What Did You Do Today?

To my son Tommy,

You were recently asked what you did today and this week so far. You gave a five minute recap that went something like this...

Talked to parrot and pirate ship and alligators and angry bird and dragon and saw the gorilla, giraffe, and elephant. Rode helicopter and train and motorcycle and balloon and jeep. Went to beach and got toys and played with Gabe and Ryan.

Rest is not on the schedule for this vacation and you go and go and go until you crash. Then everything starts anew and you immediately wake up thinking and talking about doing all the things you did yesterday again and again. I hope you attack your everyday life with this eagerness and excitement. It is easy to look forward to sun and waves and boardwalks and rides. But if you can keep this up with everything else, your success in life will be nearly assured.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Dare To Be Different

To my son Tommy,

"Yes, his sunglasses are on upside down and yes we are aware and no we are not correcting him." That has been said often today by your mom and I. Sometimes it was followed by "You're welcome to try". If you haven't figured it out, you prefer to wear your sunglasses upside down. You are rebellious, you walk to the beat of a different drummer, you go against the grain.

And that is ok with me, and actually is sort of a Downey tradition. We buck traditional style even if sometimes it is not practical. For example, the ear things on your sunglasses definitely work better at keeping them on your head if they are right side up. But until you figure that out for yourself, you are more likely to kick in the shin anyone who tries to correct you. And that son is part of growing up Downey.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Should Vacation Be An Excuse

To my son Tommy,

Yesterday I mentioned forgiving deadlines can help in certain aspects of life. I want to stress that you have to learn when and where this is appropriate. I don't want you to think this gives you carte blanche to skip everything. Though you have to allow yourself to forget certain aspects, you still have to hold yourself to your other responsibilities.

Take for example this vacation. Now many people say "I don't have to follow that, I'm on vacation" with respect to their diet, or their resolutions, or what have you. That is ok and understandable for most, but I would encourage you to buck the trend. I am determined to upkeep the changes I have made in my life. I am still attending daily mass, still taking my vitamins daily, still blogging, still stretching daily, etc. etc.

It would be so easy to let all these fresh daily routines slip for the vacation. But honestly if I stopped, who knows if I could get it going again. You never want to waste all your previous efforts if you can avoid it. With a little continued effort for the couple days of vacation, you make the days when you are not vacationing that much better.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

We Leave When We Leave

Either last summer or the summer before, your mom and I found a mantra that keeps us sane every summer vacation to OCNJ. "We leave when we leave" might seem like the motto of Captain Obvious, but it saved us stress and anger and made it so we can begin enjoying our vacation even before the travel down is complete. Since we have no plane to catch, we have no timetable to follow except the one we used to impose on ourselves.

Sure I often preach planning and organization and promptness, but I have discovered there are certain events in this life that if you ignore or forgive the deadline you will benefit tenfold. The key is knowing which deadlines are forgivable. You will learn that keeping a deadline can have a cost. In the case of the annual vacation, driving each other crazy to make some arbitrary time could cost us some serious matrimonial harmony.

So as you grow up take note of when it is time to push for a deadline and when it is time to let things happen and glow with flow. Forgiving yourself some artificial deadline can save you from getting married too young or to the wrong person. Ignoring a deadline can allow you to find the courage to change careers to something that gives you more personal satisfaction. Bypassing a deadline can give you the patience to let your son grow and learn and advance when he is ready and not a moment before. And throwing out the hurry and hustle can get us down to the beach safely and happily.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

P.S. Using the iPad to blog for a bit of time, so excuse the typos and the formatting difference.

Live Life and Love

To my son Tommy,

    Your father considers himself a bit of a philosopher.  It stems from a ton of reading and years of tending bar and good bit of Irish blood which makes me able to BS with the best.  I have read many many books on philosophy and by philosophers.  Plato, Cicero, Aesop, Confucius, Descartes, Socrates, Mill, Thoreau, Mencken, Twain, you name it I have read up and studied and spent countless hours thinking and examining their works and searching for answers to the questions of this life and this world.  I read theorems and axioms and morals and just about every chiasmus known to man.  


