Jersey Contact

Come Along Grandpa

After a delightful nighttime drive through the new road construction capitol of the world, that benighted traffic quagmire known as Connecticut, we arrived late last night in New Jersey to assume babysitting duties. My daughter and Wingman return to LA for the weekend wedding of one of Wingman’s band mates. The trust didn’t come easy as my daughter prepared a very detailed list of the First Blog Reader’s daily routine. I’m a little concerned about her confidence in our abilities to parent, but that’s for a psychiatrist to delve into.

What Do We Have Here?

Wingman was a little more sanguine since he’s spends most of the day with his daughter. He knows the potential pitfalls of veering from the schedule and seemed to take a little bit of devilish pleasure in predicting granddaughter meltdowns. They were both taking guilty pleasure in planning their free weekend – the way only parents of a toddler freed from child rearing duties can truly appreciate. She was, of course, fast asleep by the time Connecticut released its fiendish grip on us. That made this morning’s wake up all the more fun. There was no hesitation as she jumped into our bed to deliver trademark hugs.

Gifts!

I'm Sure I can Dominate That - But What is that in the Kitchen?

Water Table!

As soon as we walked downstairs she quickly spied the shopping bags that held the loot from her grandmother’s and Great Aunt’s shopping excursions. This is definitely learned behavior that she associates with our visits (just doing our jobs as grandparents). She tolerated the gift of clothes until she spied the big box we thought we’d hidden in the kitchen. She made a bee line to the splash table box and we agreed I would assemble it directly after breakfast. She’s a very firm negotiator.

Running Hugs

All too soon her parents had to depart for the airport but not before receiving running hugs from their daughter; possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Testament to our growing stature in her pantheon she didn’t pitch a fit when waving goodbye to her parents. I’m guessing she knew we weren’t fully prepared to deny her anything. She provided very able assistance in the assembly of her water table which will have to wait for a more clement day for deployment outside.

Helping Abuela Make Breakfast

We were then off for a shopping expedition to lay in grandparent appropriate supplies for our weekend. In the Target store I was confronted with what is rapidly becoming a very formidable duo in the shopping arena – My Favorite Panamanian and her granddaughter. We were looking for diapers and I’d already told my wife we weren’t going to buy anything else after the morning’s haul she’d opened. Somehow they maneuvered me to the toddler section and a rain coat and a pair of boots later I escaped. I initially told my wife no on the boots and then my granddaughter “coo’ed” when she saw them and I was a dead duck.

Assembling Water Table under Strict Supervision

I'll Have to Test That Grandpa

How'd He Do Abuela?

Since neither Target nor Whole Foods had the right size diapers we GPSed to the nearest Wal-Mart where the collusion between the two generations of shopping once again asserted itself. I can now say I once purchased a green stuffed frog in the wilds of Union, New Jersey. I could not possibly be happier right now. This grandparent gig is everything I hoped it would be and so, so much more. Blogging however must wait until nap time because my undivided attention is required at all other times, happily bequeathed of course.

Shopping is in Her Blood

Green Frog Acquisition