There. I've said it. And it is published on the Internet for everyone to know forever.
Being a grandpa is so much better than being a parent. As a parent, you are always putting what is best for the child first, and sometimes that means being strict or being the bad guy. As a grandpa, I take my solemn duty of spoiling my grandkids seriously. I figure that their parents are better parents than I ever was, and so I don't have to worry about what is best for my grandchild. I just spoil 'em rotten and leave the worry to their parents!
There are a couple of very funny but true sayings about grandparents and grandchildren. They are related to each other, but are a little different. The one attributed to Sam Levenson states "The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy." The one attributed to Claudette Colbert states "Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy - the mother."
Now, before I get my daughters feeling bad and thinking that I view them as my enemy, let me state categorically that I do NOT consider my daughters to be my enemies. That being said, the truth is that my grandchildren and I will sometimes want to do things that their moms or dads will not exactly "approve" of. And that is part of the fun of being a grandpa! For example, I try to remember to ask permission to give my grandkids a treat, but sometimes....well.... Let's just say that sometimes they end up going home on a sugar high from the treats grandpa has given them!
I love it when my oldest grandchild, Bailee, comes to me and asks if she can do something. As a parent I almost looked for reasons to say "no", but as grandpa I want to say "yes" whenever I can. There have been times when we have conspired together to do something and that is so fun. I am probably closer to Bailee than any of the other grandchildren, because she is oldest and is most easy to have a conversation with. She is spending the night with Sue and me tonight, which is something not easily accomplished by her cousins.
Bailee's younger sister, Afton (who just turned 1 year old), is so funny. We went to dinner tonight with Dan & Janelle and their family. I was the last one to arrive at the table because I had dropped Sue off at the door and then parked the car. Afton didn't see me come to the table and when I sat down she got the biggest grin on her face and pointed at me and said "pa-pa". (I am pa-pa Dave to my grandkids, with pa-pa meaning Grandpa, not Dad). It made me feel so neat.
Janie, our second oldest grandchild, is a special bundle of joy. She will have to face some special issues in life that I never had to overcome, but I am at peace knowing the Gosple Plan for her. I love to pick her up and cuddle with her. And whenever I do (and I don't do it often enough), she quiets right down and seems to enjoy looking me in the eye. I don't enjoy singing in front of others, but I love to sing to Janie because she really loves it, and she makes me feel special when I sing for her.
Ammon, our youngest grandchild, is also our only grandson. He is so funny to watch and play with. I predict that he is going to be a schemer as he gets older. He gets this look in his eye like he is plotting the end of the world (not that he is being evil, it is just that he has great plans). He loves to examine new things and he is all BOY. He is so fun, and I have to say, so significantly different from his Case family cousins.
I'm sure that you have all seen the copies of our family portrait, but I am including it here below so that you can see who I am talking about:
Left to right, standing, is Andy, Sue, and Me.
Left to right, sitting in family groups, are:
Matt & Kathie, with their son Ammon
Dan & Janelle, with their daughters Bailee and Afton
Jason & Meg, with their daughter Janie
With a family like this, life is wonderful!
Dave
P.S. If any of my cousins read this I would be very interested in hearing from them and knowing how close they are to being a grandparent!
