Parenting grand the 2nd time

They thought they would be lounging on a ship somewhere in the Caribbean or joining their friends for leisurely games of tennis or golf.

How are Marlene and Ron Coleman spending their retirement? They're picking up Tinkertoys, perfecting their fingerpaint technique and reading "The Cat in the Hat." They're cooking macaroni and cheese instead of souffles, and they're watching cartoons instead of artsy documentaries on PBS.By 8 o'clock every night they're exhausted, but they're also elated. "People tell us that our grandkids are lucky," says Marlene, 50, "but the truth is, we're the lucky ones. Who'd have thought that starting over would be so much fun?"

We're sharing a Free Lunch of pizza and brownies at the playground in Liberty Park -- a place where the Colemans are seen more often than the country club now that they have sole custody of their grandchildren, Athena, 7, and Britton, 4.

Marlene requested the get-together to discuss a growing trend: grandparents who are bringing up their grandkids because their grown children aren't up to the task.

To watch Athena and Britton romp through the park with Ron, who at 67 has the energy of a high-school quarterback, you would never know that three years ago they were suffering from neglect. Ron's adopted daughter from his first marriage was a drug addict who left the kids alone for days at a time, says Marlene.

"For years, we reported it and begged somebody to do something," she says, "and finally, a miracle happened. The children had been left alone for four days, and Athena, then 4, walked on Highland Drive for several miles, trying to get to us for help. She was so hungry that she stopped at a taco place and begged for food. An employee called the police, and the next day the children moved in with us."

Between the two of them, Ron and Marlene had raised five children, the youngest of whom is 28. All anybody had to do was look at the new carpet in their Salt Lake high-rise condo to know they were through with diapers and Dr. Spock.

"It's white," says Marlene with a wince. "We'd just had it put in before Athena and Britton came to live with us. And floor-to-ceiling mirrors, too."

"A lot of people were surprised we were taking on such a challenge," says Ron. "We're often asked, 'How can you do it?' But the truth is, how can we not?"

Athena and Britton had severe emotional and behavioral problems when they first came to live with their grandparents. But now they are thriving, thanks to loads of one-on-one attention, nutritious home-cooked meals and regular excursions to the zoo, park and mountains.