Make Fun Of Life! - Parenting

Parent’s Creed

11/27/2020

Parent’s Creed

I am a parent.

My children shall be my first concern in life.

I shall see that they have plenty of good food, healthful exercise, recreation, and sleep, and opportunities to learn that which is worth learning.

I shall raise them to be upright and honest, to be fair in their games, to be friendly with other children, and to be respectful to older people.

I shall teach them that school is their way of life, that their teacher is their friend, their lessons are their work.

I shall raise them to live their own lives, sympathize with them in troubles, help them with their problems, and rejoice with them in their successes.

I shall teach them to love their flag, to be true to their country, and to promote the common good.

I shall teach them that the Sacred Volume is the greatest book that has ever been written.

I shall pray for them always.

For I am a parent.

by Milford E. Shields: as published in Monta H. Crane and Selma Shepherd Downey, compilers: “Sunshine and Shadows” (1973), ‘Book II - Scattered Sunshine, Family and Home,’ page 181

How to Be a Good Parent

7/29/2020

“You can do anything with children if you only play with them.” -Otto von Bismarck (Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1815 - 1898))

“When you put faith, hope, and love together, you can raise positive kids in a negative world.” -Zig Ziglar

“If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.” -Haim Ginott (Doctor)

“Parents, don’t lose sight of your child at the beach. Always fasten a brightly colored helium balloon on a long string to your child’s belt so that you can see, just by looking up in the sky, wherever he or she goes, without worry.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)

Parents can tell
But never teach,
Unless they practice
What they preach.
-Arnold H. Glasow

“The best thing to spend on your children is your time.” -Louise Hart

“If you haven’t time to help youngsters find the right way in life, somebody with more time will help them find the wrong way.” -Frank A. Clark (Frank Atherton Clark (1911 - 1991))

“Be the person you needed when you were younger.” -Ayesha Siddiqi

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.” -Abigail Van Buren (pseudonym of Pauline Esther ‘Popo’ Phillips (1918 - 2013))

“The important thing is that children should grow up with parents who believe that there are some ways of life which for us today are better than others and that these ways are worth defending with every ounce of our strength.” -Anna W. M. Wolf

“Children are great imitators. Give them something great to imitate.” -Author Unknown

“He who teaches his child to be thrifty and economical has already bequeathed him a fortune.” -Garth Henrichs

“In praising or loving a child, we love and praise not that which is, but that which we hope for.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

“Words of praise, indeed, are almost as necessary to warm a child into a genial life as acts of kindness and affection. Judicious praise is to children what the sun is to flowers.” -Christian Nestell Bovee (1820 - 1904): “Intuitions and Summaries of Thought” (2 volumes, 1862)

“If you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage.” -Author Unknown

“One of the most important things we adults can do for young children is to model the kind of person we would like them to be.” -Carol B. Hillman

“Recommend to your children virtue; that alone can make [them] happy, not gold.” -Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

“The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher.” -Elbert Hubbard (Elbert Green Hubbard (1856 - May 1915))

“Children learn best from example; the trouble is they don’t know a good example from a bad one.” -Author Unknown

“Sometimes in our attempt to give children what we did not have, we forget to give our children what we did have.” -Connie Podesta

“Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future lives and crimes from society.” -Daniel Webster (1782 - 1852): as quoted in Tryon Edwards, editor: “A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations from the Best Authors of the World, Both Ancient and Modern” (1891), page 135

“Those who do too much for their children, will soon discover they can do nothing with their children.” -Neal A. Maxwell (Neal Ash Maxwell (1926 - 2004))

“Spending time with children is more important than spending money on children.” -A. D. Williams (Anthony Douglas Williams)

“A child does not need to be parented. He needs to be mothered and fathered.” -Zan Thompson

“There is no such reward for a well-spent life as to see one’s children well started in life, owing to their parents’ good health, good principles, fixed character, good breeding, and in general the whole outfit, that enables them to fight the battle of life with success.” -William Graham Sumner (1840 - 1910)

“Always have a book at hand, in the parlor, on the table, for the family; a book of condensed thought and striking anecdote, of sound maxims and truthful apothegms. It will impress on your own mind a thousand valuable suggestions, and teach your children a thousand lessons of truth and duty. Such a book is a casket of jewels for your household.” -Tryon Edwards (1809 - 1894): as quoted in Tryon Edwards, editor: “A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations from the Best Authors of the World, Both Ancient and Modern” (1891), page 464

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” -Author Unknown

“There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience.” -Anatole Broyard

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” -Author Unknown: “The Bible,” ‘Proverbs,’ chapter 22, verse 6

“In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry or idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then, and their future life is safe.” -Lydia Sigourney

“Train your child in the way you now know you should have gone yourself.” -Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834 - 1892)

“The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children, the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing is best after all.” -Benjamin Spock (Benjamin McLane Spock (1903 - 1998))

“If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.” -Dorothy Law Nolte (1924 - 2005): “Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values” (1998), page vi

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.” -Barbara Johnson (1927 - 2007)

“The way to raise children is to make television watching and internet use a family affair, with the adults deciding what will be viewed, and limiting the time to thirty minutes to one hour a day, for young minds that are still growing, learning, and developing, and for the good of impressionable grownup minds as well. Children rarely need televisions in their bedrooms; place televisions in common areas such as living rooms or family rooms - and much the same can be said of computers and telephones. This leaves plenty of time for other activities, including reading, studying, playing board games, hobbies, ball games, nature walks, chores, talking face-to-face, planning family outings and gatherings such as carnival visits and birthday parties and holiday meals . . .” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)

“Remember, your basic assignment as a parent is to work yourself out of a job.” -Paul Lewis

“I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!” -David Vitter

“We have been so anxious to give our children what we didn’t have that we have neglected to give them what we did have.” -Author Unknown

“We owe our children a set of good habits; for habit is to be their best friend or their worst enemy, not only during childhood, but through all the years. We shall therefore need to repeat every now and then nature’s irrevocable law: that back of every habit lies a series of acts; that ahead of every act lies a habit; that habit is nine-tenths of conduct; that conduct is but character in the making; and that character ends in destiny.” -George Herbert Betts

