy settled down to sleep very quickly. I'm counting on not hearing a peep outta him before 6:30-7 tomorrow morning. (Please, God.)

After all is said and done, I find my arms and shoulders really sore, and I don't have much of an appetite. A hot bath and a cool bed are sounding pretty good. There seems to be plenty of gin and tonic around, but I do believe I'm just too tired for a drink. Ho-hum.

Now, on to Day 2.

A Week With GrandMary

I have been given sole charge of GrandBoy for a whole week and a day. His ma and pa are heading to a tropical paradise for some much-needed rest, relaxation, and recharging. Armed with 4 pages of typed instructions concerning the babe, three dogs, and a whackin' great house, plus a fully stocked cupboard for GrandBoy and GrandMary, and various insurance cards and alarm codes - I'm ready to rock.

Though Liam tried his best to stow away in Mama's luggage (see picture), the fact is that he'll be spending a fun-filled eight days with GrandMary - learning new songs, dances, nursery rhymes, and just general goofy behavior. He's too young for rum-drinkin' and massages, anyway. However, I do plan to teach him to walk, catch a baseball, say the Lord's Prayer, and feed himself while his parents are gone. And just maybe we'll coax a tooth or two from those little gums.

But whatever it is we spend our days doing, we'll be having just as much fun as his ma and pa. We'll be plum tuckered out by the end of every day and go to sleep dreaming about all the hi-jinx we've been up to.

Our first day (tomorrow) will start really early, since we have to get Ma and Pa to the MARTA station headed for the airport by 6am. Yes, 6am. But once that's done, well, hang on to your hats! Non-stop fun. Well, some-stop fun, since we simply must work in a few naps and a lot of eating.

Now, do I have all y'all's phone numbers in case I have to call in the troops? Hm?

Baptizing GrandBoy

I talked to a good friend yesterday who expressed keen sadness that her grand-daughter wasn't going to have her great-grand-daughter baptized. My friend had been so excited when the little girl was born, pulling out the carefully packed away baptismal gown her daughter and granddaughter had worn, in anticipation of yet another baby girl wearing it. Alas for my friend the new parents don't really hold with religious traditions.

Our family does hold with the importance of baptism, so GrandBoy was welcomed into the household of God on Sunday, August 8, at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Atlanta. Godmother Debbie and Liam's cousins Lauren and Amber drove all the way from Texas for the event. Our family and friends filled two pews during the 9am service that welcome six children into the Church. It meant so much to have so many folks we love - including our dear All Saints' community - witness Liam's baptism. How joyful!

What did he wear? Well, not his mother's baptismal gown. We decided a sweet white little boy romper and cap might suit him better. And he did look so sweet!

GrandBoy behaved himself throughout the service, taking the whole thing in stride. His parents and godparents made some pretty serious promises ("with God's help"), and he got water on his head and oil on his forehead.

After the service, we all moved to a fine brunch at Basil's in Buckhead for eating, drinking, loud talking, and gift-opening. Cousin Lizzie made delish cupcakes for everyone, complete with greeny-blue icing and white crosses. Yum!

I feel for my friend's disappointment, and you can debate the pros and cons of baptizing a child just in the name of tradition rather than a solid religious commitment, depending on your own traditions and commitments. But for us, last Sunday was a glorious day for our family and the friends who will support Liam as he grows.

Mr. Giggle-Britches

Laughing babies are great entertainment!

My how time flies - 5 months old!

Laughing. Jabbering. Eating solid food. Rolling over. Sitting up. Bouncing. Just starting to figure out that he might be able to crawl, if he can just get those little knees pushed under him. And no telling what he's thinking!

Happy 5th Month, Liam!

Little Pun'kin Meets the Big Apple

What to do when you want to see all of New York City with GrandBoy in tow, but the temperature outside is 100+? Baby safety and comfort are priorities #1 and #2, of course, so among the three of us (Ma, Pa, GrandMary) we had to come up with a few workable options to keep the little one calm, cool, and collected.

