Here is a photo, taken today, of Dorine with our five youngest grandchildren (L-R: Hailee, Tyler, Mason, Maddison, and Kayla). Each of the kids has a very distinct personality, and it's a lot of fun to watch them all grow up. I sometimes wonder about people who, whether for philosophical or for selfish reasons, haven't had children; what a sense of loss many of them must feel when they reach a certain age and don't have grandchildren! (I must say, however, that with the trajectory the civilized world is following in the post-industrial age, I can't help but fear for my grandchildren's future.)Kayla, now three, seems caught between wanting to play with her older cousins and her younger ones. In some ways, Maddison and Hailee (who will turn two next month) don't even look like sisters, much less twin sisters. Tyler, a very good-natured baby, looks extraordinarily like Heidi did in her baby pictures -- except there's no mistaking the fact that he has his dad's ears! Mason, who likewise has a sweet disposition (laughing and cooing much of the time), is a big kid who, at three and a half months, is already poised to overtake a very-petite Maddison in weight. They are all one of the greatest joys of my life!