“Just as plants soak up water, your children need your loving words, and with them they will thrive.” -Judy Ford

“I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best I could bring to it.” -Rose Kennedy (1890 - 1995): as quoted in Power Dynamics Publishing: “Words of Women: Quotations for Success” (1997)

“The best inheritance a parent can give their children is a good example.” -Author Unknown

“A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.” -Billy Graham (William Franklin ‘Billy’ Graham, Junior (born 1918))

“If you talk to your children, you can help them to keep their lives together. If you talk to them skillfully, you can help them to build future dreams.” -Jim Rohn (Emanuel James ‘Jim’ Rohn (1930 - 2009))

“They spare the rod, and spoil the child.” -Ralph Venning (1621 - 1673): “Mysteries and Revelations” (1649), page 5, as quoted in William S. Walsh: “Handy-Book of Literary Curiosities” (1892)

“Discipline your children today so a prison guard won’t have to do it later!” -Author Unknown

“A switch in time saves crime.” -Roy B. Newell

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” -Author Unknown: Rabbinical saying

To avoid emotional arguments with children over their perfectly normal childish wants and what you as a parent believe is best for them, think through every parental decision you make, and have available for them two parent-approved choices, allowing them to decide which one to do, which will give them a sense of getting what they want. So, instead of telling children that it is raining outside and they must stay indoors and not make noise or bother anyone, ask them if they would rather spend thirty minutes cleaning their rooms and then help make cookies, or write thank you notes to their grandparents for their last visit and then make kites to hang on their bedroom walls or to fly outside on a breezy day when it is not raining. Having two things to decide between, each of which is work followed by reward, is more magical in the mind of a child than having one thing they are told they have no choice about and are told they must do because a parent says so. You can still do the, “because I said so,” routine, but at another time.

“To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.” -Author Unknown

“We need to teach our children how to debate the major life issues. Debate strengthens their beliefs and enables them to defend themselves against ideologies that are going to come their way.” -Jim Rohn (Emanuel James ‘Jim’ Rohn (1930 - 2009))

“There is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go and that is to travel that way yourself.” -Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

“The best time to give advice to your children is while they’re still young enough to believe you know what you’re talking about.” -Evan Esar (1899 - 1995)

“If you are a happy parent, you give your son or daughter an invaluable legacy. It doesn’t matter too much whether you are rich or poor; if the choice is between happy poor and unhappy rich, the children of a laughing pauper are the ones to envy. For they will grow up with the expectation that life is good, that the world is a sunny and friendly place, that other people are as human and decent as they are, that it is fun to be alive. And with that attitude, they can accomplish almost anything.” -Guy Wright

“What a child doesn’t receive he can seldom later give.” -P. D. James (Phyllis Dorothy James (1920 - 2014))

“Anyone with the brains of a bunny can raise a happy, healthy, successful child by following a few simple rules.” -Author Unknown: “The Old Farmer’s Almanac”

“Give a child the habit of sacredly regarding the truth - of carefully respecting the property of others - of scrupulously abstaining from all acts of improvidence which can involve him in distress, and he will just as likely think of rushing into the element in which he cannot breathe, as of lying or cheating or stealing.” -Henry Brougham (1st Baron Brougham and Vaux)

“The Golden Rule of Parenting is: Do unto your children as you wish your parents had done unto you!” -Louise Hart

“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.” -Matthew L. Jacobson

“So often, children are punished for being human. Children are not allowed to have grumpy moods, bad days, disrespectful tones, or bad attitudes, yet we adults have them all the time! We think if we don’t nip it in the bud, it will escalate and we will lose control. Let go of that unfounded fear and give your child permission to be human. We all have days like that. None of us are perfect, and we must stop holding our kids to a higher standard of perfection than we can attain ourselves. All of the punishments you could throw at them won’t stamp out their humanity, for to err is human, and we all do it.” -Rebecca Eanes: “The Newbies Guide to Positive Parenting” (22 January 2015); book available at https://www.rebeccaeanes.com/

“It is not what you do for your children, but you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings.” -Ann Landers (pseudonym of Esther Pauline Friedman (1918 - 2002))

“Parenthood is the art of bringing your children up without putting them down.” -Author Unknown

“To endure is the first thing that a child ought to learn, and that which he will have the most need to know.” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778): “Emile; or, Treatise on Education” (1762)

“There is no such thing as a perfect parent. So just be a real one.” -Sue Atkins

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” -Anne Frank (Annelies Marie 'Anne' Frank (1929 - 1945)): “The Diary of a Young Girl” (1952)

“Children have more need of models than of critics.” -Joseph Joubert (1754 - 1824)

“Allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they find.” -Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

“Your children need your presence more than your presents.” -Author Unknown

“The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them.” -Frank A. Clark (Frank Atherton Clark (1911 - 1991))

“It is critical to maintain boundaries between adult problems and children. Please protect your children’s innocence and allow them to remain children. They must not be burdened by adult problems. Kids don’t have the coping skills or the intellectual ability to understand money worries, adult relationship issues, or their parents’ unhappiness.” -Author Unknown

“Watch me, learn from me, and learn from my mistakes.” -Judy Garland (Frances Gumm (1922 - 1969)): advice she gave to her daughter Liza Minnelli

“When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son.” -Author Unknown: “The Talmud”

“If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm.” -Bruce Barton (1886 - 1967)

“Your children will become what you are, so be what you want them to be.” -David Bly

This is MFOL! . . . the website perfectly suited for someone of your age and maturity level . . . no matter what it is . . . funny how that works out . . . for everyone!

