Eulogy for Victor W. Weinstein (January 23, 1938 - December 5, 2013), the man who taught me how to be a Dad:

*********************************

As Andrea likes to say, “Some men are fathers, and others are Dads.  Vic was truly a Dad”

When I first sat down to write this eulogy, I was worried I wouldn't have much to say.  I love my dad, and I’m really going to miss him.  What else is there?  But as I started writing, the thoughts and ideas began to form quickly, and then I realized I really do have a lot to say about the man.  So apologies in advance if this goes on too long.

For 35 years my Dad worked at IBM as a Land Acquisition and Disposal Administrator.  I would have to explain to my friends that basically meant he bought and sold real estate.  My dad really loved his job – something not everyone can say.  He made some good friends at IBM as well as the industry trade group, IDRC, that he helped lead for many years.  He really enjoyed the camaraderie and story telling when he got together with these people.  He was always so excited to help plan and attend the annual IDRC meetings that would be held in different cities around the country, and bring back all kinds of swag – like coffee mugs that read Albuquerque is open for business!  And then he was really excited to chair the annual meeting of IDRC in NY in 1998.  He talked about it so much about it, and was so proud of the event and how it turned out.  

But overall, what I think my dad loved most about his job at IBM was the hard fought negotiations he would have with other buyers and sellers, and their real estate agents.  Anyone who knew my dad knows he loved a good debate.  He did not shy away from confrontation.   And negotiating and arguing were a big part of his day to day job, as he fought hard to get the best possible deal for his company.  He was clearly well-suited for this type of career, and he excelled at it.  I always felt bad for the people on the other side of the negotiating table, because he could be such a pain in the ass. 

But at the end of the day, it was always business, and never personal.  He would tell me stories about a really tense negotiation with a team of agents, with lots of arguing and back-and-forth, and then how afterwards they all went out for dinner and had a great time and laughed a lot.  How cool is that?  To be able to put business differences aside, and develop personal and long-lasting relationships with your opponents of the day….  But that’s typical Vic Weinstein.

And this was the exact trait that he took into his 2^nd career after retirement in 2003. 

The past 10 years have truly been the golden years for my dad.  He was able to take the parts of his life that he loved best, and put them all together for a wonderful daily agenda of tasks and activities.  No doubt my dad loved his wife, children and grandchildren with everything he had.  We were all the light of his life, and just being around him made him happy.  But it’s important to know we weren’t his whole life.  The man had a complete and full agenda pretty much every day.  There was no stopping him, and many of us wondered where he got the energy to take on so much.  So often I would be talking with him on the phone, and he would say “I have to cut you short Mitchy Evan.  I have to walk Daisy, and then head out to such and such meeting….”  It never bothered me.  I was just happy he was happy.  And he really was.

My dad was a member of the Planning Board for the Town of Greenburgh, where he was able to help keep the town safe from over-development and traffic jams, while still maintaining a business-friendly environment and encouraging economic growth.  Striking this balance was something he knew best.

He was also on the Board of Directors of this synagogue, Temple Beth Abraham, where he co-chaired the House Committee with his very good friend Neil, and helped fund and rebuild this beautiful sanctuary we are sitting in right now.  And thanks to his sharp negotiating tactics, he was able to keep the contractor’s cost as low as possible.  I doubt there was anyone who thought they could have done a better job and gotten a better price.  He really loved this place, and made sure to take very good care of it.

My dad was also on the Board of Directors of Wyldwood, his condo development in Tarrytown.  Here, he was able to make sure the community was well maintained, and spending its budget in a responsible manner.  Negotiating rates with the landscaper was the highlight of one his terms, and loved to tell us all about it. 

In addition to all this, he volunteered his time at SCORE, in White Plains, where he mentored small business owners, and was able to share his huge wealth of knowledge and business experience.  It was the lucky person who was able to receive my Dad’s guidance and support.

And then in his free time, he enjoyed meeting with his broker on a regular basis to discuss the latest market trends, and whether or not he should buy an ETF or move money into corporate bonds.  We would all seek out my dad’s financial advice before making any major moves.  And he was more than happy to provide this advice, even if we didn't ask for it.

…..And then there was the family man and friend.  Vic, Dad, Grandpa, Pepa, Pa….whatever you called him.  If everyone in this room were to conjure up a picture of my Dad in their mind, I’m willing to bet that in every single one of those images he is smiling widely, and probably laughing out loud in some of them.  The guy was just a happy soul.  Little things didn't bother him.  He kept his eye on the ball and knew what was important – family and friends.