• Stroller hood blocking sun. Check.
• Hat for Babe. Check.
• Baby sunscreen (applied every 30 seconds or so). Check.
• Burp cloth soaked in cold water + witch hazel (to wrap around Babe's neck, wipe him down, or cover his legs. Check.
• Spritz bottle filled with cold water to spray him down. Check.
• Pulling into any available heavily air-conditioned establishment every 20 minutes. Check.

OK. So that plan of attack worked pretty well, actually. The only thing that had us stumped for a while was the spritz bottle. We went into 7-8 stores - Duane Reade, Walgreens, KMart (yes, there's a KMart at Astor Place in NYC), beauty supply shops - to no avail. Finally found one at the Duane Reade on 6th Avenue (Ave of the Americas to you turistas) around 44th. Who'd a' thunk? Must've been a run on spritz bottles in the heat, but we're glad we had it as we traveled about.

And Liam survived the whole thing very well, mainly by power-napping and power-eating. Which is the way most people handle New York City, by the way. He survived the subways and buses. He survived Midtown, Times Square, Union Square, Chinatown, SoHo, Lower Manhattan, Little Italy, and my digs in Spanish Harlem.

As his GrandMary and NYC Tour Guide, I declare GrandBoy's first trip to New York City a whopping success. I hope the next time he comes the weather will be a little more temperate so that we can stroll through Central Park and walk the Brooklyn Bridge. But this was a good start.

And he was the cutest Little Pun'kin that the Big Apple had ever seen.

Baby Hits the Beach

GrandBoy's first experience with toes in salt water was not the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans or the Gulf of Mexico. Nope. It was Long Island Sound at Hammonassett Beach State Park.  After the long road trip from Atlanta to Connecticut for a family wedding over the 4th of July weekend, babe and his parents felt a day at the beach was in order. GrandMary and assorted other family members tagged along.

The biggest concern was making sure Liam was well-protected from the sun. He wore a tiny UV-protected wet suit instead of a little bathing suit, and his head and neck was covered with a version of the old Foreign Legion cap - this one in red, white, and blue. We made sure his wrap-around sunglasses were in place when he was in the bright sun and applied sunscreen every few minutes. He took his nap under a beach umbrella. The sun didn't have a chance!

Though the day was warm and breezy, the water was brrrrr-cold, so he didn't get (or want) much chance to play in the surf. He took it all in stride, holding court in someone's lap while the grown ups sunned themselves or quaffed a few beach beers.

There are more beaches in his future, I'm sure, but this is his first. I'm not sure what he experienced about the event. I am sure that he didn't get sunburned.

Full Heart, Aching Arms

Those of you with small children know the feeling: heart full of love for the precious child asleep in your arms and the almost-unbearable aching numbness of the arm holding the child. A pillow, armrest, or "boppy" takes some of the weight, but even with cushioning, sooner or later a throbbing, slightly electrical charge will start working its way up from your elbow to shoulder to neck.

Awwww. But the baby is so sweet nestled in the crook of my arm! Maybe if I shift this way. Nope. Move the babe's head that way. Definitely, no. Flex my wrist and roll my shoulders? Sigh. No.

And you find yourself wondering just how long an arm can stay in one position supporting the child's weight before all circulation is cut off and the arm falls off. Will a 90-minute deep tissue massage of your shoulder and neck relieve the ache? A long soak in Epsom Salts? A fistful of pain relievers?

Still, the little sugar dumpling is just too adorable to put down. So what if I'm sore for a day or two and have to live on Aleve for the next week. Who wants to miss the Sleeping Baby Show? Most times, you can just chuck the kid in the crib or whatever sleep apparatus is available. Other times, there's either nowhere to put the little darling down or any major shift will disturb the sleep.

These pictures were taken as GrandBoy slept in my arms during an outing to the beach in Connecticut. We were out of the sun, under an umbrella, but I was in a camp chair with soft armrests (no pillow or other support). My arm almost detached and rolled off into the sand, but look how cute he is! Well, in the battle of pain vs. cute, cute wins every time.