Recipe for Preserving Children

7/28/2020

Recipe for Preserving Children

Ingredients
□ 1 grass-grown field
□ frogs, turtles, kitties, and so forth.
□ 1 brook
□ pebbles
□ several dogs, puppies
□ 1/2 dozen children or more

Directions
1. Into the field, pour the children and dogs and such, allowing to mix well.
2. Pour some brook over the pebbles until slightly frothy.
3. When the children are nicely browned by the sun, cool in warm tub.
4. When dry, serve with milk and freshly baked cookies.

by Author unknown

Parenthood and Parenting

7/28/2020

“Each child is an adventure into a better life - an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new.” -Hubert Humphrey (Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Junior (1911 - 1978))

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other wings.” -Hodding Carter II (1907 - 1972): “Where Main Street Meets the River” (1953), chapter 27, page 337

“My accomplishments? Let me show you these pictures in my wallet.” -Author Unknown

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is.” -Angela Schwindt

“Children need love, a reliable source of comfort, and an adult willing to take responsibility for them.” -Deborah Harkness (born 1965): “Shadow of Night” (10 July 2012)

“My mom used to say it doesn’t matter how many kids you have . . . because one kid’ll take up 100 percent of your time, so more kids can’t possibly take up more than 100 percent of your time.” -Karen Brown

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” -C. S. Lewis (Clive Staples Lewis (1898 - 1963))

“It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day.” -J. M. Barrie (James Matthew Barrie (1860 - 1937)): “Peter Pan” (1911)

“The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard.” -Sloan Wilson

The work will wait while you show the child a rainbow,
But the rainbow won’t wait while you do the work.
-Patricia Clafford

“We never know the love of a parent until we become parents ourselves.” -Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887)

“All children, even those who do not seem to deserve it, need a parent’s love.” -Author Unknown

“Most kids hear what you say; some kids do what you say; but all kids do what you do.” -Kathleen Casey Theisen

“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” -Robert Fulghum (Robert Lee Fulghum (born 1937))

“Children should be led into the right paths, not by severity, but by persuasion.” -Terence (Publius Terentius Afer (185 B.C.E. - 159 B.C.E.))

“Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.” -Author Unknown

“Adults, take heed of this simple rule: What should not be heard by little ears should not be said by big mouths.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)

“Negotiating techniques do not work all that well with kids, because in the middle of a negotiation, they will say something completely unrelated such as, “You know what? I have a belly button!” and completely throw you off guard.” -Bo Bennett

“A child should not be forced to be busy all the time. Let’s take away the tremendous pressures we place on our children both in school and at home. Give the child an opportunity to sit back and daydream once in a while.” -Benjamin Fine

“Bringing up a family should be an adventure, not an anxious discipline in which everybody is constantly graded for performance.” -Milton R. Saperstein

“What’s done to children, they will do to society.” -Karl Menninger (Karl Augustus Menninger (1893 - 1990))

“I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.” -Greg Norman

“If your children look up to you, you’ve made a success of life’s biggest job.” -Author Unknown

“Children are educated by what the grownup is and not by his talk.” -C. G. Jung (Carl Gustav Jung (1875 - 1961))

“In an effort to insure my children’s tomorrows, I have lost their todays.” -Danny Thomas (pseudonym of Amos Jacobs Kairouz (1912 - 1991))

A teenager lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his driveway. After a fruitless search, he told his mother the lens was nowhere to be found. Undaunted, she went outside and in a few minutes returned with the lens in her hand. “How did you manage to find it, Mom?” the teenager asked. “We weren’t looking for the same thing,” she replied. “You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for $150.”

“Kids spell love t-i-m-e.” -John Crudele (Meaning ‘time you spend with them.’)

“You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children turned out.” -Gordon B. Hinckley (Gordon Bitner Hinckley (1910 - 2008))

“Children would all be brought up perfectly if families would just swap them with each other. Everyone knows what ought to be done with the neighbor’s children.” -Author Unknown

Surely green branches thou mayst render straight;
Th’ attempt to straighten dry wood comes too late.
-Author Unknown

“Children are Nature’s way of saying, ‘Your house is way too neat!’” -Author Unknown

“Parents are the ultimate role models for children. Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent.” -Bob Keeshan (Robert James ‘Bob’ Keeshan (1927 - 2004))

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” -Anna Quindlen (born 1952): ‘Enough Bookshelves’ in the “New York Times” (7 August 1991) newspaper

“Parenting a child is more than raising that child; it is also teaching that child to one day parent his or her child. Generation to generation to generation, all across the immense span of human history, parenting is more important than anyone could ever imagine.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)

“The hardest people to convince they are at retirement age are children at bedtime.” -Shannon Fife

“Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children.” -Mignon McLaughlin: “The Second Neurotic’s Notebook” (1966)

Young Dianne, only four years old, returned home from nursery school complaining, “Mommy, I’ve got a stomach ache.” “That’s because your stomach is empty,” Sarah, her mother, replied kindly. “You’ll feel better when you have something in it.” She made Dianne a small snack and sure enough, Dianne felt better immediately. Later that afternoon, Dianne’s class tutor dropped by to see Sarah. While she was chatting with Dianne’s mother, she mentioned she’d had a bad headache all day long. Dianne perked up straightaway and announced to her teacher, “That’s because it’s empty. You’d feel much better if you had something in it!”

“Who of us is mature enough for children before they arrive? The value of marriage isn’t that adults produce children, but that children produce adults.” -Peter De Vries

A toddler was found chewing on a slug. After the initial disgust, the toddler’s parent asked, “Well, what does it taste like?” “Worms!” was the toddler’s reply.

Overheard: We soon learn how little we know when our children begin to ask questions.

A woman climbed onto a bus with seven children. The bus driver asked her, “Are these all yours, Missus, or is it a picnic?” “They’re all mine,” the woman replied. “And I can assure you that it’s no picnic.”

“What did you ask at school today?” -Richard Feynman

The Parent

“I don’t think that children should owe ya,”
Said a mother from old Babylonia,
“But it’s nice when they heed ya,
Or show that they need ya,
And once in a while, they phone ya.”

by Author Unknown

“Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers.” -attributed to Socrates (470 B.C.E. - 399 B.C.E.)

“Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you are a referee.” -David Frost (David Paradine Frost (1939 - 2013)): as quoted in “The Independent” (16 September 1989)

“People should tell your children what life is all about - it’s about work.” -Lauren Bacall (born 1924)

A mother had spent the whole summer in the company of her children, thinking only of their needs. On her return in the fall, she went for the first time in months to an adult dinner party. To her horror, she discovered that, to start a conversation with the distinguished man next to her, she said automatically, “I bet I can finish my soup sooner than you can.”

“You can’t scare me. I have children.” -Author Unknown

“Nobody signs up to have a child with special needs. Then you realize that this is a gift, this child is the light. And if you can nourish that light and let it shine, you have an opportunity to get closer to God, and that’s grace.” -John C. McGinley

“When you were a kid, you never understood what your parents were going through. Now you’d just like to know how they got through it.” -Author Unknown

“The one thing children wear out faster than shoes is parents.” -John J. Plomp

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” -Franklin P. Jones (Franklin Pierce Jones (1908 - 1980))

“Nothing has a greater influence on the lives of children than the lives of their parents.” -A. D. Williams (Anthony Douglas Williams)

“Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there’s always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires.” -Marcelene Cox

“To show a child what has once delighted you, to find the child’s delight added to your own so that there is now a double delight seen in the glow of trust and affection, this is happiness.” -J. B. Priestley (John Boynton Priestley (1894 - 1984))

“Before I got married, I had six theories about bringing up children. Now I have six children and no theories.” -John Wilmot (also known as Lord Rochester (1647 - 1680)): as attributed in Herbert Victor Prochnow: “The New Speaker’s Treasury of Wit and Wisdom” (1958)

“Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.” -Author Unknown

“There’s nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child.” -Frank A. Clark (Frank Atherton Clark (1911 - 1991))

“A child enters your home and for the next twenty years makes so much noise that you can hardly stand it. The child departs, leaving the house so silent you think you are going mad.” -John Andrew Holmes

“We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” -Stacia Tauscher

“Every child is a different kind of flower and all together they make this world a beautiful garden.” -Author Unknown

“Reasoning with a child is fine, if you can reach the child’s reason without destroying your own.” -John Mason Brown

“Raising a child is very much like building a skyscraper. If the first few stories are slightly out of line. no one will notice. But when the building is 18 or 20 stories high, everyone will see that it tilts.” -Jim Bishop

“Every child is one caring adult away from being a success story.” -Josh Shipp

“Children are people who can remind us of what we were, once upon a time, back before the world became so strange.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)

“My two-year-old cousin scared us one summer by disappearing during our lakeside vacation. More than a dozen relatives searched the forest and shoreline, and everyone was relieved when we found Alex playing calmly in the woods. ‘Listen to me, Alex,’ his mother said sharply. ‘From now on when you want to go someplace, you tell Mommy first, okay?’ Alex thought about that for a moment and said, ‘Okay, the zoo.’” -Author Unknown

“Child: A random noise generator.” -Author Unknown

“The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day.” -Orlando A. Battista (Orlando Aloysius Battista (1917 - 1995))

“Each child is a unique and unrepeatable miracle.” -Author Unknown

“There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, employ someone, or forbid your children to do it.” -Monta Crane (Monta Mildred (Henrichs) Crane (1911 - 2009))

“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.” -Author Unknown

“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” -John W. Whitehead (John Wayne Whitehead (born 1946)): “The Stealing of America” (1 September 1983)

“Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree.” -Marian Wright Edelman

“The real menace in dealing with a five-year-old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five-year-old.” -Jean Kerr (1923 - 2003): “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies” (1957)

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” -James Baldwin (1924 - 1987): “Nobody Knows My Name” (1961), chapter 3

“It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.” -Joyce Maynard

“Children grow up to be adults, but parents are parents forever!” -Author Unknown

This is MFOL! . . . the website that hasn’t yet decided what it wants to be when it grows up . . .

Teaching Your Child Through Play

7/24/2020

Teaching Your Child Through Play

I tried to teach my child with books.
     He gave me only puzzled looks.
I tried to teach my child with words.
     They passed him by often unheard.

Despairingly, I turned aside.
     “How shall I teach this child?” I cried.
Into my hand he put the key.
     “Come,” he said, “play with me.”

by Author Unknown

Excuse This House

2/17/2020

Excuse This House

Some houses try to hide the fact
     That children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly,
     The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,
     Little smudges on the doors;
I should apologize I guess
     For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children
     And we played and laughed and read,
And if the doorbell doesn’t shine,
     Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I’m forced to
     Choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife . . .
     But first I’ll be a mother.

by Author Unknown

I Have a Boy

12/19/2019

I Have a Boy

I’ve a wonderful Boy, and I say to him, “Son,
     Be fair and be square in the race you must run.
Be brave if you lose and be meek if you win.
     Be better and nobler than I’ve ever been.
Be honest and noble in all that you do,
     And honor the name I have given to you.

I have a Boy and I want him to know
     We reap in life just about as we sow,
And we get what we earn, be it little or great,
     Regardless of luck and regardless of fate.
I will teach him and show him the best that I can,
     That it pays to be honest and upright, a man.

I will make him a pal and a partner of mine,
     And show him the things in this world that are fine.
I will show him the things that are wicked and bad,
     For I figure this knowledge should come from his Dad.
I will walk with him, talk with him, play with him, too;
     And to all of my promises strive to be true.

We will grow up together, I’ll too be a boy,
     And share in his trouble and share in his joy.
We’ll work out our plans when we both will be men.
     And oh, what a wonderful joy this will be,
No pleasure in life could be greater to me.

by Hugh M. Pierce

Grandparenting and Grandparents

9/2/2019

“A zest for life is one of the most important examples a grandparent can pass on to their grandchildren.” -Author Unknown

“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” -Alex Haley (Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (1921 - 1992)): statement in Reader's Digest (1987), as quoted in “Incredibly American: Releasing the Heart of Quality” (1992) by Marilyn R. Zuckerman and Lewis J. Hatala, p. 13.

“A grandmother is a babysitter who watches the kids instead of the television.” -Author Unknown

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. “We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.” The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, “I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!”

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.” “Look in your underwear, Grandpa,” he advised “Mine says I’m 4 to 6.”

