I often fret about how far away we live from our parents. My children adore their grandparents, and we call each other frequently, but something about the phone can make my kids very shy and uncommunicative.

Kind of the way they are any time a parent asks them about their day.

So I marvel at my dad's creativity in sparking their imaginations. Recently, he sent them an e-mail with some great questions. I "interviewed" the kids and helped them send the answers back. They were very interested in the project, and my dad got a kick out of reading the answers.

Here are his questions:

To Leah:

Which do you like better--camp or a peanut butter sandwich?

Which would you rather do--read a book or dress your dolls?

What is the difference between running and sleeping?

Would you rather be a dish of ice cream or a robot?

To Sam:

How do you spell "Speed?" (He had to answer this without looking.)

Which do you like better--stickers or lollipops?

Does Speed Racer live in Baltimore?

Which would you rather do--have a strawberry or go to the park?

Do you have any ideas for questions grandparents can ask? Or other ways for grandparents and grandkids to stay connected across the miles? Please post below.