And I still have my arm.

Baby's First Road Trip

How would carseat-hating 4-month-old GrandBoy cope with an extended road trip from Georgia to Connecticut? That was the question gnawing at Daughter and Son-in-Law in the weeks leading up to the July journey. Well, thanks to an animated fish (and, I suspect, a GrandBoy who somehow understood deep down that he was stuck, for better or worse), the question has been answered most positively. All that needless worrying.

The drive was made in one fell swoop, in large part because Liam snoozed for long stretches, the theory being that as long as Baby was asleep or occupied - with no hysterical, nerve-splitting crying - push on while the going was good. When he wasn't sleeping the miles away, he was otherwise in the magical visual spell of "Finding Nemo." He rejected "Toy Story," "101 Dalmations," and "Lady and the Tramp." Nemo, however, captivated him - the colors, the motion, the sounds. And his daddy was grateful there were no mind-numbing musical numbers to get stuck in the driver's head. So, little Nemo saves the day, as well as Mama and Daddy's nerves.

Funny how even a tiny child can be visually enthralled for long stretches of time. Wonder what Liam was thinking as he watched Nemo? Did the underwater animation soothe and relax, or was there more to it?

Well, no matter. The point is, GrandBoy is now officially a Traveling Man. And until he's old enough to face forward and watch the world whiz by (which his GrandMary hopes he'll do instead of watching videos on the move), we're more than glad to have a little fish as a travel companion.

Happy 4th Month, Liam!

You get cooler every day!

Daddy Has His Day

It's daddy Greg's first Fathers Day and all appropriate celebration is in order. He survived the ups and downs of Kate's pregnancy and was truly the best labor coach any woman could have. He's a real hands-on poppa and gets as big a kick out of GrandBoy Liam as anyone on the planet. Here are some of the highlights of the past four months. Happy Fathers Day, Greg!

Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Car-Seat Blues

See the happy baby? Oh, sure, he's smiling now. But once he's buckled into the backseat of the car? That smile will turn to tears. Fact is, GrandBoy does not like his car-seat. Or rather, GrandBoy does not like being strapped in, facing backward and out of what he perceives to be where the action is. Yes, he has plenty of dangly, rattly toys within grasp and a mirror with which to entertain himself, but he is not a happy camper once firmly affixed in his high-tech safety car-seat.

And he lets you know it. Anyone who's ever spent time around babies and small children knows that they have an almost infinite capacity for crying. Loudly. That 20-minute rule (that babies cry themselves out within 20 minutes) is a myth. Face it, it's the only real power they have as infants, except for their extreme cuteness. They're too small and rubbery to haul off and give you a good kick when they're upset about something. So Liam gets very vocal about being strapped into a car-seat or stroller.

True, if you drive around long enough (i.e., longer - often, much longer - than 20 minutes), he'll wear himself out and fall asleep. Then woe be to the pothole or screaming siren that disturbs his cry-induced slumber! Still, we're praying he'll get used to the car/stroller sooner or later. I don't have any particular memories of his mama throwing car-seat fits (and she always loved the stroller), but maybe I've blanked out those episodes. And, yes, she finally got used to being strapped in whenever we got in a car.

My advice is just to block out the car-crying by plugging in the iPod and letting him cry himself to sleep. Daughter and Son-in-Law will need all the help they can get when they strike out for a wedding in Connecticut in a couple of weeks. Maybe a long road-trip will help GrandBoy get used to cruisin' in the backseat, watching the scenery fly by his window. Otherwise, crank up the tunes!

Anyone have suggestions for traveling (driving, not flying) with an infant? I'm sure Mama and Daddy would welcome any tricks of the the trade before heading north.

Cloth Diaper Update

I promised to give a cloth diaper update once I saw them in use with GrandBoy last month. These are not your grandmother's cloth diapers - or even the cloth diapers available for Daughter 27 years ago. Forget complicated folding, but do expect a lot of Velcro and snaps. And wonderful colors like "Grasshopper," "Zinnia," and "Twilight," and even animal prints. No, your sweeet dumpling does not have to settle for tidy-whities in this day and age!