He and Penny had such a wonderful, happy, and full life together.  They built such a strong community of close friends together over the years, and were always going on trips, dining out with friends, visiting children and grandchildren, and traveling to Penny’s business conferences where my Dad got to play the role of supportive spouse (which he really enjoyed by the way).    And Penny – thank you for keeping him so happy for all these years.  He really loved you, and would have done anything for you.

My dad’s love for his children was boundless and unmatched.  Even though our parents were divorced as we grew up, he and my Mom always came together on matters that involved their children, and were always in agreement that the kids were the priority, above all else.  This is something we always felt in our hearts growing up, and something all 3 of us have internalized and tap into on a daily basis in our current roles as parents.

My Dad made it his life’s mission to be a regular and stable presence in our lives, despite the physical distance between us.  This was truly his singular focus during our childhood years.   The joke I've always told my friends is that, even though my Dad didn't live with us growing up, I probably saw him, and spoke to him more, than kids who lived with their fathers.  His dedication to us was unbelievable.  My Dad traveled a lot for work.  You never knew if he would be in Huntsville, Alabama; Lincoln, Nebraska, or Gainesville, Florida in any given week.  But what you did know, is that he would call us every day no matter where he was, rain or shine.  Every single day.  Not only that, but when he wasn't traveling, he would come up to our house one night during the week, to take one of us out for dinner.  The rule was only one of us would go with him, as we would take turns, so that we could each spend quality one-on-one time with our dad.  This was so important to him.  He wanted to connect with each of us individually, in a personal and special way.

And on top of that, we would spend weekends with my Dad, in his 1 bedroom apartment on Lake Street in White Plains.  The apartment wasn't huge, but we made it work. I have such fond memories of spending my weekends there.  He had no time for himself, but to him, that wasn't the priority.  He had 3 kids, and they were truly the center of his universe, and nobody could get in the way of that.  Time with his 3 children was sacrosanct, and something he just cherished greatly.  

And as his grandchildren came along, he expanded his deep and heartfelt love to include them.  First came Benjamin, quickly followed by Zachery, Madelyn, Jacob, Rebecca, Samuel, Jonathan, and Joshua.  Dad morphed into the Grandpa role very well, and loved every minute of it.  He was a strong and loving presence in each of the grandkids’ lives.  It was so much fun watching him revel in this new role, getting on the floor and rolling around with the kids when they were babies, tickling them with his prominent nose.   He was a gregarious and, very often, goofy, Grandpa, and the kids loved that.

And then as they got older, attending dance recitals, little league games, hockey games, soccer matches, etc. etc.  And then bar and bat mitzvahs.  How proud he was there, on the bima, smiling more broadly than ever, watching his cherished and beloved grandchild go through such a joyous and wonderful life event.  To him, there was nothing better.

Just last week, we were all together for Hannukah at my Dad’s and Penny’s house.  They bought very nice gifts for all the kids, and us as well.  Dollars add up quickly when you are buying gifts for 14 people.  I suggested that, instead of material gifts, he make donations to each of the kids’ college funds.  It seemed like a much more practical idea to me.  But he was having none of it.  He said he wanted to see the expressions on their faces when they received their gifts, and their happy smiles.  That was the most important thing to him, and that was the best Hannukah gift we could give him back.

Those are all the sweet and sentimental things about my Dad.  Some things you may, or may not have known about Vic Weinstein.

-He was a true man of the 70s, and loved his bean jeans, wide ties, and shirts with large collars. He had a very impressive collection of 8-track tapes, covering his favorite artists: Kenny Rogers, Fleetwood Mac, Barry Manilow, and England Dan & John Ford Coley.

-He was probably the least technically savvy person I knew despite having worked for the largest computer company of his time.  His cell phone was a mystery him, which is why I never left him voice mails.  He once answered a text from Brad, and when Brad got it he replied back “Dad, you’re responding to a text I sent you 6 months ago”.  My Dad also has been known to click on links emailed to him from a Nigerian prince looking for a way to launder money in the US.  To him, Spam was canned meat, and nothing more.  He never met an email he didn’t open and click on.  I can’t imagine how many computer viruses live on his laptop.

-He loved his food thoroughly cooked, and sometimes burnt.  He would go the finest steak houses in the area, and ask for his filet cooked well-done.  You know there was a chef in the kitchen grumbling about having to ruin a perfectly good piece of meat.

