Grandparenting Trail

Okay, still basking in the minute by minute revelations of what being a new grandparent is like. I think I went through the same gamut of emotions as a new father but was either too young, too dumb, or most probably, too scared to appreciate them. My granddaughter is training her parents on survival requirements and is fairly profound in her methods.

Photos Taken by New Mom Trying to Convince her Daughter She Should Sleep
Taken at 3:00AM

She sleeps for about three hours before demanding her mother/cafeteria immediately attend to her hunger. Wingman is a doting father and is ready to execute a fast becoming expert diaper change. They seem to be approaching this whole parenting thing with a lot more planning than I can remember doing. My granddaughter is the beneficiary of their devotion. I haven’t heard her cry a lot which is diametrically opposed to our experience with her mother.

The New Parenting Team at Work

My Favorite Panamanian was finally able to escape the apartment long enough to address the very real need to shop for her new granddaughter. Since the new parents didn’t know the sex of the impending child until the delivery room my wife’s shopping gene lay dormant until then. Since the new parents were busy being new parents she couldn’t do anything until her patsy, I mean husband, showed up. We addressed her serious “jonesing” yesterday and I mostly behaved myself. I was in charge of locating the baby stores in the large mall and keeping my mouth shut when it came to my usual poignant comments on the amount of time shopping with my wife entails. 

Christmas Tree in L.A.

She was seriously in her element as each store was apprised of just how perfect our new granddaughter is. I kind of enjoyed that part of the experience. We stopped for lunch in part of the complex while they were preparing for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony nearby. It seemed so incongruous with the eighty degree heat but I guess I should enjoy it while I can. I did re-discover how much fun I have hanging out with my Favorite Panamanian, even if there’s intense shopping involved. Maybe the granddaughter has already mellowed me out some.

My Wife Displaying Her Prizes

When we returned I kidnapped Wingman for an hour away from his parenting skills development. It’s important to stay well rounded and he had promised to show me a favorite brewery pub he’d found locally. Promises are promises and I think he liked the all too short sojourn. It gave us the chance to compare notes on fatherhood and I left even more impressed with this young man. He gets it.

Wingman at the Golden Road

The Golden Road Brewery is located right next to a railway and the first train that snuck up on me while we enjoyed our beer on the sunlit deck scared the bejesus out of me when it sounded its horn. Wingman knew it was coming and every single train that came by did the same thing as there was a crossing just past the brewery which required it. It was all part of the ambience but I couldn’t believe it was late November and I was sitting outside in warm sunlight talking with the father of the First Blog Reader. This would have to count as my L.A. pub crawl so I secured a t-shirt and since this is L.A. they were also selling baby “onesies” which we secured for the newest addition to the family. It had “Made in L.A.” on the back which is true.

The Earlier Generation Knocking Some Rust Off

We were back in the apartment for Thursday night football which starts at 5:30pm out here and is all over by 9. I could get used to that. Our hosts are the cable company’s realized fears about this new generation. They get virtually everything I do in my vast cable package but do it through a smart TV and the internet. I’m guessing they’re paying substantially less than I am. Wingman had been extolling the virtues of his approach and was a little miffed when he was unable to get the game to load. The TV must have been having a less than smart phase but after some maniacal tinkering it came on and all was right with the world. The First Blog Reader will not be allowed to watch TV for the first two years but she joined in the fun as her parents and grandparents extolled her already manifest virtues with the game in the background.

Not Getting Old - in the Least

We ended the night (at least for the grandparent side of the equation) binge watching a couple episodes of a series I’d heard about but avoided so far – Fargo. If you don’t have a lot of free time then don’t start watching because it will hook you; darkest comedy at its best. We’ll be picking it back up when we get back to Worcester. Well I’ve only got one more day here in L.A. so I’m going to step away from the computer and go back to staring at my granddaughter, can’t get enough of that.