I recently completed a list entitled “101 things to do ON the beach” and dedicated it “to my grandchildren.”

In the 17 summers we’ve owned our beach house in Moody Beach (which is the northern part and private part of Ogunquit Beach) I’ve never tried anything related to golf.  As I was creating my 101 things to do list, it occurred to me this would be a good addition under the category of mini golf.

Last week I went to Dick’s and bought three kid-size putters (real ones) and a box of Angry Bird golf balls – each one with a different character.

So when I heard you and your family were visiting us yesterday, I was ready to go.

I told you to go check under the deck for something new – you guessed what i had bought for some reason and ran off with Emma to claim the prizes.

We built a fine course together in the hard sand of low tide (my favorite time at the beach).  It featured chutes, drops and obstacles.  As we were constructing one of the holes together with Emma – on our hands and knees – you said to me in a very excited, happy voice, bursting the words at a rapid pace:

“I just love the beach.  It’s so much fun.  You always come up exciting new ideas for us to try.  I think you’re the best grandpa in the whole world…

 

“Do you think we can try all of the 101 ideas this summer? We’d have to come here a lot to do that!”

I told you how much that meant to me and thanked you.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, means more to me than what you said today.  You’re such an important part of who I am and there isn’t a day that goes by without my remembering how lucky I am  to have you in my life.

We had a blast with the miniature golf course on a very hot day… and others joined in. You and Emma and me played the first game, then later on your Dad tried out the course, then Camden came, then Uncle Tim.  Our favorite of the 10 holes was the long, downward-sloping ramp we made by digging the tip of the shovel hard into the sand for 20-feet or so into a hole.  The golf ball sped down the chute and dropped right into the cup when we hit it perfectly.

I wonder which of the 101 ideas we’ll try next!

I don’t know what Apple thinks about this new dog of yours, but I do know you & the rest of your family are excited. No wonder.

You brought her to the beach today, the day after picking her up in Nashua. She’s a fine looking specimen – light skinned in contrast with Apple’s eager darkness.  A distinctive white streak runs from forehead to the tip of her nose.  She looks like a combination collie and  deer – head like a collie, but gangly body like a deer.  She’s only four months old, so we’ll have to see what she turns out to be in final form.

She was a good girl during his first-ever visit to the ocean. She sat on the beach and never barked once.  She seems to be even-tempered – a true Southern Belle.  Your Mom said she’s from Tennessee – a stray transported and transplanted to New Hampshire.

After checking out the beach scene a little while, Allie dug a hole in the sand under the umbrella, rolled up in a ball and fell to sleep.

This reminded me of you because on many occasions when you come to the beach on a hot day you lay on the warm, soft sand.  A few weeks ago, you fell asleep there.  There’s something about the experience that’s inviting and definitely relaxing.

I know where you’re coming from.  I don’t lay on the sand often, but the beach is the only place in the world where I can fall asleep during the day – usually in a beach chair.

We made a fort, dug a puddle, played frisbee, went boogie boarding, tossed the ball around and constructed a gravity-driven tennis ball dueling ramp out of sand.  Later on, you sat in my new kayak and I took you for a few wave rides in the shallow water.  You, Emma and Jack couldn’t get enough!

After showers, we all slummed it eating Jake’s burgers, fries, chowder and chicken fingers.  After that we all headed over to our favorite ice cream stand. It was a perfect way to end a fantastic summer day.

I bet Allie will even remember it too.

I took the day off today to celebrate the first day of summer with my three musketeer grandkids – Ben, Emma & Camden.  It was a stellar day, a classic summer morning, bright, sunny and heating up fast.

On several occasions in the past, I’ve posed a riddle for our upcoming adventure. You guys try to guess what we’ll be doing, before we do it. Today’s riddle was:

something yummy

something funny

something old

something high

something cold

After picking you up in the “Youk,” we made our way to Portsmouth for breakfast at The Friendly Toast.  This was the first time I had taken you there – and actually it was my first time too.  The “Toast” is not only friendly, it’s an eclectic place to hang out with all kinds of interesting things to see around the restaurant.  We had fun playing I Spy while waiting for breakfast to arrive.

Ben, you ordered chocolate chip pancakes, and so did Camden.  They literally filled up your entire plate!  Emma, you were in the mood for french toast, which was delicious (I stole a bite).  I had scrambled eggs with veggies and a huge slice of toast which was, indeed, very friendly.

something yummy

With full bellies, we made our way to Macro Polo on Market Street.  It’s a very unusual store with lots of funny things.

When we walked in you immediately spotted a toiler filled with fake poo!  This was a huge sensation, and I ended up buying some fake dog poo and fake mustaches among other crazy items. You guys laughed as you looked around the store.

something funny

We piled into the Youk and made our way to Newcastle, the little historic town that is next to my favorite place in the world, Portsmouth.  You didn’t know what I was up to and kept asking me “Where are we going?”  You wanted to know!

Soon we pulled up to Fort Constitution, parked the car and Emma insisted everyone wear their mustaches.

We all felt the intense heat as we walked the line along the Coast Guard facility toward the old Fort which was the site of the first attack of the Revolutionary War – even earlier than the battle of Lexington in Massachusetts.

You had a blast running around the fort, exploring the hidden spaces, climbing the hills and peeking through the granite stone windows toward the Piscataqua River.  We took a break on the rocks and drank our Gatorade and had a snack.

something old

As we left the Fort I asked if you wanted to stay in Portsmouth or head to Moody Beach. It was unanimous – we would head to the beach house.  As I drove North, we crossed one of the highest points in New Hampshire and looked down onto the city of Porstmouth from far above the Piscataqua Bridge.

something high

We took Route 95 all the way, hoping to get there as soon as possible. Everyone wanted to go in the water and cool down. You kept asking “When are we going to be there?”