     A chiasmus by the way is when you take the same words and repeat them in a different order to get some poignant deep quote.  The most famous example is probably the one by Cicero "Eat to live, not live to eat".  I know tons of these and some day on some trivia contest the fact that I know the proper name for these types of phrases will pay off big, like win me a half price beer.  It was one of these quips that pushed me to go ahead with blogging as well.   F. Scott Fitzgerald is credited with saying "You don't write because you want to say something; you write because you've got something to say" and that was the whole point of starting your blog.  I have something to say to you.  Of course I never really looked up the history of that quote so not sure where, when, or even if he said those words.  Your grandfather Leo, being a history major, would probably make me look this up and find the actual source.  Though your grandfather is a philosopher in his own right, he would make sure the history is right and find it in some periodical or tome.

    Always remember you don't have to read a bunch of old dusty books to learn a lesson.  Some of the most sage advice comes from the strangest of places.  I have learned lessons from song lyrics (Jimmy Buffet is my favorite for that) comics (Pearls Before Swine is currently one of my top 3) kids poetry (I try to read you Shel Silverstein poems all the time)  t.v. shows (You can learn a ton from even something as silly as The Three Stooges) .

   But the biggest way to learn about life and learn about yourself and learn about purpose is to live life and love.  That is what you and your mother allowed me to do and the gift you guys have given me.  You made me realize how precious life is and how much I can learn from a 3 year old .  I can watch a little boy go up and hug his mother and gain more insight about God and why we are here in that single moment than I ever have in countless hours spent reading.  I can see a budding engineer building a grandiose castle out of toy blocks and glimpse true imagination and a world that anything is possible.  You taught this old philosopher a brand new philosophy that makes sense.

Sincerley with love from your dad,
Leo

Things Go Bump In The Night

To my son Tommy,


     There are times when you wake up in the night and something has  startled or frightened you.  Last night at 2:30 am was one of those nights.  Not sure if it was a bad dream or some loud noise that bothered you. But whatever it was, I got ya out of your bedroom and your mom got ya back to sleep (after 2 hours or so) and despite being dead tired herself now, we were both happy to help.


     There are going to be plenty of times when things go bump in the night and scare you.  It happens to the best of us and still happens to your dad.  But usually when you get through the fog of just waking up, you can figure out that you have little to worry about especially when you have your mommy.  Of course when you wake up then you have to resist thinking of everything going on in the world and become truely terrified over what is and what may be.


     Anyway, when I came home from work tonight the picture above is the warm reception I received.  And let me tell you, you were zonked out..  I tried my best (or perhaps worst) to wake you but you were not having any of it.  So I snapped a picture and got to experience and relish an innocence in this world that can only be expressed by a sleeping child.  A vision and memory that will comfort me when I think of the things that scare me and to comfort me when things go bump in the night.


Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Ready or Not

To my son Tommy,


    17, 18, 19, 20 Ready or not hear I come!  Today I had to work late and got home close to 6:30 pm.  But a couple extra hours of work didn't stop us from having a blast immediately when I got home.  We played hide and seek for about an hour.  You will never win a hide-n-seek contest right now.  Many times you say "Ok Daddy you close eyes and count, I go hide in the closet" or some other subtle hint that lets me know where you are.  When we play, the seeker yells "yee" and the hider responds in Marco Polo fashion "hah".It is a tradition we picked up from an episode of one of your current favorite shows The Mighty Jungle.  You do great at counting to twenty and hiding your eyes without peeking.  I could find a million lessons and meaning of hide-n-seek or how some things are worth waiting for or how even if it is late doesn't mean it won't be great, but I think I will just let it be a simple childhood game that I had a blast playing.  Now if you will excuse me a very persistent boy now wants to draw butterflies and bumblebees and other various insects and shapes and such.


Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Doctor Doctor Give Me The News

To my son Tommy,


   Your waiting room was the couch.  Your office was one of your little chairs in the middle of the room.  Each of your stuffed animals waited patiently last night for a check up from Dr. Tommy.  You took out your brand new Fisher Price doctor kit your mother just gave you and answered the call to heal whatever this epidemic was.


    You listened to each heart with your stethoscope.  You took their blood pressure with your cuff.  You took their temperature with your thermometer.  You checked out their ears with your new scope.  You decided each one could be fixed with medicine from your syringe and by applying the plastic bandage.  You even warned some of your more treasured stuffed friends that the shot may pinch a little.


