Daniel Zetino, a Grandchild

Three of my children have borne children, totaling six grandchildren.  Five of the six live away from Southern California.  Only Daniel lives here.  Every few weeks his mother brings him from his home in nearby Valencia where he lives with her and an assortment of her extended family to visit "Gee-ma" and "Shum-pa."

By way of explanation, my oldest grandchild, Isaac, who now lives in Washington, originally couldn't say "grandpa" and called me "Mum-pa."  The next oldest, Elizabeth, who now lives in New Jersey, didn't hear "Mum-pa" and started calling me "Pum-pa," by which name I am also known to her siblings, the triplets.  Daniel didn't hear "Pum-pa" or "Mum-pa" but heard "Shum-pa."  It's all very confusing for me because I have to remember who I am with to call myself by my name known to them.  Sometimes it comes out "Grumpummumshum-PA," all slurred together!

At any rate, Daniel is a sweet boy, and it is great to have him spend time with us.  He has historically cried and carried on when his mother drops him off or when we pick him up, and he did so this past weekend.  But hours later, after he mourns the separation from her, he gets into the grandparents routine, and by Sunday afternoon, having had a great time with us, he becomes sheepish about leaving us.  Go figure!

We try to show love to him any way we can.  We do not indulge him, despite occasional protestations, but consistently complement him for good choices, minimize the amount of TV time, watch a movie and eat microwave popcorn, make sure he puts away toys when he is leaving, read bedtime stories to him, and feed him nutritional food (one of his favorites being what he calls "popsicle yogurt" which is Yoplait Orange Creme yogurt with a orangesicle on the label).

A couple of activities we always seem to do which he enjoys is going to the kiddie park which is about 150 yards from our home, and going grocery shopping at the supermarket close to the park.  He enjoys playing in the sand with our beach toys, swinging, climbing, generally having a fun time.  I always get him laughing when, after pushing him in a swing, I will stand in front of him facing away and allow him to gently kick my behind.  I love to hear his laughs.  He also enjoys how "Shum-pa" puts him in the grocery cart and then will tickle him, or push the cart in circles, or pretend to almost crash the cart into displays.

This past weekend, he had a jolly time chasing Suki the cat around the house, attempting to get the cat to play with the dangling teasing toy in his hand.  He also enjoys playing with marbles on the "back-and-forth-marble-ramp" in which the marbles descends with gravity down a switchback path.  This toy has been a favorite of all of the grandchildren, as well as of our kids, since it was made many years ago by Grandpa Paxman.

Doug, his father, and one of the kids that played with the marble thingy, is serving in the US Army.  When Daniel comes to our home, we always make sure that he gets to talk with his Daddy, either just on the phone, or with Skype.  He sometimes gets sad when it is time to say goodbye (read:more separation anxiety), but I know that he loves hearing and sometimes seeing Daddy, and it is one of the highlights for him.

Another thing that he seems to look forward to doing is attending church services on Sunday.  We have bought some awesome sticker books which keep him occupied and which allow us to listen--kind of.  He used to go to nursery afterward where he was showered with attention and care by a wonderful, loving older woman, but this past weekend he started a new class with older kids, and did just great!  It is now part of his routine when he visits "Gee-ma" and "Shum-pa," and he always verifies that we are going to attend services on Sunday.

Because he is the only child in his home, and I have to guess, because it is part of his personality, he does well playing alone. Although he will become bored, he doesn't complain, and will do something else to amuse himself.  Having grown up essentially as essentially an only child myself, I relate to his behavior completely.

He has a calm temperament.  He does things when asked, often immediately, and is never under foot.  He can be very affectionate (I really like the occasional hugs I get), and likes sitting on laps, or next to us on the sofa while watching the movie.  He is simply a pleasure to have with us, and he has taken up residence in my heart!

