Grandkids Put the 'Tire' in Retirement

It's been 30 years since we had a 3-year-old of our own running about the house, and I must confess to having forgotten what that experience is like. So here are some gentle reminders for those who, like me, have been away from the preschool set for a long time.

First, there's no need for an alarm clock. I brought one with me, but have not used it, since Stella faithfully wakes us up early -- and I do mean early -- each day. In fact, she wakes up the whole house, for when she's up, everyone's up.

Next, I've discovered that "E = mc squared" actually means "Energy = Mass of Candy to the second power." At Stella's birthday party, at a local park and playground, she and her fellow tykes ran around, jumped, swung, slid and otherwise put their parents and grandparents to shame with their endless movement. Things slowed down later, but only until the bakery cake with rich, creamy frosting was served. Sugar highs set in immediately, and the kids were off romping and stomping all over again, while grown-ups sat and watched in amazement.

I've also learned that, despite my long career as a professor of literature, books such as "Great Expectations," "The Turn of the Screw" or "Mrs. Dalloway" are highly overrated. They pale in comparison to such searing narratives as "Arthur's Reading Race," "When I Feel Angry" or "Where Is Elmo's Blanket?" As proof, Stella has committed most of these stories to memory, something I've yet to accomplish with Charles Dickens, Henry James or Virginia Woolf.