I have a confession. I’m in love with Keito (pronounced KAY-CO). I had the honor and privilege of being with her on her 6th birthday. It took her about an hour to warm up to me. When I first arrived, she hid under the couch as I was a stranger and she wasn’t sure about me. I get it. I’m new. I have a beard. I’m tall. And I’m a bit weird as adults go. But soon, she had me playing chess, and running around playing tag, and dressing up Barbies, and catch, and swords with pool noodles, and reading to her with various books she brought me, and asking WHY? (her favorite question).

*Keito giving me her fierce competitor face when making her opening move*

I think 6 might just be the “perfect” age as a parent raising a child. Every age has its advantages (and challenges) of course. At 6, you have the innocence combined with deep imagination and the desire to ring every ounce of fun out of life. Wake up and play hard. Crash. Repeat. I’m totally game for all that.

*A made up game of tag with pool noodles including sword-like play*

And, of course, there’s so much to do around the house. Less than a mile is a beautiful lake with ducks and geese who will gladly eat your bird seed, bread or pretty much anything else you have for them.

*Feeding the ducks. Always a great past-time affair (for the geese too).*

And you can’t go too far without finding a playground that’s just calling out to be be played on. Only our imaginations are needed to make up which parts of the ground are lava and off-limits and which super powers are granted to allow us passage to the other parts of the playground.

*This bridge has more swing to it that you might imagine it would.*

And as you travel around town, you run into various objects that call out for your attention. Like a pair of butterfly wings that just have to have your picture in front of them. I mean, come on. If you can transform into a butterfly right there on the spot, why wouldn’t you?

*Some art is just begging to have your picture as part of it.*

And a rope swing? I mean come on? Could this day get any better? It’s like this whole place was designed for kids who just want to run, hike, play and be, well, kids. And adults like me who never really grew up and just wanted to stay kids all their life as long as they were allowed to do so.

*What, did you think I was going to post a picture of Keito having all the fun?*

And, Sabina made a glorious layered strawberry shortcake cake with edible flowers that, while they looked totally real were actually sugar frosting replicas. It was a work of art and tasted out of this world. Of course, because it was made with the key ingredient: love.

*What does a 6-year-old wish for on her birthday? We’ll never know.*

When I first arrived to the house, I noticed that one of the products that Keito loves is made by a company that my niece, Laura Robson, works for - a Yoto Player. Among other things, it reads age-appropriate audio books to children.

What impressed the hell out of me is that when I texted my niece this exact picture, she could tell from the single image displayed on the Yoto player that Keito was listening to the audio book Hotel Flamingo. What? Seriously? From that single image? I was so impressed. Needless to say, that was my surprise gift to Keito — a number of books that she helped pick out for her Yoto. Triple win. She got the books she loves, her parents get a little more down time and I get to support Laura’s place of work.

*Feeling like an adopted member of this incredible family.*

Wow, what a day. I know it was Keito’s birthday, but I had such a blast spending it with her and her entire family. My son Will is 21 and Violet is 18. Neither one is anywhere close to getting married let alone having kids. So my days of being a grandpa are somewhere way, way off in the far distant future. But for just a few days in Kinghorn, Scotland, I got to live vicariously as a grandfather and it was simply glorious.

Kinghorn, Scotland (July 8, 2025)

Wilkieston, Scotland (July 9, 2025)

Edinburgh, Scotland (July 7, 2025)