Election Day 2012

           Today is the long awaited day—at least by people who have paid attention to Elections 2012.  I count myself as one of those people.  I have blogged a little about it, specifically about the notion of having a Mormon President of the United States.  I have read and listened much. This morning I voted, and must admit that, feeling a little philosophical as to the implications of what I was doing, I felt tears welling up.  I was a little surprised to feel that emotion, but then, I am all about feeling my emotions these days.

            Living in California, I am keenly aware of being LDS, and how I am regarded differently.  I know I am different.  I am keenly aware that my religious forefathers were persecuted, imprisoned, and even murdered for their beliefs, being ignored by the government that should have protected them.  The sweet irony is that there is a distinct possibility that a Mormon—one of my people-- might be elected to lead that government and to become the most powerful person in my country and indeed in the world.

            Whether or not the reader votes or doesn’t vote for Mitt Romney, I would propose that this man is the embodiment of a “good” man.  I would propose that this good man has been married to the same woman for over 40 years, and while longevity in marriage is not necessarily an indicator of marital bliss, having listened to him talk about her and her talk about him, there can be little doubt that their relationship remains sweet.  When I watch them talk to one another, I see the sparkle in their eyes that belies their profound feelings for each other.

            This good man has raised five sons to be responsible, civic, and religious citizens, no small accomplishment in the 21^st Century.  He has spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours serving those around him as an ecclesiastical leader.  As a former leader myself, I am very aware of the caring and love involved as you counsel with folks who struggle physically, emotionally, and spiritually, for no pay.  Because he has been blessed with wealth which came to him as a result of using God-given talents, he has donated truly significant amounts of money to the Church and toward its humanitarian purposes.

            He loves and very much respects his parents.  He appreciates their challenges and the challenges of grandparents and beyond.  Even though Mitt was born into wealth, he, like so many, was raised by parents who knew the value of money and hard work.  He has attempted to instill these important values in his children, knowing of the importance of such values.

There is no doubt in my mind that he loves this country and cares deeply about its future.  Like me, he believes that the United States is an exceptional country, founded by men who were inspired and raised up for that very purpose.  It perhaps would have been easy for him to sit back and enjoy his wealth and let others steer the ship, but he cares so deeply about my country that he has put himself in the fray—to battle for the freedom, liberty and other values that made this country great.

So today I voted for this good man.  I realize I have a deep connection with him.  He is everything good my religious belief system embodies.  On an even more intimate level, he is me, and on some level, I am him.  …So my tears are welling up again….  

The Page Is Turned

The Adam Johnson family left in its entirety early this past Sunday morning for their residence in Brooklyn, New York.  They arrived safely, thank God.  Our daughter Emily reports that she and the kids are settling in to their previous life there.  And I'm sure Adam is back in the routine of bottles, diapers, bathing, taking Elizabeth to potty. But our home is VERY quiet now.  Items left in one place one day are still there the next.  It takes three to four days to fill up our dishwasher.  Did I say that our home is VERY quiet now?

I find myself missing (somewhat) the "controlled chaos."  I find myself missing the hugs and smiles.  I find myself missing Elizabeth's giggles.  I find myself missing the love I felt from Emily.

Emily reported that when they finally arrived back at their apartment in Brooklyn after the long flight, upon entering, Eddie looked around and said, "Pumpa?"   

 

Eddie's 24-Hour Diary

Having four of our grandchildren here for a couple of months is quite a journey! We are enjoying having everyone here, especially when a child looks up at you and wants to be held. At that time, the crying and screaming they do fades away and you remember how much you love them and that they are behaving exactly how they should be behaving at this age. 

I have not posted on this blog since Christmas Eve because I have been so busy being a grandpa, being "Pumpa."  I figured what I was experiencing was an exceptional experience and that those few who read this would find it interesting if not amusing. Before you read it, however, I have to acknowledge the superhuman efforts of my daughter Emily, their mother.  She deserves every bit of admiration and credit for this most difficult task she is doing.  Her patience is just incredible, her caring boundless, and her love for them undeniable. She amazes me.

