I finally hung up the poster that Grandpa Jim gave us for winter solstice - a calendar of the moon’s phases for each day of 2008.

Jared was studying it the next day and immediately asked to call Grandpa.

“Can Grandpa bring his telescope over on Thursday? It’s a new moon - perfect for sky watching!”

To be honest, no night is perfect for sky watching when you live across the street from the mall - the epitomy of light pollution! And it turned out that Jared misread the schedule somehow and that the moon was half full. But that didn’t stop us from calling Grandpa right away and asking him to bring the telescope over.

He brings his small telescope every week in the winter. It’s harder in the summer because obviously the sun is kinda in the way until past the time when Jim and Penny would be heading back to Berkeley. And since the weather here isn’t prohibitive after dark in the winter, that’s our best time. But Grandpa would never ignore a special request.

It’s hard for young children to see in the scope. They can’t hold their heads so still and they don’t know what they’re looking at.

When Matthew looked at Jupiter, Grandpa said, “look for a ball. Can you see a giant ball?”

Matthew said, “No ball. I see a disk.”

We’ll take it.