What a treat it was to keep the kids last week. It’s not often I get the chance to spend days with those delights of my life. I guess I should lift a prayer of thanksgiving to whoever gave you those tickets to the Blue Grass Music Festival in Memphis. I hope you had a good time. I sure did.

I know you think you’re old enough now you don’t need any lectures from your daddy, but you’ll always be my child. So, here’s some sage advice. Spend every moment you can with those precious children. They will grow old far too quickly. It was only a very few years ago you were toddling about the house. And if memory serves me right, you were cute back then, too; although I’m not sure you would hold a candle to my grandkids.

How memory provoking it was to have to get up early and get a child to the school bus on time. Goodness, did the school bus come that early when you were in the first grade? Of course, when you were two-and-a-half you didn’t get to go to daycare. I really like that place, and he seems really happy there.

Getting them off to school did, however, present a challenge. Actually, the challenge did not involve them getting to school. The challenge was for me to get back in the house after getting them to school. Remember telling me how to know which precise brick the key is hidden under? That was helpful, but there was another trait of your son of which you failed to inform me. Subsequently, I learned from your sister that he has watched you put your house key in your pocket hundreds of times. And as he wants to be like you he is prone to take the key from the designated brick and put it in his pocket.

Let me congratulate you on the security of your home. It is impossible to break into. Your brother says you owe him the gas it took to bring me a key.

I really liked my granddaughter’s after school place. I was impressed with the discipline she is learning through the Aikido martial arts. At first I thought that a little much for a first grader, but I was wrong. It’s a good program. I’m glad I left early to pick her up from there. If you don’t mind a suggestion, the next time you give directions to that place, don’t say “It’s just past the senior citizen place” unless there’s a sign in front of the senior citizen place. A hint that it’s behind the bank and you have to drive through the bank parking lot would also help.

The only problem I encountered with the little ones was the discovery that cow’s mild seems to have a plugging effect upon the little one. I was really concerned about him not yielding to the demands of nature. I even thought about calling the doctor but then your sister told me about his reaction to milk. Boy that was a relief.

I’m sure you guys have discovered this and made dietary adjustments for it. I’ll certainly be remembering that the next time I get to keep them.

Again, thanks a lot for letting me be with them that long. It was a joy. By the way, in case you don’t know, peanut butter has the opposite effect of milk.