So here is what I have been experiencing as seen through the eyes of one of my grandbabies. Enjoy the ride!

Waaaaaah, waaaaaah, waaaaaaaaah.  My name is Eddie and I am living right now with my “Pumpa and Geema,” and I thought that it would be fun for some of Pumpa’s friends to know what it’s like to be with my Mama and three-year-old sister, Elizabeth, and my triplet brother, Charley, and sister, Lucy.  Pumpa is writing this down because my siblings and I are just a little older than one year old.

My day begins…waaaaaaaaaaaaah…sometimes at about 3am.  I’m not fully awake but I sometimes will cry.  Waaaaaaaaah.  I just woke up Charley.  We’ll cry for a little while and maybe fall back to sleep until around 6:15.  Waaaaaaaah…that’s Charley…waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…that’s Lucy; I might as well cry…Waaaaaaah.  That’s enough noise to get Mom and Geema and Pumpa up out of bed.  The first thing…Waaaaaah, Waaaaaah, Waaaaaah…that happens is that either Pumpa or Geema or Mama put our three bottles of 8 ounces of milk in the microwave, one at a time, for 55 seconds.  Ahhhhhh…warm milk.  The three adults are cradling us while we hold our bottles.

It’s time to get our first of four or five diaper changes.  Feels good to have Geema change me.  She’ll put the wet diaper with the two others just out the back door where they’re dropped until Pumpa takes a bunch to the black garbage bin that gets pretty full (and stinky) in a week’s time.  Before we came, Pumpa says that sometimes he didn’t even put that bin out every week.

It’s about 7 now, and we’re playing with some toys on the living room floor, next to where our three cribs are.  Pumpa and Geema had some friends who loaned them a couple of pack and plays that work as our cribs.  They go along with the one that they already had that my cousin Daniel sleeps in when he stays the night with my Uncle Doug.  Waaaaaaaaaaaah.  Charley just fell on me.  Here comes Mama.  We’ve kind of taken over the living room.  It was really fun when the Christmas tree in the corner was up and we would try to take ornaments off.  Waaaaaaah.  That’s Lucy crying because Charley just took a book from her.  Is Mama going to come pick her up?  Here comes my older sister Elizabeth.  She’s three years old and our crying probably woke her up.  But then she got up at least once I think and started crying and woke Mama up. 

Waaaaaaaaaaah.  Lucy must be hungry.  It’s about 7:30 and time for breakfast.  Pumpa puts Charley in one of the three high chairs in the kitchen, one loaned by friends.  We all get our bibs put on as Mom prepares our meal: oatmeal mixed with applesauce and honey. Yummmmm!  Either Mama or Pumpa or Geema sit facing us with a TV tray in front of a chair, and they open their mouths to get us to open our mouths.  One mouth, two mouths, three mouths…kind of like Dr. Seuss!  Waaaaaaaaaaah.  Lucy can’t wait for another bite.  She gets the next spoonful.  I think Mom is starting to give us little bowls with spoons to try to feed ourselves but we’re not too good at it yet.  In front of the bowl are three “sipee cups” full of milk to help wash down the oatmeal.  Waaaaaaaaaaaah.  Charley wants banana.  Dad taught Pumpa and Geema a trick with a banana before he went back to Brooklyn last week where we live.  It helps when we are getting bored with oatmeal. The adult has the spoon in their right hand, filled with oatmeal, and cuts the banana with the left hand.  The adult opens their mouth which makes us open our mouths in anticipation of a slice of banana, and shoves in the oatmeal and drops the banana slice on our tray.  Pretty sneaky!  I think I’ll turn and drop my sipee cup on the floor.  The adults do not like it when I do that. 