    It was one of those moments that have happened ever sense Fisher Price put out this kind of toy; one of those moments that many can relate to; one of those moments that many fathers have had including your Granddad Leo; but it sure doesn't make it any less special to me.  And it won't be any less special to all your aunts and uncles down the ocean if we bring this kit.  Well at least it will still be special the first half dozen times you give them their check up.


Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Ounce of Planning

To my son Tommy,


    Pretty soon we will be going on vacation.  Every year we try to attend the Frazier-Maggio Ocean City New Jersey vacation.  Lots of family getting together and spending a week or two resting relaxing and enjoying.


   If you haven't guess already, family is pretty important to us.  But this week I want to focus in on something else that will seem to totally dominate this weeks activities.  That is organization and planning!


    We will spend this week getting clothes packed,  readying the house, running out to stores,  going through checklists, and dealing with that feeling that we are missing something.  I always have the classic cliche picture of packing everything in the car and forgetting to pack you.   Of course I would never let that happen but somewhere in the back of my mind it is a fear.


     So why spend so much time planning and getting ready?  I mean it is not like we are going too far, or to another country.  Just a few minutes here at the house could save us tons of money and time and make our vacation that much more enjoyable.  The worst case scenario is we have to run back home to get something that is priceless or a major necessity, costing us a half dozen hours on the road and missed vacation for the round trip.  Daddy's cpap machine is one of the things that comes to mind that we have forgotten before on our travels.  Luckily you haven't overly attached yourself to any stuffed animals (you treat them all well and extol a fair amount of snuggle time to each of them) though every year we worry that we will be stuck without the right toy that you "have to have" or more correctly that you will "have to learn to go without".


    So that is why we spend so much time trying to get things right.  It is an important lesson for life.  They say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and that holds true with planning, vacations, work, health, organization, cleaning, you name it.


    So make your checklists.  Use them.  Save them in a safe place you can remember for next year.  That is something I tend to have a problem with as I rewrite a new checklist from the old noggin every year.  Of course if I had better planning skills and less procrastination skills, I would be using last years checklist with some modifications and save our family a ton of time.  Perhaps this year I put a checklist on line that we can use as a baseline.  I smell a topic for an upcoming blog or even a good way to get Mommy to become a guest blogger for the day.


    And finally, when you read this when you get older...go directly up to your mother and hug her for all the planning and work she puts in to getting us ready for vacation.  She is the one directly responsible for keeping us organized and in line and packed and ready to go.  Without her, you and I would miss half the vacation either sitting at home packing or driving back and forth or spending tons at the stores for items we have in abundance here at home.  Not that should ever be in need of more reasons to walk up to Mommy and hug her.


Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

To my son Tommy,

    Downeys Downeys everywhere.  Maryland has been invaded by Downey family members.  From New Mexico, from Ohio, from Pennsylvania, we have had some relatives visiting this week and into next. We spent yesterday at your Grandmom Ro-ro's house enjoying the company.

    You and your cousin Liam (2nd cousin if you wan't to be technical but lets not get into the genealogy lesson) have taken to each other like best of friends.  Just 1 month or so apart in age, you guys are getting along famously.  In fact, you get along and get comfortable quickly with all the Downey family members.  Who knows why that is?  Perhaps it is some type of blood connection, perhaps it is just that we have familiar attitudes and familiar way of doing things, or perhaps it is because we don't judge you if you have your finger picking your nose.  Point is, it is great to see you having time to spend and love your family.  Like I alluded to previously, family is everything.

   These past two days highlighted a quirky trait about you.  You have a dread of saying goodbye and real sorrow when you have to leave.  You definitely don't want the party to end.  You cry and have to go around and give tearful hugs and "See ya laters" to everyone.  You can't miss a single person.  It is like you are afraid you will miss something when you leave, or worried that you will never see each other again.