“One problem I see in young people is that they are rootless, living only ‘now,’ with no sense of history or continuity toward future generations. Grandparents . . . can give the children unity of family life and some knowledge of their own family history . . .” -Jim Conway

“Grandparent: Someone who is old on the outside but young on the inside.” -Author Unknown

“My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, ‘Did you start at 1?’” -Grandfather

Riddle: What is old and wrinkled and belongs to grandma?
Answer: Grandpa!

“I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, ‘Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!’” -Grandmother

Grandpa’s Whiskers

Grandpa’s whiskers long and gray,
Always getting in the way.
Grandma chews them in her sleep,
Thinking they are shredded wheat.

by Author Unknown

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, “Who was that?”

Question: Why did grandma put roller skates on her rocking chair?
Answer: Because she wanted to rock ‘n’ roll!

“The handwriting on the wall means the grandchildren found the crayons.” -Author Unknown

Grandparent’s Day is observed in the United States of America on the first Sunday following Labor Day. (Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September.)

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Grandpa Dropped His Glasses

Grandpa dropped his glasses once
     In a pot of dye,
And when he put them on again
     He saw a purple sky.
Purple birds were rising up
     From a purple hill,
Men were grinding purple cider
     At a purple mill.

Purple Adeline was playing
     With a purple doll,
Little purple dragonflies
     Were crawling up the wall.
And at the supper-table
     He got crazy as a loon
From eating purple apple dumplings
     With a purple spoon.

by Leroy F. Jackson

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A six-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. “Oh,” he said, “she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”

To the Best Grandpa in the World

You are the greatest grandpa
     We have lots of fun.
If there were a grandpa contest,
     You surely would have won!
Thanks for being such a good grandpa!
     I love you.

by Author Unknown

“Grandmothers are just antique little girls.” -Author Unknown

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Where’s Grandpa?

The computer swallowed Grandpa
     Yes, honestly, it’s true.
He pressed ‘control’ and ‘enter’
     And disappeared from view.

It’s devoured him completely
     The thought just makes me squirm.
Maybe he’s caught a virus
     Or been eaten by a worm.

I’ve searched through the recycle bin
     And files of every kind.
I’ve even used the internet
     But nothing could I find.

I asked Jeeves in desperation
     My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative
     Not a thing was found online.

So, if someday in your ‘In Box’
     My Grandpa you should see,
Please ‘Scan,’ ‘Copy,’ and ‘Paste’ him
     In an email back to me.

by Author Unknown

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Traffic sign in a Florida mobile home park: Slow - Grandparents at Play.

Overheard: Some of my greatest blessings call me Grandma.

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Walking with Grandma

I like walking with Grandma,
     Her steps are short like mine.
She doesn’t say, “Now hurry up!”
     She always takes her time.

I like to walk with
     With Grandma,
Her eyes see things
     Like mine do.

Wee pebbles bright,
     A funny cloud,
Half hidden drops
     Of dew.

Most people have to hurry,
     They do not stop to see,
I’m glad that God made Grandma,
     Unrushed and young like me!

by Author Unknown

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“What good fortune it is to grow up in a home where there are grandparents.” -Suzanne Lafollette

“If I’d realized how much fun grandchildren were, I’d have had them first!” -Faith Myers

This is MFOL! . . . remember, your smile makes the world a better place . . .

Babies and Infants

8/12/2019

From the time an infant first tries to get his toes into his mouth, life is a continual struggle for one thing or another . . .

“Each child is an adventure into a better life - an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new.” -Hubert Humphrey (Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Junior (1911 - 1978))

The word ‘baby’ may possibly be derived from babies babbling, “Ba-ba-ba-ba!”

Baby: A handy way of disposing of unwanted cash and filling up free time, while cutting down on unnecessary sleep, curtailing a demanding social life, and curing a neurotic obsession with personal hygiene.

Catherine: What kind of baby is born with whiskers on its face?
Katy: A kitten!

“I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring.” -Liz Armbruster

The word ‘infant’ is derived from the Latin word ‘infans’ meaning ‘unable to speak’ and typically refers to the ages from 1 to 12 months. A ‘newborn’ usually refers to an infant in the first 28 days of life.

Overheard: “Gaa-gaaa, goo-gooo!”

“I was so surprised at being born that I didn’t speak for a year and a half.” -Gracie Allen (Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie ‘Gracie’ Allen (1895 or 1902 - 1964))

“Babies are such a nice way to start people.” -Don Herold

Beatrice: I have a new baby sister!
June: What is her name?
Beatrice: I keep asking, but she won’t tell me.

“A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on.” -Carl Sandburg (Carl August Sandburg (1878 - 1967)): “Remembrance Rock” (1948), chapter 2

“It is a pleasant thing to reflect upon, and furnishes a complete answer to those who contend for the gradual degeneration of the human species, that every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last.” -Charles Dickens (Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812 - 1870)): “Nicholas Nickleby” (1838 - 1839)

Around the world, an estimated twelve newborns are given to the wrong parents each day, largely because of mix-ups at hospitals. This might explain a few mysteries . . .

All babies have blue eyes at birth. The melanin in a newborn’s eyes often needs some time following birth to be fully in place or to be darkened by exposure to ultraviolet light, eventually revealing a baby’s permanent eye color.

“What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all.” -Benjamin Spock (1903 - 1998)

A baby’s head is proportionally large, at one-quarter of its total body length, compared to the one-eighth of the total body length of an adult’s head.

“Here we have a baby. It is composed of a bald head and a pair of lungs.” -Eugene Field (1850 - 1895)

Bernard: What is your baby’s motto?
Brenda: “If at first you don’t succeed, cry, cry again.”

A new baby is like royalty: he is the prince of wails (or she is the princess of wails).

Do babies have teeth? While most newborn babies do not have teeth, about one in every two thousand babies is born with a tooth.

Overheard: I have finally figured out why babies suck their thumbs. I tried some of the baby food.