After we’re washed off at the sink, we start playing with toys again.  Pumpa and Geema sit at the dining room table after we’re done and help Elizabeth eat her cereal for breakfast.  They eventually eat their breakfast.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  Somebody fell on me.  Geema is coming to the living room to make sure I’m not hurt.  Waaaaaa.  Charley took a toy from Lucy.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  Charley took a toy from me.  Waaaaaaaaah.  I took a toy from Charley.  Waaaaaaah…waaaaaaaaaaaaaah…waaaaaaaah.  We’re all crying.  It’s probably time for our morning nap/crib time because it’s getting close to 9.  Mama usually sings a little lullaby to us before putting us down; we like it when she sings to us.  When we’re all down she closes the door and goes to the dining room to have her breakfast and maybe work on the crossword puzzle from the newspaper.  I think she does it to help her mind from turning to jelly, like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches she’ll fix for us when we wake up for our mid morning snack.

Pumpa has gone to work but Geema is here all day.  She has a two-month break from teaching and that’s why she invited us to come stay with her and Pumpa.  Mom needs help because dealing with us is pretty hard.  When Pumpa is here, he’ll change diapers, help feed us, and read books to us, and hold us when we need to be held.  He likes it when we smile.  He’s got a goofy smile, and he is always squeezing my nose or tickling me under my chin.

PU! Somebody’s pooped.  Oh, it’s me.  Waaaaaaaaaaah.  Here comes Geema to change me…thank heavens.  That’s another dirty diaper for outside.  PU!  I think Lucy’s filled her drawers as well.   Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.  Lucy doesn’t like Mama trying to hold her arms so she can’t put her fingers in the goo.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  Charley just fell down on Lucy while she’s getting her poopy diaper changed.  Mama and Geema are taking us out of our pajamas and putting us into our day outfits.

Waaaaaaaaaah.  I want to be held.  Waaaaaaaaaaaah.  Charley’s crying and screaming because I took his toy from him.  Waaaaaaaah.  Charley was climbing onto a chair and wants to get down.   Waaaaaaah…waaaaaaaaaaaah.  Lucy fell on me and I bumped my head.  We’re all playing with toys for awhile, quietly.  Mom can’t get onto the computer while we’re up like the few minutes she stole to go on Facebook while we were in our cribs.  She tells Geema that it helps her keep somewhat attached to the outside world. Waaaaaaah…waaaaaaah…waaaaaaah.  I think that it’s time for our lunch: PB&J and pieces of fresh pear or grapes cut in half.  Yummmm.  I like getting it all over my face.  So does Lucy and Charley.  Mama and Geema rinse us off and then it’s another lullaby at about 1 for our nap.  I give Geema a big smile and that makes her smile.

Mama says it’s pretty quiet when we’re all asleep.  But you know what.  We don’t go right to sleep, usually not right away.  Pumpa says that we play around for awhile and then eventually fall asleep.  While we’re asleep, Mama or Geema sometimes go to the supermarket to buy more whole milk for us and 1% milk for the adults.  When Pumpa and Geema were alone, they would go through a gallon of milk every 8-9 days.  They’re buying milk every other day now.

Waaaaaaaaaaah.  I’m bored and I want out of my crib.  Waaaaaaaaaaah.  I woke up Charley.  Here comes Mom.  Let’s see, where can I put this toy so nobody else will find it?  Waaaaaaaah.  Charley took my toy.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  I hit Charley on the head with a plastic cup.  Mama is not very pleased with me.  Waaaaaaah…waaaaaaaaaah.  Lucy and Charley want the same toy.  Here comes Mama and Geema.  Waaaaah…waaaaaaah.  We’re hungry because it’s time for our afternoon snack.  Mama has cut up some cheese into little cubes and filled other “sippy cups” with water.  That will help wash down the cheese and cracker pieces that she’s giving us.

I like running around the dining room table with my Elizabeth except when she can’t stop herself and knocks me down.  Sometimes I cry or my brother and sister cry when she takes a toy away from us that she wants for herself.  But she also helps Mama by closing doors or getting something  Mama needs.  I think sometimes Mama gets pretty upset with her, but Mama always makes up by loving her a little more afterwards.  Mama is that way with me too.  I know that this is really hard on her and I think Mama likes being here where she can get help with us.