-One of my Dad’s greatest passions, outside of family, friends, and business, was staying fit and trim. He had been running on a regular basis for the past 40 years, even when he traveled.  My Dad and I would run the Bridgeport Hospital 5k every Memorial Day Weekend.  We had been doing this every May for the past 10 years, and was something we both truly cherished.  Just this past year, he placed 2^nd in the 70 and over age category, missing first place by just a few seconds (the winner was actually over 80, but the age rankings didn’t go that high).   After the race I wanted to leave – it was very cold that day, and I was tired.  But my Dad wasn’t going anywhere.  He knew he had placed, and he wanted to wait for the awards ceremony to claim what was rightfully his:  A small plastic trophy, that symbolized all his hard work and effort for the past 40 years.

Over the years, I noticed from time-to-time that my Dad began reminding me of my Grandpa Joe.  He would say something, tell a corny joke, or make a face that struck me as something Grandpa would do.  And what’s funny is that as I get older, Jen sometimes tells me I remind her of my Dad.  She might tell me “that’s something your Dad would say”, or “you look like your dad when you make that face”.  I now realize those are the biggest compliments she could pay me.  If I can live my life up to his high standards of hard work, perseverance, and dedication to family, then I know I have succeeded.

We love you Dad.  We will miss you.  But you should be in peace knowing you did a great job raising your kids, and you should have no regrets about anything.  

Back To Camp

It's that time of year again.  Rebecca is going back to sleepaway camp - this time for 7 weeks.  It seems like she just left for her first year.

This year is much different because Rebecca now knows the ropes, and has a group of friends she is looking forward to seeing.  She is also excited about seeing her new bunk, and meeting her new counselors.  In addition, she won't be a "new kid" anymore.  She's an old, experienced veteran in the camp world.

Rebecca recently expressed some serious anxiety about going to camp and told us she didn't want to go.  She was giving us a hard time.  But then Jen pulled out her old letters from last year and started reading them out loud.  As Rebecca started to hear them, the tears quickly stopped, and she started to smile and laugh with us at how happy her letters were.  Many of the letters were about the food, which I certainly appreciated, but Jen didn't really care for (she wanted to hear more about the friendships she was building...blah).

Either way, those letters were definitely a good reminder about the awesome time Rebecca had last year, and will hopefully serve as a forecast for this coming summer (fingers crossed). 

And reading those letters certainly made me feel better too.  It's not easy letting my little Lamb Chop leave us for 7 weeks, but knowing how much fun, growth, adventure, and all-around good times await her certainly makes it easier to send her off.  

More Joshua-isms

We passed a field with many geese, and Joshua said "Swans are the gracefulest birds"

Joshua recently bought light-up shoes that flash with every step he takes.  I told him that his teacher may not want him to wear them to school because they would be too distracting to the other kids.  A few days later he asked: "Can I wear these sneakers to school?  Or are they too attractive?"

Soccer Quote

After a recent soccer game, Joshua and I were discussing how well he played (he scored 2 goals!!!).  And in his infinite wisdom, this is what he said:  "Dad, it's about the fun-ness; it's not about winning"

How great is that!

Back To School 2011

It's that time again.  Joshua and Rebecca are starting their new school years tomorrow.  It's been a great summer for both kids.  Rebecca went away to sleep-away camp for the first time, and Joshua went to his day camp by himself and had to learn to get by without his big sister present. 

To get him ready for the new school year, we've been trying to get Joshua to practice his reading, which is not easy.  Rebecca loves to read, and will often choose a good book over other activities.  But Joshua is very different when it comes to reading.  It's a major struggle to just to get him to sit down and agree to practice with one of us.  However, once he gets going, he forgets that he's doing something he is not supposed to like, and really starts to lose himself in the task.  It's pretty funny to watch.

Rebecca has been practicing her math skills for the new year.  For some reason she thinks she is not good at math, but she is getting all the problems right on the Summer Worksheet.  Getting her to read is not a problem, but making her more confident in her math skills is the challenge.

All in a day's work....

Home From Camp

Rebecca came home from camp a few weeks ago. We had mixed feelings about her coming home. Of course we were so excited and happy to have her back in our daily lives. It was great to see her every morning and appreciate her presence like we never had before.

But on the other hand, Rebecca was leaving the camp after 4 weeks, and many of her friends were staying on for the full 7 week term. So Jen and I felt bad about cutting her summer short, and we hoped she wouldn't feel like she was missing something.