“When the baby is done drinking, it must be unscrewed and laid in a cool place under a tap. If the baby does not thrive on fresh milk it must be boiled.” -Author Unknown: “Farm Milk and Infants” (1961), a pamphlet from the United States Department of Agriculture

Some people believe that shaking the head to mean ‘no’ derives from newborns turning their head away from food when they are full.

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
     But children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
     I’m rocking my baby. Babies don’t keep.
-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton (born 1921): “Song for a Fifth Child” as published in “Ladies Home Journal” (1958) magazine

It was six o’clock in the evening, and a woman was about to leave the laundry where she worked. Her boss called her over and asked if she would mind dropping off someone’s laundry on her way home. “It’s for my cousin,” she apologized, “who is eight months pregnant and can’t get out much.” The woman cheerfully agreed and, driving to the address, knocked at the door. A little girl, the sister-to-be, answered. “Hi,” the woman said with a big smile. “Is your mommy home?” Holding up the white bundle of clothes, she explained, “I have a delivery for her.” The child’s mouth dropped, and her eyes went wide. “Mom!” she shrieked, “Come quick! It’s the stork!”

Babies are, pound for pound, stronger than an ox. While a baby certainly could not pull a covered wagon, if the child were the size of an ox, it just might be able to do so. Babies have especially strong and powerful legs for such tiny creatures, and they do not know their own strength, so watch out for those kicks!

“The baby rises to its feet, takes a step, is overcome with triumph and joy - and falls flat on its face. It is a pattern for all that is to come! But learn from the bewildered baby. Lurch to your feet again. You’ll make the sofa in the end.” -Pam Brown

Suslick’s First Law of Infant Gravity: You cannot fall off the floor.
Suslick’s Second Law of Infant Gravity: It takes an infant six months to learn this.
-K. S. Suslick

Most babies begin to walk at about 13 months of age, though some may start as early as 9 or 10 months of age and others as late as 15 or 16 months of age.

Do babies have kneecaps? Newborn babies can have a mix of as many as 350 cartilage elements and bones, but by about five years of age, much of the cartilage is replaced by bone and some of the bones will have fused, or joined together, eventually resulting in the 206 bones most adults have. At birth, the cranium, or skull, consists of three unfused plates, or pieces, that fuse into one piece as the baby matures. Babies have cartilage kneecaps, which typically become bone kneecaps by the time a child is somewhere between two and six years of age.

Alexia: What is the best way to drive a baby buggy?
Alex: Tickle its feet.

Overheard: One secret of being a parent is to sleep when the baby is not looking.

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Hush, Little Baby

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word,
Mama’s going to buy you a mockingbird.

If that mockingbird won’t sing,
Papa’s going to buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama’s going to buy you a looking glass.

If that looking glass gets broke,
Papa’s going to buy you a billy-goat.

And if that billy-goat runs away,
Mama’s going to buy you another one today.

And all of these things your parents will do,
Because you’re the best little child in the world.

by Author Unknown

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An English couple was delighted when their long wait to adopt a baby finally came to an end. The adoption center called and told them they had a wonderful French baby boy. The couple took him without hesitation. On the way home from the adoption center, they stopped by the local college so they each could enroll in night courses. After they filled out the form, the registration clerk inquired, “Whatever possessed you to study French?” The couple said proudly, “We just adopted a French baby and in a year or so he’ll start to talk. We just want to be able to understand him.”

Born Embarrassed

My mom was born in England.
     My dad was born in France.
And I was born embarrassed,
     Because I have no pants.

by Bruce Lansky

Donald: What has four wheels and diaper rash?
Donna: A baby in a shopping cart!

A waif awakened and weakly wailed, wanting water.

Babies are nature’s way of showing people what the world looks like at 2:00 a.m.

“I actually remember feeling delight, at two o’clock in the morning, when the baby woke for his feed, because I so longed to have another look at him.” -Margaret Drabble (born 1939)

[A baby is a] “curly, dimpled lunatic.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882): “Essays, Second Series” (1844), ‘Nature’

Rock-a-Bye Baby

Rock-a-bye, baby,
     On the treetop.
When the wind blows,
     The cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks,
     The cradle will fall.
Down will come baby,
     Cradle and all.

by Author Unknown
(A bough is a large main branch of a tree, from which smaller branches grow.)

“A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it.” -Frank A. Clark (Frank Atherton Clark (1911 - 1991))

Human babies are the only primates that smile at their parents. A baby’s first social smile appears at between four and six weeks after birth.

“When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be one fairy for every boy or girl.” -J. M. Barrie (James Matthew Barrie (1860 - 1937)): “Peter Pan” (1928), act I, opening line

Lillian: Why do people dress girl babies in pink and boy babies in blue?
Dalila: Because they can’t dress themselves.

In Ancient Rome, an olive branch was hung from the front door of a house if a boy was born, and a strip of woolen fabric was hung if the child was a girl. Eighteenth-century Londoners hung strips of ribbon on their houses’ doorknockers: pink for a girl and blue for a boy.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Wendy.
Wendy, who?
Wendy wind blows the cradle will rock.

“Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.” -Rabindranath Tagore (also known as Ravīndranātha Thākura or Rabindranath Thakur (1861 - 1941)): “Stray Birds” (1916)

Birth Announcement: A seven-pound baby boy arrived last night to frighten the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Lee. (Newspaper misprint; ‘frighten’ was supposed to have been ‘brighten’)

What is a ‘baby shower’ and why is it called by that name? A baby shower is a celebration held shortly before a baby is born or shortly after the birth of a baby. It often involves a group of people who visit the mother’s home, bringing baby-themed gifts and sharing important advice with the new mother about what to expect. First-time mothers with new babies may need help materially and knowledge-wise, help which at one time would have been given by family members, relatives, and neighbors, but which is often not available because of the increase in fractured families and poorly-connected communities in the modern world. At a baby shower, the mother and baby are ‘showered’ with gifts, congratulatory statements, and information on child development and child care from well-wishers and experienced parents.