I like looking out the window.  Waaaaaaaaaaaah.    Charley is crying because he climbed onto a chair and can’t get down.  Lucy is playing with toys on the living room floor but she likes looking at books too.  I like to crawl onto Geema’s lap and have her read to me.  We all like it when Mama or Geema or Pumpa read to us.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  Charley just took my book away.  Waaaaaaaaaaaah.  Elizabeth wanted to read that book and took it away from Charley.  Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.  Elizabeth is crying and screaming because Mama took the book away from her.  I think Mom wants to let us run around outside on the grass for a change so Mama and Geema are putting on our shoes.  It’s nice here in California.  Daddy says that it’s been cold in Brooklyn.  I like it when Mama calls up Daddy and talks to him and lets us talk with him.  Mama tries to Skype with him so that we all can see him and don’t forget him.  But is usually is hard to sit in a chair while Skyping with Daddy.  We all want to see him and we fight for position.  Waaaaaaaah…waaaaaaaah…waaaaaaaah.

Mama tries to take advantage of the grass and the enclosed yard every day, a couple of things we don’t have in Brooklyn.  It’s pretty hard living in our second story, 700 square foot, two bedroom apartment with no washer or dryer or dishwasher.  Mama also tries to keep a tradition each day that we have in Brooklyn.  She tells us that we are going to have dance time, and we’ll all gather in Pumpa’s office which is now Elizabeth’s bedroom, and dance to You Tube songs she plays on Pumpa’s computer.  We all really like the Wiggle and Hold Still song.  I’m pretty good at holding still like a statue—for about three seconds.

It’s getting time for dinner.  It’s about 5:45 in the afternoon.  Mama will feed us some food that Geema made, or sometimes food that she makes.  Pumpa usually is home by now and he helps us put on our bibs, and he’ll wash up the high chairs and trays afterwards.  When we’re finished, I’ll play with some toys or look at books or ask Pumpa to hold me.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  Lucy fell down and hit her head.  Here comes Mama to comfort her.  Waaaaaaaaaah.  She likes holding me;s he likes holding all of us. Charley is getting his diaper changed but doesn’t like lying still while Mama changes him.  PU.  Mama is reaching for the wipes that are just about gone.  We go through about a container of 72 in about ten days.  Geema and Mama went to Costco a couple of weeks ago to buy diapers and they bought two big boxes—around 300 diapers.  I don’t think that they’ll last us until we go back to Brooklyn just before Valentine’s Day.  

I know that all of the adults are looking forward to us going to bed so I might as well not fight having Mama take off my clothes and putting on my pajamas.  Lucy and Charley are getting into their pajamas now, and pretty soon Mama will make sure we have our pacifiers in our mouths and will gently rock us before placing us with our blankets so that we can go to sleep.  Waaaaaaaaaaaaah.  Charley does not want to go to bed.  Mama taps him and tells him she loves him and that she’ll see him in the morning.  I sure like it when Mama sings the Go To Sleep lullaby to me before putting me down.  I know that she loves me and loves our family.  I know that Pumpa and Geema love us too.

Once we’re down, it’s time for Elizabeth and the adults to eat dinner.  Sometimes they eat when we’re still up but that isn’t so good for their digestion.  After finishing dinner, Mama begins the process of putting Elizabeth in her pajamas and getting her ready for bed.  Elizabeth always wants to stay up with the adults and will keep doing things to stall finally having the night light on and her tucked in bed with her Pooh and Foofa dolls and her blankets.  Mama sometimes gets a little impatient with her, but I know Mama loves her. 

If they’re lucky, the adults won’t hear us wake up too much in the night.  Pumpa and Geema have started wearing ear plugs.  We all sometimes will stir and wake up and cry just a short time but then fall back to sleep.  I need to get a good night’s sleep so that I can do this all over again tomorrow here at Pumpa and Geema’s house in California!