    It is actually quite an admirable trait that you have such feelings for your family and such sorrow.  But you have to learn this is just one of the smaller circles of life.  The cycle is you meet, you rejoice, you share, you part, your feel sorrow, you wait you meet again, and the whole thing begins anew.  You have to learn to deal with the pain and sweet sorrow of saying goodbye.  You have to have faith and hope that we will see each other soon yet again.  These small circles of life are just the way to deal with the whole big life cycle.  Every time you have to go through this, you are readying yourself for the big circle, practicing for the final goodbyes and having faith that we will all meet in Heaven.

    So embrace the goodbye as much as you do the anticipation and enjoyment of the hello.  If it makes you sad, go ahead and cry, but have faith that you all will soon rejoin.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

We Are Family

To my son Tommy,

    Well as evident by the picture above, you sure know how to party my son.  It is definitely not a true party until someone puts on some star antenna and a "scarf" ribbon and starts singing Corey Haim's "I wear my sunglasses at night".

    Lately every Friday night we have been having a family night.  We get together with some of your grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins and just hang out enjoy each others company.  A couple official names have been proposed for the night  but I think the one that sticks Brazier Family Night (conjunction of Broderick and Frazier and not to be confused with brassieres even though both can be considered to contain a couple boobs).  Everyone has a part and everyone has had influence but I believe we are indebted to your Aunt Debbie for making sure it caught on and happens week in and week out.

    At the same time we were partying last night, devastating national news of a shooting at a movie theater in Colorado was in the back of all our minds.  You see some disturbed young man showed up at the premier of the new Batman movie and shot a bunch of people, killing and/or hurting about 60 people.  No one knows why, or at least not yet.  The news channels will be filled with this story day in and day out.

    So why bring up such extremes?  Bring up such a horrible story and contrast it with a family get together? I wanted to show you how we deal with life.  We have the extreme privilege of being close to our family.  When the world around us is filled with terror and evil, we get together and insulate ourselves with the love of family.  We get together and let our family love protect us and console us.  We can share our thoughts and concerns and sorrow for such things going on in the world and it allows us to take the much needed break from the world's woes.

    Even when problems strike closer to home and have a more personal impact, that is still what we do.  We come together with family, we lean on each other, we cry together, we laugh together, we break bread together.  We look for that moment when a young man comes out in sunglasses and stars and makes us all laugh and release.

    You are blessed with such a large and loving family.  Learn to appreciate them; learn to lean on them; learn to treasure them; learn to help them; learn to be a part of them; learn to care for them; learn to laugh with them; learn to cry with them; learn to grow in their love!  Family makes this life better,

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

You Can't Beat The Price

To my son Tommy,

    I recently received the privilege of getting a company vehicle to drag my butt back and forth between home and work.  It is an old pick up, got over 200k miles on it, got some rust underneath, too big for me and for the street we live on, got mismatched doors, got some big plow hitch on the front, get maybe 15 miles per gallon, AC doesn't work, and is very loud when you hit the accelerator or even just idling. 

   As I was coming home last night, I was driving down Aldershot and saw your Uncle Chris, your cousin Ryan, your Pop-pop and your Bwam-ma.  It was the first time they had seen me in the company truck and we all got a good laugh on how loud it was.  But as I was leaving I heard Pop-pop say "Yeah but you can't beat the price!".

    He is totally correct.  The company pays for the gas for my roughly 70 mile (approx 35 miles each way) a day commute now.  That is huge when money is tight like it is with our family.  It is even a bigger deal with the fluctuations in gas pricing due to wars, terrorism, politics, greed, weather, and all the many factors that can increase the average guys burden at the pump.  I suppose I could have just asked for a gas card and kept driving the old 95 Merc Tracer Wagon...but there is wear and tear, and oil changes, and upkeep and all that is being paid by the company as well.

   But the idea of "you can't beat the price" stuck in my head.  It has taken me many years to realize nothing is free.  Even this "free" truck to commute comes with expenses. Perhaps that will limit my chance for a raise.  I am also more dependent on the company.  The fact that it is a big pick up makes it so I might have to do some loading/delivery things as well for the company.  And who knows what happens this winter when they need their snow plow truck running again.

