A Birthday in a Weird Time

I wasn’t sure I was up to writing my annual birthday essay (see this and this). Like all of you, we are now leading a different life than we could have imagined just a few short months ago. On the one hand, social distancing is not a whole lot different from any other day in …

Question: Is Cora the cutest baby ever?

Is Cora the cutest baby ever? I am sure you are rolling your eyes and thinking that I am affected by grandparent myopia. However, I made that bold statement in my last post so now I feel I must back it up. The photo evidence may be enough, but indulge me as I prove my …

Things I Think, 2020 Edtion

In recognition of a new year/decade and in compliance with the subtitle of the Lo and Behold blog “Things I think”, I offer this window into what I have thinking about. Albeit not as crazed as this, I do have a rotation of obsessive thoughts to guide me through sleepless nights, throughout the day and …

Happy Birthday, Cora!

Yes, the year has flown by. Our little Cora turned one! Here are 10 amazing things about this happy, little creature. 1. She is happy. Despite my early reservations about her, she has evolved into the happiest, smiliest little person. 2. She passionately loves stuffed animals. You can pull any random stuffie out of the …

Raising Girls

All the experts tell us what we know intuitively- we should limit the amount of television that our little charges watch. But, let’s be real here, there are times when you gotta do what you gotta do. Personally, I am team PBS. Our kids were reared on Sesame Street. Arthur is a great show. But, …

Seasons Change

For the last weeks of summer, I dreaded not so much the coming of fall, but the ending of summer. I could not help but notice warm-weather delights: wearing shorts and sandals, a cold glass of rosé on the patio, walking to my errands, a post-dinner stroll through the neighborhood. But, once the days have …

Forty

If you had attended our wedding in 1979, you may have concluded it was a low-budget affair. My bridesmaids paid $6 each for the sundresses they wore. Avoiding the traditional wedding march, we played Handel’s water music on a 8-track tape, recorded from an LP we borrowed from the library. I picked my bouquet from …

Another Day in the Life

We have been at our babysitting job for over three years so it seems like a good time to provide and update on the working conditions. Yesterday was a pretty good sample of what a day with Lo and Cora now entails. It should be noted that their house in under construction (or at Lo …

In Defense of Simple and Boring

I am over four years into retirement, and I am amazed by how my life and, even more profoundly, my outlook has evolved. The outside observer, and perhaps my old self, might consider my life to be too simple or boring or that I am now lacking in drive, vision and purpose. All of which …

Three

Yes, my literary inspiration is 3 years old. And a fast 3 years it has been. This past year was a year of mastery of nascent skills and development of new skills and yet, Lo has remained essentially herself. Everything she does is with enthusiasm; she is energetic, sociable, funny and loving. In honor of …