Fall visits the desert

/

My daughter Megan loves living in the desert. The only time she misses the seasons of Colorado is in the fall. Fall simply isn't the same where saguaros grow tall and javelinas roam wild.

four-year-old at park

Earlier this week Megan texted some pictures to Jim and me. The weather was uncharacteristically fall-like in the desert, she said, so she took Mac and Jak—while Bubby was in school—to...

Read More

4 spring walks to take with grandkids

/
4 spring walks to take with grandkids

Put on your walking shoes and head out with the grandkiddos. Here, four ideas for savoring spring while out and about.

spring walks

ONE
Oooh, baby, baby
There's no shortage of babies in my neighborhood this time...

Read More

Puddles o' fun, plus GRAND Social No. 151 link party for grandparents

/

Welcome back!

My spring break didn't go quite as I'd expected thanks to an unexpected bout with a bug that's just now beginning to loosen its grip. Still, it was a break, and we all need one of those now and then.

I'm glad to be back, though, and I'm doubly glad you're here with me!

Puddles o' fun

Racking your brain for something fun to do with the grandkiddos during the oft-rainy days of spring? Make the most of that moisture by grabbing some boots (or not!) and pouncing in some puddles.

These kids demonstrate just exactly how it's done:

 

There's nothing like...

Read More

On summer camp

/
On summer camp

Memories and possibilities

summer camp 

Spring has sprung, which means it's time for parents and grandparents to begin searching and signing kids up for camps to enrich and entertain the little ones throughout the summer. Thoughts of such have me experiencing a melancholic longing for camp.

Which is a particularly odd emotion considering that...

Read More

29 holiday jokes for kids

/
29 holiday jokes for kids

'Tis the season of joy, and there's no more joyful sound than that of children's laughter. Share these jokes with your favorite kiddos to elicit some of that joyful noise this merry time of year.

 holiday jokes for kids

Where do snowmen keep their money?
In a snow bank.

What do you call a...

Read More

Colorful quaking aspen, plus GRAND Social No. 124 link party

/
grand social link party

Colorful quaking aspen

In Colorado, we don't have a huge variety of trees changing color come fall. We do have the aspen trees — often called quaking aspen — though. Their magnificent autumn show of color would put to shame any other trees, which just may be why aspens are the primary deciduous trees on the mountainsides, alongside the majestic Blue Spruce and other pines.

The orange, red and yellow of the aspens...

Read More

Last of the hummers, plus GRAND Social link party No. 121

/

Last of the hummers

Now that we're well into September and our hummingbird feeder seemed to have no visitors the last few days, I figured all the hummingbirds had up and flown away for the season. I was wrong. One little fella spent much of Sunday sitting on a branch, standing guard over the hummingbird feeder hanging near our deck.

hummingbird

Each time another hummingbird...

Read More