    So nothing is free my son.  There is an expense to everything.  And somethings in the world are worth the extra bucks too.  Just because you can get something cheaper doesn't mean it is the best option.  For example, some of your most unhealthy foods are your cheapest foods.  Fast food dollar menus, you can't beat the price.  Of course you are not factoring in the cost of your future health problems if all you eat are cheeseburgers.  Then that dollar menu item has to be averaged out with that $20,000 heart by pass surgery.

    I got home and as I parked this behemoth by pulling it up on the curb slightly so it doesn't get side swiped and people can get by our narrow street, I saw out of the corner of my eye a little blonde fellow eagerly peering out the window yelling to his Mommy that Daddy was home.  As I unlocked the door I was greeted by a "Good to see you Daddy" and a great big hug.  That hug has a price too.  Every dime I spent in my life; every item I bought in my life, from diapers and toys to the very first drink I bought your Mom to try to get her to pay attention to me; every minute I worked in my life and tried to do my job the best I can so I can get money and health insurance and all the basic necessities paid for; every moment I spent worrying about you and loving you and being with you;  all this can be factored in on the cost of that hug.  And the next hug will have cost even more as another 24 hours will have past with all new expenses.   But you know what buddy?  You can't beat the price!

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

Pins and Noodles

To my son Tommy,

     "Mommy, you got pins and noodles?  Daddy rub mommy's feet?"  Those are the most recent questions of yours that made me smile.  They are also another example of how you "get it" and understand things going on around you even if not fully.  You are so thoughtful and considerate of others feelings and pains and problems at such an early age.

    Your mom is having some issues with her medications and health lately.  Your mom has Crohn's Disease which is a nasty autoimmune disease that attacks the bowels.  From your point of view, Mommy goes potty often, has cramps, and sometimes (with the recent meds) has "pins and noodles".  Your mother and I pray and pray that you do not have or get Crohn's.

    Actually we pray you don't get most of the things you can get with your genes from both sides of the family.  Crohn's, MS, diabetes, heart problems, cancers, obesity, lets just say you got a plethora of medical issues staring you in the face like a sawed-off shotgun.  We want better for you! That starts with us teaching you how to take care of yourself (eating, exercising, etc) but only continues if you decide to continue to take care of yourself.  Of course somethings, like Crohn's, just happen no matter how bad or good you take care of yourself.  It reminds me of the age old prayer...

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

   As for your Mommy right now, well she is really being diligent with her health.  Hopefully we will figure out what medicine or what bodily function is causing all her new problems that are in addition to Crohn's like the low potassium and high blood pressure and such.  Unfortunately until she gets her medical degree (perhaps after she finishes the nursing  program she was just accepted into) she has to keep relying on doctors for answers.  I pray everyday for her.   So do you.  Every night after our normal prayers we spend time to "God Bless" those who we love and care for.  I let you choose and Mommy usually makes the list.  So we will continue to keep her in our prayers and tonight pray for no more Pins and Noodles.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

Half the Battle

To my son Tommy,

      Every morning I wake up in bed between 6:00 am and 6:30 am and think today I will get an extra hour (or half hour or 15 minutes of sleep).  You see recently your father has not only committed writing to you daily, but has also committed to going to daily mass.  for the past 5 weeks I have been going to 7:00 mass at St. Agnes everyday (except Saturdays I just go to afternoon confessions and Sundays I usually hit 9:00 mass) and after going straight to work.  So each and every day for the past month or so, I thought to myself "Hey if I skip mass I can sleep for another hour and still get to work at my usual time".  Mass is not required daily, no one makes me do it but myself, so skip it right?

 

   I am not going to lie to you, the lure of extra sleep is tempting and hard to resist.  It would be so easy to just stay in bed.  It is easy to ignore that clock, to hit the snooze button, to not wake up or even if I wake up not commit to getting myself up and going and out of the house.  But I am going to let you in on a secret of life, one your father didn't realize till he was much much older and one he didn't really take advantage of till probably about a month ago.

    Waking up, getting out of bed, and showing up is half the battle!