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” -Benjamin Spock (1903 - 1998): “Baby and Child Care” (1977)

One enterprising mother solved the problem of getting her year-old infant to swallow a pill. She placed first the pill, then the baby, on the playpen floor. True to the ways of small children, he promptly popped the pill into his mouth and gulped it down.

By the time you learn to be a good parent, you are out of a job!

A Baby

A baby is Teddy bears,
     powder and pins,
meals at midnight,
     giggles and grins.

by Author Unknown

“A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for innocence on Earth, a link between angels and men.” -Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810 - 1889), English writer. “Of Education”

Peek-a-boo, we see you! Further frivolous fun follows . . . on MFOL!

What a Baby Costs

8/10/2019

What a Baby Costs

How much do babies cost? Said he
     The other night upon my knee;
And then I said: “They cost a lot;
     A lot of watching by a cot,
A lot of sleepless hours and care,
     A lot of heartache and despair,
A lot of fear and trying dread,
     And sometimes many tears are shed
In payment for our babies small,
     But everyone is worth it all.

For babies people have to pay
     A heavy price from day to day -
There is no way to get one cheap,
     Why, sometimes, when they’re fast asleep
You have to get up in the night
     And go and see that they’re all right,
But what they cost in constant care
     And worry, does not half compare
With what they bring of joy and bliss,
     You’d pay much more for just a kiss.

Who buys a baby has to pay
     A portion of the bill each day;
He has to give his time and thought
     Unto the little one he’s bought
He has to stand a lot of pain
     Inside his heart and not complain;
And pay with lonely days and sad
     For all the happy hours he’s had.
All this a baby costs, and yet
     His smile is worth it all, you bet.”

by Edgar A. Guest

Edgar Albert ‘Eddie’ Guest was born on 20 August 1881 in Birmingham, England. He immigrated with his family to the United States of America in 1891. From his first published work in the “Detroit Free Press” until his passing in 1959, he penned some 11,000 poems that were syndicated in 300 newspapers and collected into more than twenty books. Mr. Guest is reputed to have had a new poem published in a newspaper every day for more than thirty years. He became known as ‘The People’s Poet,’ writing poems that were of a sentimental and optimistic nature. Edgar Albert ‘Eddie’ Guest passed on at 77 years of age on 5 August 1959 in Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.

A Dream Come True

5/7/2019

A Dream Come True

With babies come toys
and a whole world of joys,
and all kinds of fun things to do.
With babies come laughter
and love ever after . . .
With babies, dreams all come true.

by Author Unknown

Cookie Jar

5/6/2019

Cookie Jar

A house should have a cookie jar,
     For when it’s half past three
And children hurry home from school
     As hungry as can be,

There’s nothing quite so splendid
     In filling children up
As spicy, fluffy ginger cakes
     And sweet milk in a cup.

A house should have a mother
     Waiting with a hug
No matter what a boy brings home,
     A puppy or a bug.

For children only loiter
     When the bell rings to dismiss
If no one’s home to greet them
     With a cookie and a kiss.

by Author Unknown

Little Shoes

4/8/2019

Little Shoes

In the top drawer of her dresser is one pair of little shoes
     And a pair of little booties from which her Mom can choose.
Although she cannot walk just yet, out with her mom she goes
     For strolls in different shades of pink from her head down to her toes.

But soon the little newborn has to a toddler grown;
     In patent-leather party shoes she’s walking all alone.
But someone’s watching closely as she takes each shaky stride,
     And though she may not notice it, her mom is at her side.

The nursery’s now a bedroom, the baby’s crib is gone,
     The little girl is off to school with brand-new sneakers on.
She skips onto the school yard with a step as light as air,
     While mom, though smiling bravely, feels at loose ends standing there.

The little girl grows older, and with each passing year,
     Her first high-heels and cowgirl boots eventually appear.
And then, as if by magic, the little girl is grown,
     She wears the latest fashions bought with earnings of her own.

Then one fine day she’s walking with her father at her side,
     In shoes of fine white satin, for now she is a bride.
I wonder where the time has gone, and wistfully recall
     My little girl, in little shoes, so innocent and small.

And now I am a Granny, and Daughter, you’re a Mom,
     Your little newborn daughter is the sunshine of your home.
The top drawer of her dresser is filled with little shoes,
     And many pairs of booties from which you now can choose.

Cherish each passing moment, the laughter and the tears,
     For days go by so swiftly, and gather soon to years.
The little shoes she will outgrow before you realize,
     She’ll blossom like a summer’s rose, before your very eyes.

Be always there to walk with her when up against the odds,
     Make sure she knows that she can count on mother and on God.
And though she’ll spread her wings and fly, as all our daughters do,
     One day she’ll wear a mothers shoes, and she’ll come home to you.

by Author Unknown

A Special Little Boy

1/20/2019

A Special Little Boy

If he can make you think that he’s an angel,
     while doing things he’s not supposed to do . . .
If he has lots of ways to try your patience,
     yet charms you with a hug that’s just for you . . .

If he enjoys the roughest games and new adventures,
     but needs the same old kiss to ‘make it well’ . . .
If he drags his feet whenever it’s his bedtime,
     but runs to hear the story you will tell . . .

If he can fill your days with happiness and laughter,
     and always be a source of pride and joy,
Then he’ll be all you lucky parents ever hoped for . . .
     He’ll be a really special little boy!

by Author Unknown

A Butterfly in the Wind

1/17/2019

A Butterfly in the Wind

A child is like a butterfly in the wind
     Some can fly higher than others,
But each one flies the best it can.
     Why compare one against the other?

     Each one is different.
     Each one is special.
     Each one is beautiful.

by Author Unknown

Time to Play

1/8/2019

Time to Play

I hope my children look back on today,
And see a mother who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and cooking,
for children grow up while we are not looking.

by Author Unknown

Send the Children to Bed with a Kiss

1/6/2019

Send the Children to Bed with a Kiss

Oh, parents, so weary, discouraged.
     Worn out with the cares of the day,
You often grow cross and impatient,
     Complain of the noise and the play.
For the day brings many vexations,
     So many things go amiss.
But, parents, whatever may vex you,
     Send the children to bed with a kiss.