Cloth diapers come in all sorts of configurations - all-in-ones, diapers with insertable liners, all-in-ones that let you add in a liner for those days that need a little extra sumpin'-sumpin', snaps, Velcros, more combos. Fortunately, many retailers offer trial deals, whereby they send you a sample package that includes the many variations. We ordered from three different places, based on recommendations from friends, and the diapers arrived very quickly. (I guess they know how desperate a new mother can be.)

Daughter and I used all varieties on GrandBoy to see what suited him (and us) best. The main criteria was leakage, so the way the diaper fit our particular babe was important In the end, we had three winners: bumGenius V3 All-in-One, Gro Baby One Size, and Happy Heinys One Size.

Cloth diapers are expensive. Our particular favorites are in the $15-$17/each range, and you have to make a commitment to stock in enough to avoid running the washer and dryer four times a day. That's one little thing that GrandMary can do - go online and top up the diaper supply every now and then. And let's face it, cloth diapers don't eliminate the need for disposables, which are easier if you're going out. But the price of buying disposables - even in bulk - adds up, too, so parents will just have to decide what works best for their pocketbooks. I reckon that investing in cloth diapers really makes sense if you're planning on having more than one child. Since GrandBoy's mama and daddy hope to have a couple more, what we're spending now will make sense as the diapers are used down the line.

In the end (or should I say, on the end), the only thing that matters is what works for Baby, Mama, and Daddy. I'm not sure cloth diapers would've worked for me, since I went back to work when Daughter was a couple months old (and, no, it doesn't seem to have had a negative effect on her), and I knew she would be my one and only. Disposables were a godsend. But if you're a stay-at-home mom or at least have enough cloth diapers on hand to avoid running the washer and dryer 24/7, the diapers are wonderful.

And don't you just love the colors?

When Cousins Come to Call or Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The least a couple of grandmamas can do is to spring for a meal and watch the babies while a couple of young moms get the chance to eat a meal in one sitting. Cinco de Mayo proved the perfect time to do just that, as Aunt Cindy and GrandMary hi-tailed it to La Fonda to grab a celebratory take-away meal for all.

It was a beautiful day, so we spread the feast out on the table on the back deck and let Kate and Jessica dig in. Little Sarah seemed happy enough with her cheesy quesadillas, while the rest of us ate our fill of beans, burritos, tacos, chips, salsa, and guacamole. Cindy and I kept an eye on babies Liliee and Liam so the mamas could eat.

Lilee, who had a couple more weeks to go in her leg cast, was sweet as pie. Such a cheery disposition! Liam was a little fractious, since he missed his morning nap, but he pulled himself together nicely toward the end of the visit.

Another important role for grandmothers: maintaining those family ties, making sure that cousins, aunts, uncles, and extended family have as many opportunties as possible to be together. And we love spending time with our cousins!

Good talk, good fun, beautiful day - ole!

Just Too Stinkin' Cute

It's a grandmother's prerogative to bring out the brag-book. Here are a few pictures of my sweet GrandBoy. Once I figure out how to share the Flip videos - watch out!

Liam, incognito. No autographs, please!

Liam and his stinkin' cute Mama and Daddy,

celebrating Mama's birthday.

Liam - shocked, surprised, wishing

GrandMary would stop taking pictures.

Liam impersonating Alfred Hitchcock. "Good Evening."

It All Comes Back To You

It’s been years since I had to get up in the middle of the night to feed an infant. Or that my arm fell asleep holding a baby because I was afraid if I moved even a little, the babe would awake. Or that I had to wrestle with a wiggly tyke in an attempt to change a diaper. Funny how it all comes back when you need to call those skills back into action.

