Day-Hay has growing pains: Kat�s. Poor Day-Hay cannot figure out why Kat would choose to spend a half-hour chatting with The Boyfriend on the phone rather than playing beanie babies with her. After all, the game hasn�t changed and neither has she.

How do you explain the situation so that a younger child doesn�t take the unfolding of a full-fledged teen personally? Can you? I�m an oldest child and I left such explanations to others as I grew up.

Mr. Philately was wonderful Thursday night. Tired though he was, he trudged downstairs to play Foozball with Day-Hay when she was abandoned for The Boyfriend. Once again he and I divided what needed to be done. I listened to the tears and frustration and he took action. He probably would claim that he even lost for her�although she says she made some spectacular blocks (and she did).

I expect today to be hard on Day-Hay. The Boyfriend is coming over to meet the family. I wonder if The Boyfriend knows what he is in for. Kat sees him as a cute guy. Day-Hay seems him as a target. Mr. Philately will meet The Boyfriend but conveniently has to work down at his office. I�ll play policewoman both for the happy couple and for Day-Hay. Lucky me.

I don�t think Day-Hay has grasped it but even if she managed to drive off The Boyfriend, she can�t win. It�s time she�s fighting, not The Boyfriend. There�ll be another boyfriend after him (and possibly another and another and another). The play-with-me Kat is a Cheshire Kat and soon all that will be left is a maddening grin.

Don�t tell my mother but I think I�m beginning to develop some sympathy for younger children. It�s bad enough to endure your own growing pains. It must be tough to endure others� too. Still, it�s hard not to laugh when Day-Hay tells Kat to �grow up.�

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