The Last Dog On Earth

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I prefer reading young people’s novels, rather than adult ones. My reason – a great story and often very well written, but without the added sex and violence that an adult novel usually thinks it has to have.


One that I recently enjoyed and think your teen or pre-teen grandchild might too, is called ‘The Last Dog On Earth’. Written by David Ehrenhaft, the book tells the story of a boy and his attempts to save his beloved dog.

Set during a time when dogs are being hunted because of a deadly disease they carry, the story is sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often exciting.

I’m not going to say much more about it because I don’t want to give the plot away – but I did enjoy it. Any favorite books for teens you’d like to recommend?

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Definition of a Warrior

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I read a great definition of a warrior from ‘The Kids’ How To Do (Almost) Everything Guide. It contains some great values for our grandkids and I’m paraphrasing the points:

  • Warriors believe in themselves.
  • A warrior gets help when needed.
  • A warrior doesn’t make excuses when he or she messes up.
  • A warrior does the unexpected.
  • Warriors set deadlines, are persistent, and learn from their mistakes.

I think if we could install some of these values in our grandkids, our future generations would be pretty awesome. So next time your grandboy starts to get upset and says he can’t do that puzzle, or your grandgirl cries when she makes a mistake on the picture she’s drawing, encourage them to stand up and be a warrior!

 
The Kids' How to Do (Almost) Everything Guide

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Making Memories

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fishing togetherSpending time together – there is no better way to create memories. Although our visits with the grandchildren might be seldom, we need to grab the few opportunities we have and make them memorable.

Memories don’t have to involve expense, just our time and attention to the little people we love. We don’t need to be talking all the time, or going fancy places – often the most enjoyable outings don’t cost much at all.

As you can see in this photo, my son-in-law spends quality time fishing with his grandson – and yes, that means my great-grandson. Few words are exchanged, but the visits are not soon forgotten.

My newly-turned-six grandboy and I like to visit trailers. Twice a year, our mall parking lot is filled with campers and large RV’s. Since he was four years old, we’ve spent an afternoon going from trailer to trailer and checking them out. We discuss what we like and what we don’t like, talk about our favourites, share our dreams of spending time traveling in them. Then we go to the mall, sit down with a chocolate milk and a small dessert, and watch the skaters on the indoor rink.

I look forward to those times and get all excited when I see the trailers being set up. Not because I want to buy one, but because they mean I’ll be spending special time with that dear boy again :)

Now it’s your turn. How do you make memories that your grandkids will treasure?

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Using Twitter

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Twitter

Twitter screen

By now, most people have heard about Twitter. But what is it really? Twitter is an easy to use program that can provide immediate contact with others. No matter what time of day or night. people from all over the world are communicating via Twitter.  Here you can meet people you would otherwise never have known, learn new things, and network with other like-minded people.

Most major news agencies now use Twitter as a way to interact with their audiences and get feedback on current events. In the Presidential election, Obama used Twitter as part of his campaign effort. Countries that have traditionally denied freedom of speech are being challenged through the use of social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook.

Companies use Twitter to provide quick customer support and conflict resolution, to build up their relationships with customers and to let potential clients know more about them. Non-profits have found that Twitter is a cost-effective way for them to get their message out to a large number of people.

Instructors are using Twitter in the classroom in many ways:

  • to speak to people in other places and learn about them.
  • to collaborate on stories and projects.
  • to keep parents updated.
  • to give their comments on topics being discussed in class, which is great for shy students.
  • to communicate with experts such as authors, scientists, and historians.
  • to use as a logbook for research.
  • to do an educational online scavenger hunt.
  • to gather information on a specific topic.
  • to tweet current events and their reactions to those events.
  • to do a poll on a question.

Why do I like using Twitter? It’s a fast way to keep me up-to-date with current events. Sometimes I hear about something that happened even before it hits my local news.  I follow experts in my industry so I’m aware of new technology. I ask questions and get answers from people who know what they’re talking about. I interact with interesting people and keep up with far away friends and relatives who might not have the time for a long letter or email.

Have you started using Twitter yet? I’d love to hear about your experiences so far.

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Posted in Being a Super Grandparent, Mental Health | 2 Comments

SuperGramma Cheer

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Grandson

Happiness Is

I’ve got another little poem for you today. This is a short one so get your cheerleader pom-poms and start shouting it out with me. Ready now. And a one, and a two, and:

She comes by plane, she comes by car,
She uses a computer when she can’t go far.
She’s interesting and active,
Well read and lots of fun
And although her world is busy
The grandkids are number one.
She’s a Supergramma.

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