Middle child of my middle child

/

 The Middle Child
Even though you're not the oldest,
or the youngest, you see,
Being in the middle is a really neat place to be!
The middle of a sandwich
is the most important part,
And in the middle of your body,
you will find your heart.
The engine in the middle
is what runs a good machine;
And our family wouldn't be the same
without you in between.
~Unknown

middle child

I know labeling children isn't an appropriate thing for grandmothers...

Read More

Don't freefall backward down the slide, plus other tips learned in a bounce house

/

Because my grandsons have an in-ground trampoline at their house, you wouldn't think they'd get much fun out of the Bounce-A-Round I reviewed a while back — which Bubby and Mac had not yet seen. During their visit a couple weeks ago, though, once Patrick brought his son over and the inflatable bouncing thingamajig was inflated, Bubby, Bud and Mac had a boisterous bouncing blast.

bounce a round

A couple days later, the bouncing blast was supersized when PawDad...

Read More

Saturday movie review: 'Disconnect'

/

My viewing of the film DISCONNECT — which features an ensemble cast headed up by Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Paula Patton and Alexander Skarsgard — began with an "uh oh" spoken aloud and ended with an internal "uh oh" I've carried with me since watching the movie more than a week ago.

My first came within the first scene or two, when a video...

Read More

After my grandchildren leave

/
After my grandchildren leave

grandparents and grandsons

My three grandsons and daughter surprised me with a visit, filling my nest with the magical mayhem that accompanies young boys.

For seven soul-satisfying days, love and laughter — along with loud toys and joyful noise — mark the days in spectacular, unforgettable ways.

Then, in what seems a blink of the eye, the...

Read More

Saturday movie review: 'Still Mine'

/

James Cromwell — whom I've loved ever since "Babe" — may not be the first to come to mind when considering male romantic leads. He sure does a fine job playing such, though, in the touching drama STILL MINE, which also stars Geneviève Bujold as his long-wed love.

Still Mine

Cromwell and Bujold — both Oscar nominees — star as Craig and Irene Morrison. They've been...

Read More

Wherein Bubby and Mac dance like... er... dance to 'Gentleman'

/

Just Dance 2014 Gentleman

We enjoyed several fun outings while my grandsons and daughter visited our house. As the weather was uncharacteristically cruddy for this time of year, the challenge was keeping Bubby and Mac busy inside while Mommy and baby bro Jak — and PawDad and Gramma, too — got ready to go.

The Wii came to the rescue... though semi-inappropriately so, I must...

Read More