We did our best to keep Rebecca busy with Dance Camp, trips to Hershey Park, and Drama camp. All in all, she did a great job of adjusting back to her regular home life, and was very happy about spending time with her old friends.

Camp was a wonderful experience for Rebecca. She came off the bus upset that she had to leave, and wanted to go back for more. That's exactly what we wanted. Success.

Sleepaway Camp

Last week, Rebecca left for sleepaway camp for the first time. The whole experience was very interesting, but a lot harder than I imagined.

Buses picked up the local kids in the parking lot of a large department store about 40 minutes from our house. It was a tense scene as the older campers all ran to greet their old friends, and the younger, first-time, campers clung to their parents with much nervousness and anxiety. Fortunately, Rebecca had already been introduced a few weeks earlier to a girl in her bunk through a mutual friend. So at least one face was familiar to her.

There were many girls who were crying and had to be consoled by their parents. When it was time to board the bus, Rebecca gave us each a big hug, and got right on. No issues, no crying. I was very proud of her. She looked a little bewildered, but kept it together and did a great job. Once she got on, the bus sat there for about another 20 minutes as the counselors checked, and double-checked, their camper lists. This was difficult - we were just standing around waving at the kids, not knowing what else to do. Eventually the buses pulled out, and that was that.

About 4 hours later, we received email confirmation from the camp that Rebecca had arrived safely. At this point, I was happy to get any communication on what Rebecca was doing. The strangest part of this whole experience is that I have no idea what is going on in her life, and what she is doing at any given moment. So any insight into this is always welcome.

Since last weekend, we've seen Rebecca in many pictures posted on the camp website, and have received three letters (2 she wrote on her own accord, and one she wrote because the campers were bribed with candy to write home). We even had a quick phone conversation with her yesterday. The phone call was concerning because often kids will break down and cry when they hear their parents' voice. But it went well.

So far, all signs are good. The letters say she is having the "best time", "the food is great", and she got the "highest" score on her swim test. In all of the pictures, she is smiling, and often has her arms around her friends and bunkmates. And our phone call went very well. Rebecca sounded great, and totally together, and in a calm voice told us about her activities (she doesn't like swim team but likes everything else, she did the trapeze, rock-climbing wall, wood-working, etc.)

Jen and I were very relieved by all this, and we are both extremely proud of our little girl. We always wanted sleepaway camp to be a wonderful experience for her.

Fatherhood.gov

Check out the latest Dad updates on Fatherhood.gov, and sign up for the President's Fatherhood Pledge: http://fatherhood.gov/home

Lots of good Dad resources and information.

Make sure you are present for your kids, and encourage other Dads to be present as well. There is nothing more important.

Happy Father's Day 2011

The Dad World Blog would like to wish all Dads out there a wonderful and happy Father's Day. Make sure you take full advantage of this day, and spend quality time with your family. No stress, no worries, no problems - just relax and enjoy...as much as possible.

T-Ball

I've been coaching Joshua's T-Ball team since early April, and I have to say it's been a lot of fun. At first it seemed like a lot of work (which it still is), but as the season has gone on, it's been very rewarding. In just a short couple of months, we've seen some really good progress being made. The kids are getting a better understanding of the game, and are learning the subtle nuances that will become instinctive to them as they get older. You don't really appreciate how complicated a sport Baseball can be until you have to teach it to 5 and 6 year olds.

Not to say that the kids are throwing, catching and hitting like champs (The biggest challenge is getting them stop making sand castles in the infield during the game). But they are learning the difference between a force play at 2nd base, and tagging a runner with the ball.

And Joshua is coming along nicely as well. He is hitting the ball solidly, and already knows to step into the swing to maximize his power. He can throw better now, but still has a tough time catching (might have something to do with me hitting him in the face with the ball when we were having a catch in the backyard).

All in all, coaching has been a lot of fun.

Dance School Promotion

Rebecca was recently moved up to a higher level class at her dance school. She has been working really hard all year, and has put a lot of effort and energy into this class.

Earlier in the year, she tried out for the Spring Ballet and earned a prominent role in one of the dances. She was in the front row, in the center spot, and did a great job of "owning" the dance, and performed with reckless abandon. She looked like she belonged there. There were many, many trips to the dance school for weekend practices (it was a big PIA), but it all became worth it when we saw how happy she was doing this dance.

