Wow Sylvia. You just never know what a day can bring. So wonderful that the other family included Ryans name to the memorial. It does affect so many people and that we all hope and pray that because of this that their deaths would not have been in vain. Yesterday I was preaching to my oldest, Sean just before he took off for the day to be careful himself. Yesterday on my way to take Nathan to my Moms for swimming I was sitting at a red light. As it changed to green I saw another two cars brakes locked coming to a stop to the right of me. I hadn't started accelerating yet but in disbeleif watched as this landscape truck blew through the red! He had tried because his brakes were smoking but he kept going. Thank the Lord we were not going. You just never know. We all need to be prepared. Made me think. (((((((HUGS))))))) Love, Jules

Thanks, Chisue! The dear little guy was here yesterday, looking as sweet and beautiful as ever. He'll be two weeks old tomorrow. He nurses well and goes through the usual amount of diapers, but the pediatrics office says he's not gaining enough weight to satisfy them. I hope they don't ask my DIL to give him formula. This is what happened with my first baby, and of course supplementing reduced my milk supply, so the breastfeeding didn't last long after that. Both my daughters were very low on the weight charts, resulting in frequent conflict with the pediatricians. Both girls grew up healthy and small--just like my stepdaughters, whose body types they shared. The weight charts don't seem to allow for much individuality, and when the doctor wrote Failure to Thrive on my healthy, active second daughter's chart, I was seriously angry. My son was high on the weight charts, so I didn't have any more battles with the doctors. Not about that, anyway. LOL

My oldest granddaughter is a step. She has 2 younger siblings. She was so hard to love. My husband and I made every attempt to attend every event she was in with her even if it was across town for us. We did it. She just never seem to appreciate anything we did. Now today she is in her 30's and has 2 children of her own. Different fathers for both children. One she married and divorced and we attended that wedding. The second baby daddy we have never met. But the little girl is also a doll. the oldest child seems so sad to me and she never seems to smile much in pictures. They live far from us. I do send cards and gifts for their birthdays and holidays. It is a hard situation to be in having a step grandchild. I would just be as friendly as you can with the little guy, play games with him, make cookies with him even boys enjoy this. Take him out on his own and see what he is all about. He will open up to you. One of the fond memories I have with my grandson is making chocolate chip cookies and my now 25 year old grandson said grandma that was so much fun when we made those cookies when I was little and you let me put in the ingredients you had already set out to do. I loved eating the chocolate chips I would steal one or two or 10. Grandchildren can enrich your life so much, step or real. Most of mine call from time to time just to say HI, grandma. I have 6 and 2 greats.

I'm sure that your grandson will enjoy it: I think that many of us would have enjoyed such a tepee as a child. I wonder whether, approaching second childhood, I might enjoy one? As for no fun if you make it for money, may I disagree? It may change the picture some, but over on the "Guy does the same dance routine ..." thread, I quoted a comedian quoting another saying that he'd never worked a day in his life, for he's loved what he's been doing for many years. ole joyfuelled