A “Grand” Weekend

Gramp’s Log

Star Date: 10062019

Location: State of Exhaustion

Gigi and Gramps have come to the mutual understanding that parenthood is for the young. I completely respect the Maker’s logic in making reproduction of little humans a generally young person’s role. They are easily gullible and excitable about making things (such as arts and crafts, new hobbies and little babies), and they are blinded by love from the reality of energy distribution. We have only so much energy to spend during any given day. When we are younger, we have more energy. As we grow older, our priorities tighten up to the necessary and extremely desirable. I hereby recognize that God, in His infinite wisdom, delegated Grandparents to the role of advisers and coordinators for parental support. It takes a family to raise a child, no doubt. My Gramps role is a support role. I’m good with that fact.

This weekend LauraGail (Gigi) and I had the pleasure to have both of our grandsons overnight for the first time. Sammy is just under two months old, and Ian just turned nine years old. Ian was the easy one, thanks to the digital age and our subscription to Netflix. Sammy was another story. He was a bit fussy, as infants are prone to be, but not exceptionally so. The fact that he hasn’t yet mastered the “sleep through the night” thing was the rough part for LauraGail and I. We value our sleep. We love and protect it, even. It’s almost our favorite recreational activity (if sleep can be categorized that way, and I think it should be). Infants have no such priorities. They sleep, eat, poop/pee, and repeat. That’s just what they do. They have no schedule, and they care not one whit whether you do. The night passed well enough. LauraGail and I probably got a straight four hours of sleep at some point. For a twenty to thirty year old, that’s totally doable. For us fifty-plus individuals, that’s like tapping into your emergency reserve of energy. We still got up the next morning, did our thing, and even made it to Church. We were like zombies by the end of the service. We thankfully did not nod off to sleep. Sammy helped by getting hungry/fussy towards the second half of the service. When Church was over, we made a bee-line to drop off the Grands, then another bee-line home. We both wolfed down a quick lunch and dove into the bed for a nap. Four hours later, LauraGail was waking me up. Best nap I’d had in forever.

I will get better at the Grandparent thing, I’m sure. I’ll learn more contingency planning and tactics to make it easier. I still love keeping the boys and playing with them. They have my heart and soul. Conversely, I don’t see my energy level going up any time soon. I’m currently doing a keto-based diet to get my weight down, and am planning to exercise and make quitting smoking a priority. All of that combined may give me more energy. I hope so. I don’t see it being an “I only need four hours of straight sleep” increase. Not at all. Ten percent increase, tops. There are certain things that this Gramps is good for, and things that involve lack of sleep are not my forte. Sorry kids.

That being said, I still had a great time being with Sammy and Ian. They are great little people, and I want to spend even more time with them. They give me hope for the future and a giddy, warmth in my heart. I just need that eight hours of sleep to enjoy them more. My hats off to the grandparents out there that are raising young people. God bless you. I’d do it, if need be, but I’d much rather not. My hats off, also, to Charlotte and Timothy (parents of said grandsons). You have my respect and admiration and prayers. I’ve been there, and I know how hard it can be. Let me remind you of something I’ve learned by being a parent. This is the one thing I always fall back on, when I count the cost of lost sleep, expenses, energy drain, and psychological stress of parenting four little people in my lifetime. I take one look at the people they’ve become and I am reminded of why I did it. You’re worth it. Totally. Remember that.