Once we got to the Wells exit, it was another 15 minutes or so to Moody Beach which is part of Wells but is actually on Ogunquit Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in America.  Molly and Ainsley met us there, as did Grammy and your Moms.

We had fun boogie boarding in the Atlantic:

something cold

What a great day! I wonder what we’ll do on our next Three Musketeers adventure?

Father’s Day 2012 was a fun day!

Thanks for making me the very colorful & creative apron – fantastic work – I’ll put it on when I cook yummy food for you.  I like the theme you created for the apron and card…

Grill & Chill

Very creative Mr. Ben, very creative.

I love you!

I bought some fake poo from Macro Polo, figuring this might be a perfect joke to play on   you and your siblings.  This kind of subject matter is right up your alley these days.

Poo is King Caca.

I went to your house and when you weren’t looking, I positioned the poo next to Apple in the family room.   Everyone else was in the room except for your Dad who was working.  I backed away, waiting for a reaction.

But no one shouted out, no one said “OOOH, look what Apple did!” Or “YEEWW!” Or anything at all.

Instead there was a very low key, quiet nervous laughter emanating from you and Emma, as if to say, “I CANNOT believe this is happening. Mom isn’t going to like this.”

So to get things moving I blurted out:

Oh man, Apple’s going to be in trouble now.

More looks, more nervousness.

Then I walked over to the poo and knelt down beside it.  You were watching carefully. I proceeded to bend my head to the floor and sniff the poo.  You guys could NOT believe I was actually doing this.  Then I picked it up.

“Papa!”

And then… the piece de resistance: I put it to my lips.

You guys were absolutely flabbergasted and speechless.

I laughed and then I disclosed it was all a ruse, a fake, a tasteless joke.

Finally, understanding.  Finally, relaxation. Finally, acceptance.  Finally,  laughter.

And then… total acceptance of the prank and an instant desire to play the same trick on your Dad when he got home.

That’s when we noticed Apple.  She had been sincerely interested in the fake poo during my entire performance, sitting right beside it as if to say “They’re not going to blame this one on me!”

Apple’s curiousity soon became action… she took matters into her own hands grabbed it, put it in her mouth and ran into the living room.  We followed, but in a flash the poo had turned to dust!  Apple had eaten it!

Ever the steady hand, your Mom said, “Well my last dog actually ate its own poo, so I guess Apple is one step above her.”  Good point, and she’s right.  Apple would be pooping out fake poo. How ironic.

You guys were disappointed because the prank for your Dad was now compromised.

But expecting the worse, I had bought an extra, and went out to the car to get it.  Relief set in.

Now you could orchestrate your own poo prank. The joke would continue.

Soccer’s your favorite sport and you’ve played a lot of games at this stage of your life.

Fall soccer. Winter soccer. Spring soccer.

Game after game. Different teams from one season to the next. New coaches.  Travel to other locations.  Defense. Offense.  Cold. Rainy. Stifling red-faced inducing hot weather.

Through it all there’s been one constant besides all the fun you’ve had: your teams don’t win games.  At least I can’t remember any victories over the past couple years… maybe there were some earlier, but darned if I can recall any recently.

You’ve come close several times… this winter when you played indoor in Hampton, your team had a six goal lead but your coach decided to take out his starters toward the end (which included you), and wouldn’t you know it, soon the opposing team caught up and then with a couple minutes left in the game, took the lead, never to look back.

Grammy and I were dumbstruck he would do that. You were so excited anticipating a win. so were your buddy teammates.

You guys had that game, it was yours.

Sometimes a few of your team mates appear to go through the motions and aren’t always giving it their all.

But you’re always there in the moment, doing your thing, typically on defense.  You play aggressively, trying hard to keep the ball out of your zone.  You kick it hard – amazing progress in this particular area over the past year.

Only once or twice have we heard you say anything about losing getting to you.   We know it bugs you at times and it would be so much fun to taste what a big W brings to a team… and to you.

Hang in there, keep playing hard. It will come someday. Never give up. Keep giving it your all.  Always remember that the only thing you can control in sports – and in life – is YOUR EFFORT.  you can’t do anything about your coaches, the weather, the strength of an opposing team or your team mate’s effort.

But you’ll always be in charge of what you think and what you do.

I’m proud of you Ben. Always fight the good fight.

How can you possibly be nine years old?  How can time fly by that fast?

Seems like only yesterday when I was playing matchbox cars with you at your first house on Cornfield Drive in Somersworth.  You loved those little cars.  Or watching you very precisely move your Thomas the Tank Engine trains – you knew every one by name.

You’re on the cusp of double digits now… and you’re smarter, more handsome, funnier and more conversational by the day, I have no regrets about our relationship, which is a very cool thing to be able to say.  I’ve been there with you – and for you – all the way. We’ve spent an amazing amount of time together. You were our first grandchild, so that meant you got more time than any of the others.  Just the way it worked out. It made us very close.

That’s why it was so much fun being with you today, on your birthday.

Grammy and I went to  your house for spaghetti & meatballs, birthday cake and song…  When we walked in the door (having been in Arizona for a week), you ran over to me and I picked you up and held you in my arms for a long time and even landed a few kisses on your cheek (something I don’t get to do much anymore).   You didn’t want me to let go, I could feel it, and neither did I.

After the birthday celebration, you played one of the new video games we gave you.  You asked me to join you because it was a tandem game.  I’m the first to admit I stink at these, but for some reason, I “got” this one and was able to stay with you for the most part as we moved our characters through amazing adventures.  What a cool game!  It was so much fun doing that with you… we jumped up, moved side to side and ran…we were laughing and sucking wind and discovering it together.

Happy Birthday Ben, I love you l-o-t-s!