By Daniel McGonigle
Argus Managing Editor
The corn was on the stovetop behind me and to my right. The chicken was nearing completion outside on the grill. I was working with the potatoes on the counter in the location where our "U" shaped counter tops takes a gradual turn. Behind me was Ezra, our two year old. He was standing at the fridge. Having recently rediscovered his "Alphabet toy," a magnet which clings to the refrigerator, 24 letters (some have been lost which could have significant ramifications on his future spelling and grammar abilities) strewn about the face and side of the fridge, also accompanies the toy.

As he placed one letter after another inside the device, he would elicit song.

"íBí says buh, and ëBí says ba, every letter makes a sound ëBí says buh." He would sing along, shouting, as loud as two-year old lungs can, "ëFí says ffff, and ëFí says ff, every letter makes a sound, ëFí says ffffff."

Every thing Ezra does he does with glee and a smile. Iíve never known any of the children before him to have so willingly embraced all that life has to offer. I couldnít help but smile as I went back to preparing the corn, chicken and potatoes which would become our supper. My wife was in the cities, attending class for her mastersí degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

They sure didnít have anything like that toy when I was younger. The letter magnets which hung on my fridge were brightly colored, orange, yellow, red, maybe green, there was one, small lone magnet which kept them in place. Today they might be labeled a choking hazard. No songs accompanied my magnets. If I wanted to learn what ëFí says I had to ffffffigure it out myself. For those of you whoíve read my writing, now you know why it is so haphazard and makes no sense. I blame it all on the brightly colored magnets.

But in my day they did have adults, parents and grandparents who knew that if I was to one day learn just how each letter would look and sound, that it would take investing in my education.

That is why I commend those of you who chose to support Ezra and all of the youngsters like him by voting "yes" in this past weekís levy referendum. The investment means that Ezra and other children of Caledonia will be given all of the things that matter in their development. Small class sizes, all-day-every-day kindergarten, several programs which will be important to Ezra becoming a successful adult so that he can succeed in an ever changing world.

It seems like the toys might have changed, but the commitment to children remains strong, and that is something that will benefit all of us. As for supper, Ezra finished only the corn. He knew later weíd be going to the movie and he wanted to save space for the popcorn and candy. If only Leap Frog could make a toy that can get him that excited about dinner.

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