Whaddya YOU got?

The serious-looking young woman to the right is my granddaughter. She turns 5 on Sunday, and she’s a heller. My grandson, her twin, is the spitting image of his father, both in temperament and in looks (though my grandson’s dimples are slightly deeper, and don’t argue because a grandmother knows such things). Because I’ve been down …

The strange gift of grandchildren

Let’s just say this off the top: I have seven wonderful grandchildren because of a horrible decision made by this man. Michael Knybel chose to get behind the wheel and drive drunk, and then a very bad thing happened. Drunk driving accidents are not accidents. They are, instead, a series of bad decisions that can be the …

We took the grandbabies to the Mystic holiday boat parade on Saturday

And this boat (can you even tell what it is from my poor-quality photo?) got the most cheers — more than the huge tugboat, and more than the pleasure boat loaded with Elvises (Elvi?) singing “Blue Christmas.” .Had we known the words, I believe those of us on the Mystic River banks would have burst …

On being grateful…

You knew it wouldn’t be very deep into the month before I included these two, didn’t you? My time spent with the youngest grandchildren is both exhausting and invigorating. Grandchildren let you revisit your own childhood. You get to be silly. You get to turn cartwheels, make up stories, and create tents from bedclothes. I …

RIP, Robin the Fish. Or perhaps it was Bella the Fish.

A few months ago, my youngest granddaughter developed an aversion to sleeping over at my house, because, she said, when she went away she missed her mommy. So for a month or so, her brother would cheerfully come to Camp Granny, while she stayed home. This could not stand. As Granny, I had to take …