As a result of her hard work, and wonderful performance, the head of the dance school decided Rebecca was ready for the next level (and he is a very serious man who doesn't hand out compliments easily). She is now more excited than ever to go to dance lessons, and is already talking about the Winter Ballet, and how she's going to try out for a big role.

Jen and I are very proud of Rebecca's perseverance and her follow-through. She's come a long way since her bumble-bee dance when she was 4....but she's still our little Lamb Chop.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We recently had Parent-Teacher conferences with both Joshua's and Rebecca's teachers. We are happy to say that both kids got very good reports.

Joshua, apparently, is a leader in his Kindergarten class, and many of the other kids want to play with him and sit near him at lunch. Joshua is completely clueless to this fact, which is probably a good thing. He just goes about his business, not realizing that the other kids are watching him and trying to emulate him. Some of the kids with special needs often select Joshua as their "buddy" when they go for additional services with the school specialists. And in fact, Joshua's teacher encourages this, as she feels he is a good influence on these kids. Who would have thought?

Rebecca is excelling in reading and writing. Her reading comprehension skills have gotten excellent, and she is better able to describe events taking place in the books she reads. She is also doing great in her writing exercises. This is something she thoroughly enjoys, and even writes stories in her free time for enjoyment. Jen and I were worried about her math skills, but her teacher says she is doing great, and is improving nicely. One thing she needs to work on is penmanship, but I'll give her a pass on that.

Very proud of our two little pups.

The White House

A recent conversation between Joshua and Uncle Brad:

UNCLE BRAD: Joshua, I heard you had a playdate near my house the other day.

JOSHUA: Yeah, it was with my friend Timmy. He lives near you, but if you go down the street, then turn this way, you see his house. It's the big white one.

UNCLE BRAD: Oh, so he lives in the The White House?

JOSHUA: Nooooo, he lives in a regular white house.

UNCLE BRAD: Do you know who lives in The White House?

JOSHUA: Barack Obama.


So proud of my little boy....

Science Experiment

Rebecca's school recently held a Science Fair, and Rebecca and one of her good friends decided to participate. With a little help from their moms, they decided to set out to prove that plants absorb water through their stems, and that the water makes its way all the way out to the outer reaches of the leaves and branches.

They did this by placing white carnations in colored water. They took 4 cups of water, and added blue food coloring to one, red to another, yellow to the third, and they left the 4th one uncolored as a control. They then placed a white carnation in each cup....and waited....and waited.... Within a few days, the petals on the carnations in the colored water started developing a ring around the outside of the petals the same color as the water. So Rebecca and her friend had successfully proven the process of cohesion and capillary action (I had to look up these terms).

The point of all this is that Rebecca and her friend had the opportunity to show off their experiment in the school cafeteria, along with all of the other young scientists. They stood proudly at their table, wearing lab coats (their dads' old white suit shirts) and protective goggles, happily explaining to everyone that approached about their methodology and results. It was wonderful to see Rebecca completely engaged in something that is outside her regular world of activities. She seemed to really enjoy doing this experiment, and then took great pride in sharing her experience with the world. It was a proud moment for her parents.

Well done Rebecca.....well done.

Activities: Too Many or Just Right?

As the school year started, we signed the kids up for a variety of activities and sports. They include figure skating, hockey, karate, tennis, dance (modern and ballet)....not to mention homework and religious school twice a week. I'm happy they are getting a well rounded sampling of a lot of different types of activities, and the hope is that something will stick, and they will find a sport they can play for the rest of their lives. (Yesterday, Joshua spent some time hitting a golf ball in the backyard, and actually had a very nice swing).

But with all these things going on in their lives, I think it's also good for kids to have some quality downtime, where they create their own games, and play quietly by themselves without any structure. Rebecca spends a lot of time reading her Harry Potter and Nancy Drew novels, and Joshua enjoys creating small towns with his Lego sets. These types of activities are very valuable for them, and should not be put aside for the structured team sports. There is definitely a balance here....somewhere. I just hope we are achieving it.

The Grass is Greener

Recently, Rebecca and I had an interesting conversation. We were talking about her days at day camp over the summer, and I said something to the effect of, "I would love to spend my days playing, swimming, singing, and doing arts 'n crafts."

Rebecca's reaction was very interesting, and very amusing. She started telling me how lucky I was that I was able to go to work every day. "You get to go to your nice office, drink coffee anytime you want, eat whatever you want, play on your computer, talk to your friends, and have lots of fun." I thought this was very funny. Rebecca then complained about having to play sports she wasn't interested in, and being outside when it was really hot.