Lots of things have changed in the past 27 years. Different theories. New technology. But soothing a tiny human at 3am is the same as it’s always been. I fell into the early morning feeding schedule during my visit to Atlanta, tag-teaming with the mama (who had to get up to pump milk anyway) and the daddy, who usually took the 6am leg of the schedule. Lifting, positioning, cooing, rocking are talents that kick into auto-pilot when needed.

The routine was so familiar that it was easy to forget that I wasn’t handling my baby girl, but my GrandBoy. I think I was a little surprised by that. After all, a parent jumps from one kid-stage to another: newborn, infant, toddler, child, adolescent – it’s easy to leave each previous skill-set behind to keep up with an ever-changing offspring. But I guess you just store all of that knowledge somewhere until it’s called for again.

You can’t call up a skill you never had, though. The one thing I was lousy at with Daughter was putting her sleeping-self back into her crib without waking her. It was all a matter of luck. Sometimes I got away with it; many times, I didn’t. Well, folks, that lack o’ talent continues to this very day. You’d think I’d’ve gotten the hang of it, but I still managed to rouse GrandBoy several times during the crib put-down. I’m open to ideas on how to perfect my technique.

Some things never change.

The Best Mothers Day

Daughter was only five days old when I celebrated my first Mothers Day as a bonafide mother. I was in a new-mom haze at the time, and although there are pictures documenting the day, I don’t remember much about it. This year’s Mothers Day, however, was very memorable.

That baby girl, who conferred the honor of “Mother” on me, celebrated her first Mothers Day this year. And for the first time since I moved to New York four years ago, I got to be with her. It was doubly-special to watch her commemorate the day with GrandBoy.

Son-in-Law did an outstanding job of pampering and gift-showering on Liam’s behalf. We all went to church – where we did a lot of showing off (and who wouldn’t, with such a handsome little feller?), then had a fondue-per time at The Melting Pot. Mm-mm-mm! I think the best gift Liam gave his mama (and all of us) was sleeping through the entire meal at the restaurant, allowing us to eat, drink, and be merry in peace.

As a new grandmother I had a double reason to celebrate. Watching my own baby girl join the Mothers Day Club made it the very best Mothers Day!

That Sweet, Sweet Smell

There is no sweeter smell in the world than a little baby's head, face, and neck. All I did for nine whole days in Atlanta was nuzzle Liam's neck, kiss his fingers, and chew on his baby-feet. Like all human beings, he has his own smell. Whether that little head is freshly washed or sweaty from sleep, his distinct fragrance comes through. Blindfold me and put me in a roomful of babies, and I could pick out GrandBoy.

I could (and still can) do the same for Daughter. Whether a dancing 8-year-old, a sleepy 17-year-old, or a busy 27-year-old mama, she's still that infant in my arms whenever I catch a hint of her baby-smell. I could find her in a sea of humanity if I had to by her scent alone (and I'm not talking her shampoo/perfume).

Is everyone as smell-centric as I am? I have always been accused of having an acute sense of smell, whether busting Step-daughter smoking outside at 3am, the smell of which would wake me from a dead-sleep, or getting the first whiffs of burning wires or a gas leak. Well, maybe not everybody has that gift - though sometimes it's not such a gift - so maybe folks miss out on the sweet baby smells (versus the not-so-sweet baby smells).

Anyway, Sweet Liam, I have your unique smell locked into this nose of mine. Even when you're grown with big stinky man-feet, I'll know how to find you by your sweet baby smell.

The debate rages: cloth or disposables?

GrandBoy is trying out cloth diapers for a while. Face it, the cost of buying disposables in bulk every time you turn around does mount up. So Kate is giving cloth diapers a whirl to see if they fit into the modern lifestyle. There seem to be all sorts of makes and models now - not just a square of soft cotton (grab the rubber pants, folks) and safety pins.

I reckon one can make an environmental argument for using cloth instead of tossing all those soggy disposables in the garbage - though, running two or three loads of diapers through a washer and dryer every day must have an environmental impact as well.

