Blow Out those Candles

It was an honor to be mentioned in Ben Burn’s column in last week’s Grosse Pointe News. Ben is a distinguished local writer, editor and journalism professor, and he noted that I live in the Park where I write “heartwarming copy about life and times in that fair city.” So enough of perjury and rhetorical devices for the time-being and let me catch up on a few birthdays I glossed over while I was without camera. I like to mark these milestones in my grandchildren’s lives.

October 28 was a real milestone. Emmanuel was my first grandchild to reach double digits. I couldn’t take a photo when we saw him in Virginia or when he was here for Thanksgiving, but here is one of his entire All-Star soccer team. That’s him on the upper right. He was the only player to score a goal in the semi-final or the final of the All-Star Championship, but a penalty by the other side meant the end of their first-place trophy hopes. The second-place trophy looks pretty impressive.

Evelyn got half-way to double digits last November 1 and her sister Caroline was four this January 3. I took this picture of the two of them when we went to Canton on Tuesday so Elizabeth could go for a check-up. They are great friends and we see them here with ballet outfits, hair ribbons and matching crackers. They are ganging up against their brothers in the hope that the new addition will be a new sister. Evelyn (right) is a cat lover and officially in charge of Faygo, while Caroline (left) has a duck fetish and this week’s photo (right) shows that while other people build snow-men, her family have mastered the art of the snow-duck. Good work, Jeff!

I did manage to scan a photo of Nathaniel when his birthday rolled around in December. Al followed tradition and took him off to have his haircut as soon as he turned one—much to Gody’s dismay.

That left Eleanor who shared her fourth birthday this year with the Super Bowl. To avoid any conflict of interest, Kate and Ron celebrated on the day before and we joined the family for dinner. Eleanor has the whole business figured out, from blowing out the candles to opening gifts. She still loves her “babies,” but she is now the proud owner of her own bionicle.

More birthdays coming up this month, so be prepared. It will be heart-warming!