This really made me think. When we are kids, all we want to do is grow up, and fast. As adults, we yearn for the care-free, fun-loving days of our youth. Why can't we just be happy with our current situations?

6th Birthday

We recently celebrated Joshua's 6th birthday. It was a great party at a local gym, with all his pre-school and family friends. And his cousins made a special guest appearance at the end.

Jen and I are so proud of Joshua. He's come a long way over the past few months. We didn't really appreciate how great he did at camp this summer, but when we look back at it, we are amazed at how much we threw at him. For the first time in his life, he got on a bus and spent the day somewhere that wasn't his home, without his parents or familiar teachers. And he did this all without complaining or fussing. He just went with the flow, and didn't get upset. (Of course, it did help that Rebecca was there to take him to his group every day, and take his lunch out of his backpack and put it in the cooler)

He adjusted very nicely to the day-to-day routine of camp, and didn't get upset when his counselors lost him for several minutes by the pool, or when a bratty kid on the bus bit his arm, or when the camp director put him with the wrong age group...and the list goes on. By the end of the summer, his counselor (not the one who lost him) nominated Joshua for Camper of the Year. The only reason he didn't win the award is because he was not at camp for the full summer (he missed 2 weeks in the beginning for Farm Camp).

And when it came time to start Kindergarten recently, Joshua went with no problems at all. He got on the bus smiling, and got to school smiling (we know because Jen and I went to the school to greet the kids as they arrived). He seems to like his teacher and the kids in his class, and adjusting very nicely.

Life is a series of adjustments to change, and it's important that kids learn that early on and are able to deal with it. This isn't easy, but is very important. Joshua and Rebecca are both doing great. You guys are awesome!!!!!

Back To School

Both kids went back to school this week. For Joshua, this is a big deal as he's starting Kindergarten in a new school, with lots of big kids and large classrooms. When the bus arrived, Joshua was more than excited to hop on. This was the part he was looking forward to - all he wants to do is ride on buses, trains, and planes. But what would happen when he got to school? Jen and I raced over to the school to make sure we were there to greet both kids and watch them file into their classrooms. They were both smiling and waving as they got off the bus, and headed separate ways - Joshua to the little playground outside the Kindergarten classes, and Rebecca off to the other side of the school where they have the classrooms for the big kids.

Rebecca was pretty excited to see some of her old friends, and has already started making new friends in her class. When she got home after her 2nd day, she said, "Daddy, we already started doing real work!." Shocking....The nerve of those teachers....

Anyway, seems like we are off to a good start. Hard to believe I have a 3rd grader and Kindergartener.

Who's Strict???

A recent conversation in our kitchen:

Joshua: Mommy, you're very strict.

Jen: Thank you.

Joshua: .....(pause).... What does "strict" mean?

Jen: (smiling) It means I have a lot of rules, and I enforce them. I make sure you follow them.

Joshua: Daddy, you're not strict.

Summer Fun

It's been a great summer so far, with the kids growing and learning a lot. Joshua and Rebecca spent the first two weeks of summer at Farm Camp, where they spent their days learning how to grow organic vegetables, and prepare healthy foods from the farm-fresh produce. They then went to a local day camp for another 5 weeks where they engaged in typical summer activities like swimming, boating, fishing, arts 'n crafts, archery, climbing through a ropes course.

There are a couple of big things to note:

-Joshua recently passed his deepwater test at the camp pool, so he now has a complete pass to go into either of the two pools, and in any part regardless of water depth. In order to pass the test, he managed to swim from one side of the pool to the other without stopping (using his favorite frog/doggy paddle stroke), and then tread water for 30 seconds. He was very proud of himself when he passed. To be honest, Jen and I were quite surprised the lifeguards actually passed him. But we were both very impressed that he not only passed the test, but had the desire to take the test after he failed it earlier in the summer. Good persevering Buddy!

-Another big development this summer is that we are considering sending Rebecca to sleepaway camp next summer. A couple of weeks ago we spent the weekend visiting some camps in the Berkshires, and they were all lovely places with lots of happy, smiling kids. After seeing the camps, Rebecca is even more excited about going away for four weeks. She says she is ready, and can't wait to leave. Good thing Jen and I have a year to prepare, because even though Rebecca is ready, this is going to very hard for us.