The dear little feet often wander,
     Perhaps from the pathways of right.
The dear little hands find new mischief
     To try you from morning ’til night
But think of the desolate parents
     Who’d give all the world for your bliss.
And as thanks for your infinite blessings,
     Send the children to bed with a kiss.

For someday their noise will not vex you.
     The silence will hurt you far more.
You will long for the sweet childish voices,
     For a sweet childish face at the door.
And to press a child’s face to your bosom,
     You’d give all the world just for this.
For the comfort t’will give you in sorrow,
     Send the children to bed with a kiss.

by Author Unknown

A Little Girl’s Heart

12/2/2018

A Little Girl’s Heart

A little girl’s heart must be wide and deep,
     To hold all the things that she likes to keep;
A curly-haired doll that holds out its hands
     And walks and talks when occasion demands.

A bright colored bow, her favorite book,
     A little toy stove that really will cook;
A gay, cheery song, to sing when she’s glad,
     A corner to hide in, (when she’s been bad).

There is plenty of room for the girl next door
     And the blue silk dress in the downtown store;
A soft fluffy kitten with playful charms
     And a welcome spot in her mother’s arms.

by Reginald Holmes

One Small Son

10/29/2018

One Small Son

One small hand to hold in yours,
     One small face to smile,
One wet kiss as he says, “Good-night.”
     One small child.

Catch the moment, put it in your heart
     The years too soon will fly.
These are precious moments,
     More than money can buy.

Two small arms to hold you tight,
     Two small feet to run,
Two small eyes full of love for you,
     One small son.

Catch the moment and put it in your heart,
     And never let it go.
Save it for the years to come,
     When he, too will know.

One small hand to hold in his
     One small face to smile.
One small kiss and she says, “Good-night.”
     One small child.

by Author Unknown

Searching for Gold

10/27/2018

Searching for Gold

Look beneath the freckles
     Look beneath the grin
Look for that which sparkles
     Buried deep within.

Look beyond the whining
     Look beyond the tears
Look beyond the runny nose
     The frowns, the mess, the fears.

Search for that which glitters
     Treasures to unfold
Search beneath the surface
     Search and find the gold!

by Jean Warren

Footprints

10/13/2018

Footprints

“Walk a little slower daddy,”
     Said a child so small.
“I’m following in your footsteps,
     And I don’t want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
     Sometimes they’re hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
     For you are leading me.

Someday when I’m all grown up,
     You’re what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
     Who’ll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
     And know that I was true;
So, walk a little slower, Daddy,
     For I must follow you.”

by Author Unknown

Twins

10/8/2018

Twins

Two to wake up in the morning
     Two to dress and start the day.
Two to help you with the work
     Two forever in the way.

Two to smile or laugh or shout,
     Two to jump and play or sing.
Two to kiss away the tears,
     It’s always two in everything.

Two to wash and put to bed,
     Two to pray to God above.
Two to tuck in and kiss good-night,
     But best of all . . . there are two to love!

by Author Unknown

Blue Flowers

8/30/2018

Blue Flowers

I bumped into a stranger as he passed by.
     “Oh, . . . excuse me, please,” was my reply.
He said, “Please excuse me too;
     I wasn’t even watching for you.”

Oh, we were polite - this stranger and I.
     We went on our way and we said our good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
     How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
     My daughter stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
     “Move out of the way!” I said with a frown.

She walked away, her little heart broken.
     I didn’t realize how harshly I’d spoken.
Later that night wide awake in my bed,
     God’s still, small voice came to me and said,

“While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
     But the children you love, you seem to abuse!
Look upon the kitchen floor,
     You’ll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers she brought for you,
     She picked them herself - pink, yellow and blue.
She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,
     And you never saw the tears in her eyes.”

By this time, I felt very small
     And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by her bed;
     “Wake up, sweetheart,” I whispered and said.

“Are these the flowers you picked for me?”
     She smiled, “I found ’em, out by the tree.
I picked ’em because they’re pretty like you.
     I knew that you’d like them - especially the blue.”

I said, “Daughter, I’m sorry how I acted to you today;
    I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way.”
She hugged me and said “Mommy, that’s okay.
     You know I love you anyway.”

I said, “Daughter, I love you too!
     And I do like the flowers - especially the blue.”

by Author Unknown

Handwriting on the Wall

8/27/2018

Handwriting on the Wall

A weary mother returned from the store,
     Lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Awaiting her arrival was her 8 year old son,
     Anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.
While I was out playing and Dad was on a call,
     T. J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall
It’s on the new paper you just hung in the den.
     I told him you’d be mad at having to do it again.
She let out a moan and furrowed her brow,
     Where is your little brother right now?
She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride,
     She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.
She called his full name as she entered his room.
     He trembled with fear - he knew that meant doom
For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
     About the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.
Lamenting all the work it would take to repair,
     She condemned his actions and total lack of care.
The more she scolded, the madder she got,
     Then stomped from his room, totally distraught
She headed for the den to confirm her fears.
     When she saw the wall, her eyes flooded with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart.
     It said, “I love Mommy,” surrounded by a heart.
Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it,
     With an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
A reminder to her, and indeed to all,
     Take time to read the handwriting on the wall.

by Author Unknown

Only a Baby Small

8/20/2018

Only a Baby Small

Only a baby small,
     Dropped from the skies,
Only a laughing face,
     Two sunny eyes;
Only two cherry lips,
     One chubby nose;
Only two little hands,
     Ten little toes.

Only a golden head,
     Curly and soft;
Only a tongue that wags
     Loudly and oft;
Only a little brain,
     Empty of thought;
Only a little heart,
     Troubled with naught.

Only a tender flower
     Sent us to rear;
Only a life to love
     While we are here;
Only a baby small,
     Never at rest;
Small, but how dear to us,
     God knoweth best.

by Matthias Barr

Matthias Fritschler Barr was born on 6 December 1831 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He became a poet and a publisher. Matthias Fritschler Barr passed on at 80 years of age on 21 December 1911 in London, England.

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