notice how you addressed your new drawing “to the beach.”

the beach says Thanks Emma (and so do Grammy and I)

Grammy and I moved into 44 Waterloo in February 2002.  Things were different back then, let me tell you why:

• Josh and Nicole, aka Mommy and Daddy, aka Auntie Nicole and Uncle Josh weren’t married yet.  They tied the knot four months later, in June, 2002.
• None of you Beaupre & Clickman grandchildren were born, can you imagine that?  It would be another 14 months before Ben, the first, came into our world.
• Tim and Tarah, aka Mommy and Daddy, aka Uncle Tim and Auntie Tarah, were dating.  They wouldn’t marry for another 28 months.
• The successful business Grammy and I started and successfully built – Beaupre & Co. Public Relations – was at its peak, three years after our company had been acquired (bought out ) by a big company in New York City.
• I was 48 years old and Grammy was 46.

Fast-forward 12 years to Sunday, June 22, 2014:

• All 7 of you, my beloved grandchildren, were together at 44 Waterloo for one final time.  The “big house” (8,000 square ft. across four floors) had been sold and Grammy and I were moving out in two days.
• why are we moving?  It’s too big and way too expensive and we want something manageable.
• Ben is 11 years old; Emma 8; Camden 8; Ainsley 6; Molly 6; Jack 3 and Madigan 2.  The big house was “Grammy and Papa’s house,” a place that will stay within your memory banks for most if not all of  your life (except Jack and Madigan).  Six of you literally went from tiny babies in diapers to self-functioning, independent spirits.

It’s impossible to remember everything we said and did together at 44 Waterloo.  Some of your memories will undoubtedly be shaped by the word “big” – after all it was a bit of a  monster with five bedrooms, four floors, seven bathrooms, a giant attic, a hot tub room, exercise room, massively gorgeous kitchen and a warm and inviting office (mine).  It had three decks and a big front porch.

The rooms you will probably remember best are the big “basement” (as you called it), aka family room aka Larry Bird room aka Man’s room.  And of course running across the beautiful kitchen and giant “Great Room” with the wood fireplace.

So many memories!

Sunday dinners, all together.  The sweeping views of the saltwater Piscataqua River from the kitchen and Great room.  ‘Hikes’ down to the “sitting rock” and ‘brook.’  Carefully walking down the 59 steps to go across the metal bridge to the big dock. Playing baseball, football, soccer on the front lawn.  Sitting on top of the pool table.  Me making “Papa Corn.” Playing baseball and football in the basement.  Playing “dogcatcher.” Playing “Smoke on the Water” (Loud) in the basement in between periods of our knee hockey games, strumming our fake guitars.

There are hundreds more.

It was a loud house that’s for sure – whenever we got together we noticed how the sound escalated because of the room size and high ceilings, especially the Great Room where the ceilings were over 20 feet high.

For our last get together, Grammy and I did four special things:

1. we had a “burn party” in the fire pit, burning boxes upon boxes of old business papers. Everyone joined in.  Jack, I think you liked it best!

2. we had our last Sunday dinner together at 44 Waterloo and everyone actually looked at me and the camera!

3.  we got together – the seven of you and me, and then I gave you these instructions: “We’re going to run through every single room in this house, across all four floors.  And while we’re running we are going to scream and holler and make all kinds of noise.”  And that’s what we did – starting with the Great Room floor, then into the basement, then to the third story, then to the attic.  It was a crazy, wild, funny way to say goodbye to 44 Waterloo, to Grammy and Papa’s house, to YOUR grandparents house.

4.  we took an official photo in front of the house:

The big house may be gone from our lives, but each of us will remember something special about it.  That’s the best part, isn’t it?  The memories we create.  That’s all any of us ever leave behind in the end.  Remember this – always.   Make sure when  people think about you they will be filled with positive, inspirational, kind, fun, uplifting thoughts.  Those are the best kind of memories because they fill people’s souls with warmth, sunshine and smiles.

Grammy and I went to see you play your first lacrosse game this morning. It was a season-kicking-off  jamboree with a bunch of teams all gathered at Portsmouth High School.

I’ve only been to one lacrosse game in my life, so I’m not real familiar with the sport.  I remember it being a lot like hockey, without the puck of course, and no ice!

You play on the “Cocheco” team, have really nice uniforms and wear cool looking plastic eye protection glasses.  One of your best friends, Jillian, plays on your team.

it was a fantastic day – in the low 60’s, bright sunshine. Molly said “it’s a beautiful day today,” and she was right!   Everyone in New England is finally in a good mood after five unbelievable months of arctic cold where the average temperature was 20-25 degrees!  Hooray for Spring!  Hooray for Lacrosse!  Hooray for Emma!

I’ve blogged about this before, but there’s no doubt in my mind you’re going to be an athlete as you continue to grow.  You have long legs, never get winded, run effortlessly and have the ability to concentrate on the game, paying attention and trying hard.

