Here and now: August 27, 2015

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clock and book 

On my mind...

Wondering how people without decent health insurance survive.

Reading...

Finished up The Mapmaker's Children last night. Starting Circling The Sun by Paula McLain tonight.

Watching...

Brianna's new puppy, Max, each day at lunch. The nine-week-old can't get through...

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Hanging with the monkeys! Plus, GRAND Social No. 166 link party for grandparents

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Hanging with the monkeys

Today is my last day with the monkeys. These monkeys also known as Bubby, Mac, and Jak, who were practicing their moves in the peewee division of American Ninja Warriors at their nearby park:

peewee ninja warriors

This afternoon, PawDad and I leave the jungle and head back home, where the...

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Back to school already? 10 ways to support school-bound grandchildren

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Unbelievable as it seems, it's time for students to return to school, some as early as next week. In light of that, I'd like to once again share with you ideas on how grandparents can support and encourage their grandchildren in academic endeavors. Though my daughter Megan is on break from teaching—and she has three sons now, not two—her ideas as well as the others in this post are still a great way to make a difference for your school-bound grandkiddos.

Kids of all ages will soon head back to school — if they haven't already. Though Mom and Dad play the starring role in supporting their children's educational efforts, grandparents have plenty of opportunities to make their mark, too.

My daughter Megan is not only the mother of my two awesome grandsons, she's also a teacher. Here are a few suggestions she and I came up with for supporting school-bound grandchildren in ways that will garner an A+ not only from the kids, but from their parents and teachers, too.

back to school ideas for grandparents

1. Send a care package to be opened the night before school starts. Consider adding...

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Grandparents: Inspire grandchildren to create their own adventures

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Grandparents: Inspire grandchildren to create their own adventures

Dear readers: I am away from the computer and in the desert watching my grandsons, so today I'm sharing with you these smart suggestions for summer fun from StatePoint Media.

Getting kids to be more active and motivated for outdoor adventure can be a challenge in today's world of cool technology. With so many compelling reasons to stay indoors—like game systems, smartphones, and streaming video—how do you convince your grandchildren that the great outdoors is, well, great?

kids playing outside

Here are a few ideas to inspire outdoor play—and even to use their love of technology to...

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GRAND greeting! Plus GRAND Social No. 161 link party for grandparents

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GRAND greeting

Saturday was my birthday, and I received many kind and happy greetings from family, friends and loved ones. (You Facebook friends? Sheesh...! You guys are awesome! And appreciated!)

I must say, though, that of all the birthday greetings I received, this was the most grand of all:

 

Megan told me that video was the...

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GRAND guest post: 6 tips to keep grandchildren reading all summer

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Dear readers: This article originally appeared on the GRAND Magazine website, one of my partners in providing grandparents with quality information and inspiration. I publish it here with their permission.

grandma and grandson reading together

Parents and grandparents are the child’s first and foremost teachers. They play an important role in teaching children to read and—maybe just as importantly—to love reading. Now that summer...

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