I must confess that when Kate was a baby, cloth diapers never crossed my mind. OK, maybe briefly when I was pregnant and doing a hot Krispy Kreme run, passing one of the local diaper services en route - but, seriously? No. Disposables were just too easy - hang the cost - and Kate never suffered from any rashes or infections, so, yeah, I was all about disposables. And our mothers thought we were so lucky to have disposables (and clothes dryers).

Environmental pressures are greater today (sorry, I draw my touchy-feely save-the-environment line at air conditioning and disposable diapers), and cloth diapers come in a lot of configurations now. Plus, no pins.

I'll get to see how they work up-close-and-personal once I land in Atlanta tomorrow. I still have some concerns over the "shitey-nappies," greatly preferring to hold my nose, wad 'em up, and toss 'em in the diaper pail for trash. I'm hoping they've invented something that just magically makes all that stuff disappear without much work on my part.

In the end, whatever works for whoever's having to do the work is just fine by me. Cloth, disposable - doesn't really matter. Though, Kate may want to check the trash for "loaded" diapers if I'm the one doing the changing.

I will report back. With pictures.

It's good to be 21!

Today, Liam is two months old. But it's also my birthday. And we have one other lucky 21 in the family: Brother (Great Uncle) Bill's birthday is November 21.

So for the three of us, it'll be easy to remember each other's celebratory day. Now, if we can just remember the month . . .

Let's hear it for everyone born on the 21st of whatever month!

Liam's First Easter

Which I had to miss, by the way. Sigh. But here are pictures of his first Easter. Such a cute little Easter egg!

Rumor has it that Liam missed most of the Easter service, preferring instead to bounce around in his daddy's arms outside. Oh, well. He has years of church services ahead of him! Happy Easter!

Dogwoods, mite boxes, Cadbury Eggs, and ukeleles

Try explaining Easter to a little kid. I tried once when Kate was 4-years-old and knew I'd failed miserably when her big blue eyes got even bigger and she said "Oooh! A ghost story!" Sigh. Christmas is sooo much easier to talk about. Even a little child can understand the birth of a new baby, eh? But this raising-from-the-dead thing is a tough one to sell to, well, lots of people, but certainly to a youngster.

So we build Easter traditions and trust - we hope - that if the kid hears the story enough times s/he'll grow into it (OK, maybe four was a little young for the resurrection part). GrandBoy's Easter traditions will be set in motion by his parents and family, his church family, and perhaps some friends. He's a wee boy on his first Easter, and those traditions will start tomorrow for him.

But when his mama was growing up, her Easter traditions involved:

• new clothes, usually with a hat of some kind
• mite boxes (for an Easter offering) full of so many coins that they had to be taped up to hold them together
• dogwoods (and whatever other spring flowers we had in the yard on Easter morn) to flower the cross at church
• a crazy priest with a ukelele leading the congregation in a round of "God Is A Surprise" (Your mama will teach it to you, Liam.)
• the wild and woolly race to find the Cadbury Eggs at the annual chaotic family Easter egg hunt (Cousin Mikey was ruthless where those Cadbury Eggs were concerned, as I recall.) 
• Honey Baked Ham. Mmm-mmm. (And one year we watched the film Babe after lunch. I know. Sick family.)

Until GrandBoy is old enough to understand the deeper meaning of Easter, lots of lovely traditions will lay a foundation for him. Not very theological, I'll admit (especially the new clothes/Cadbury Egg part), but it'll have to do for now.

Happy Easter to all! God is a surprise!

Happy Keester!

A little light-hearted Easter message. Thank GrandMary's brother and your great-uncle Bill for this one, Liam!

ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY

• Don't put all of your eggs in one basket
• Walk softly and carry a big carrot
• Everyone needs a friend who is all ears
• There's no such thing as too much candy
• All work and no play can make you a basket case
• A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention
• Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day
• Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits
• Some body parts should be floppy
• Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans
• Good things come in small sugar-coated packages
• The grass is always greener in someone else's basket 
• An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare
• To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell
• The best things in life are still sweet and gooey !!

Happy Easter, GrandBoy!