At this stage of your athletic career, you’re still “feeling out” each sport (soccer, softball, lacrosse), and you’re still learning.  The thing is, you have the ability to dominate a game already, I can see it, but you hold back.   Even with the current tentativeness, it’s obvious how much talent you have – you’re already at the head of the pack on Day One of a brand new sport. Today you were one of the best athletes on the field.  Keep up the great work!

When we left the game, Grammy and I took you and your family (minus Ben) to the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth for lunch/breakfast. You were starving and ate everything on your plate and soon visited Jack to grab his uneaten pancakes and bacon!

You’re going to be successful, I just know it.

Grammy and I were walking up the bleachers at Ben’s indoor soccer game.  We looked up.  There you were, sitting by your Mom and Jack, holding some drawings.  The “Picasso style” caught my eye.  Our creative Emma, always inventing, thinking, discovering, trying, experiencing, pondering, experimenting.

But this time, there was a twist.  I heard you talking to your Mom and she asked about the cost of your newest masterpieces.   You said:

“I’m selling them for 50 cents each.”

That got my attention – and I thought to myself – “she’s selling her artwork?”  “How precious is that?  What kid creates a drawing and expects to sell it… at the age of eight years old?”

Emma Clickman,that’s who.

I opened my wallet, grabbed two dollar bills, and gave them to you, saying “I’d like to buy those two paintings.”  You said:

“but they’re only 50 cents apiece.”

“I know, but they’re worth more.”

You gleamed, proud of your accomplishment, but no more proud than Grammy and I were of you.

I thought to myself  “that girl is going to be successful someday, she’s something else.”

Grammy said:

“she’s my little entrepreneur.”

Before you moved out of our house in late February, 2014, I asked you and Ben what your favorite and least favorite things were while you lived with us.

Ben –  my favorite was not having to leave your house and come over (like on Sundays)

 

Emma –  my favorite was the hot tub!

 

Ben – my least favorite part was the loudness (44 Waterloo was so big with such high ceilings that it amplified the noise and made it much worse).

 

Emma – my least favorite were the insects (I guess she meant the noises outside? I need to get more information!)

 

this photo was taken right before your family moved to Emerald Lane in Dover. The four of you loved to sit at the island for your meals - you enjoyed the small TV!

I want to hold your hand!   Your mother should know!  Good day sunshine!  Do you want to know a secret?  We can work it out!

This isn’t a crazy, cryptic message, it’s a (very short) list of some of the best songs from The Beatles, my favorite musical group of all time (and many others both old and young to this day).

On a cold February day while you were living with us, I introduced you to the world of music, as seen through the eyes of your Papa, a music nut since he was 10 years old.

You were fascinated when I showed you how people used to listen to music.  First there were vinyl albums (also known as LPs which is short for long playing records…  they held a lot of songs)… then the small 45 rpm records with two songs, one on side A and the other on side B.   Then came cassette tapes, then mini discs, then CDs.

At one point I showed you a double album from the Beatles – the “White album” – which contained a poster and two LPs.  We talked about how it was fun buying and holding an album – giant album artwork, liner notes, lyric sheets — plenty to hold onto, read and think about while the album was turning on the turntable and filling the room with rich musical sounds.  The cardboard and paper had a special, comforting smell I can still remember to this day.  It was a very tactile, personal, memorable experience, so different from today’s “invisible” Mp3 music” bought over the Internet.

I showed you one of the most famous album covers of all time by a group called “Santana” which became famous playing at the Woodstock music festival in 1969.  The drawing looks like a lion, but it has many hidden images and words within the overall image.  So cool.  I’ve got a poster as well:

At one point you turned to Ben who walked by and said:

Ben!  Come see this!  It’s really old, it’s history.  It’s how they used to listen to music a long time ago!

Here’s a photo of the first 45 I ever bought.   It was the first reggae hit in America – way back in 1963 – and it reached # 2 on the charts.

Your favorite thing was a music playing device that lets you listen to a cassette, mini disc, CD or the radio!  It was made in Japan and all the knobs and instructions are in Japanese – so it took us a while to figure out how to make things open, close, move forward and stop.  Here you are with it:

When we were through we read a book about the Beatles in my office, just you and me.  You sat next to me on my big brown comfortable office chair as I turned the pages and described what the various photos were about.  It was timely because 50 years ago this month the Beatles landed in America for the first time, appeared on the Ed Sullivan variety show, and became famous, launching “Beatlemania” and long-haired rock and roll that changed the world, and my life.

Do you want to know a secret?

One of the ways you’re different from other kids is your curiosity.  You’re aware of what’s going around you… listening to conversations, always interested in helping out, remembering, externally focused.  Most kids aren’t as tuned-in; they focus on their world, what they’re thinking about and what they want to do.  Not you.  You’re an excellent listener, curious about the world around you.  While others are busy with phones and games, you much prefer being in the moment, joining a conversation.

Because of this, our discussion about the Beatles – and music – was super special to me.  You were genuinely interested in learning something new, open to exploring a different (in this case older) world, and getting a kick about the whole experience.

Don’t ever change Emma – your curiosity and outwardness will serve you well and make you very unique – and much loved –  all the days of your life.  I love you lots.