   That is it.  One of those secrets of life that is so simple it becomes elusive.  It is so basic but yet still so hard to do.  If you wake up, don't waste time lying in bed wishing for more sleep.  Get up, get in the shower, brush your teeth, take a vitamin, get a glass of water, get some coffee in you or whatever you daily morning routine is, get dressed and get ready to go and then GO!  Too many people wake up and move from the bed to the couch and remain in a zombie like state .  Too many people never fully commit to being awake and embracing the dawning of the new day.  So embrace it and commit to living that day.  Look in the mirror, clap your hands once loudly and say "I AM HAVING A GREAT DAY".  Not "I am going to have", or "I had", nothing in the past or future but in the present "I AM HAVING".  Then get out of the house, go for a walk, go to church, go to the gym,  Pick something that YOU want to do not something like work where your time to show up is mandated by someone else. I choose to go to church and thank God for the gift of the new day.  Hopefully, if I do my job as a Catholic father, you will consider doing the same.  But whatever you choose for your morning start, don't choose nothing.

     Now I am not saying that an occasional day spent in your pajamas and doing nothing is wrong.  Those days can be quite special especially if you have someone great to share them with.  But make those the exception not the rule and they become that much more treasured.

    SO why the change in your old man recently.  You are my muse and inspiration for the change.  Yes you are the teacher here!  Your mother informed that every morning when you wake up and come down the stairs you say "Wow Mommy! Look at all those toys!"  as if it were Christmas or as if they were old friends you haven't seen in ages.  To be so grateful, to be so excited and energetic, to attack the new day with such passion.  You can't wait to start playing with your toys and you can't wait for what the new day brings.  So once again, you have educated your dad and inspired him to commit to living each day with the joy, passion, excitement, and gratefulness of a 3 year old boy.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

Age Appropriate

To my son Tommy,

     Last night we watched Mars Needs Moms or as you say "mays moms".   We have it recorded on the DVR as you are in the stage of learning through repetition, so you can watch the same movies over and over and over and over again, sometimes back to back.  You have quite the diverse list of movies; Santa Clause 2, Horton Hears A Who, The Muppets (Muppets Treasure Island, The Great Muppet Caper, Muppets Take Manhattan, just about every one of them), Elmo's World Happy Holidays (Christmas is not just for December with you), Cars 2, The Smurfs, along with about dozen tv shows that you will come in or out of favor on any given day.

     But this movie Mars Needs Moms is easily the most mature subject theme.  It deals with some deep emotions and concepts such as loss and love and loneliness.  I am amazed at your ability to "get it", to actually understand and grasp the concepts shown.  You constantly amaze both your mom and I with your intellect, emotion, and understanding.  Of course the moment I start bragging about how smart you are, one of those teachable moments come along where you slam your finger in a book and keep holding the book closed on your finger even though you are crying.  To be fair though that event happened when you were one year old or there abouts.

     So your lesson for the day, do not assume someone will not understand simply because of their age.  Never use something so simple as how many days spent on this spinning globe to determine someones intellect or ability to comprehend.  If you are anything like your father, many people will not give you credit for your advanced intelligence because of your age.  It something you will have to learn to deal with.  Hopefully you will deal with it better than your father did.  

    Conversely, do not assume something is too young for a person. Even though you can handle advanced concepts at such a young age, some of your favorite toys and movies and such were created for a younger audience.  To this day some of MY favorite toys and movies were created for a much much younger audience.  Which of course is extremely cool right now because we can play with all types of toys together and then unwind to a nice Disney classic.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

Try Try Again

To my son Tommy,

     I sit and look at your 3 year old self with amazement and wonder  There is so much I want to tell you, so much I want you to know, so much I want you to learn, so much I want you to remember.  So, I have decided to try blogging (or re-try more appropriately as I have had some failed attempts to blog in the distant past) in the hopes that I can impart some wisdom or laughs or "what not to do" or some of my favorite memories.

     First lesson, just because you failed at something before, like my previous attempts to write for the Internet world, does not mean you should stop trying.  You must have hope and belief in yourself, at least as much hope and belief as I have in you, which is a tremendous amount.  Of course this flies in the logic of a later lesson I might give on betting (if a horse has never won a race don't lay any money on it to win) but this is belief in yourself...not odds and probability in others actions.  Believe in yourself.  You can do it.

     On my part, I will believe in myself and do my best to keep this blog going.  My hope is I can print this out on January 6th 2027 and gift this to you with years of wisdom and memories to keep and perhaps share with my future grandchildren.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo