Grandmom's boy

This whole grandmother things is such a revelation. When I had my girls, I was consumed with love for both of them. I loved watching them become little people in their own rights. It's such an added joy to watch as something that you basically grew -- kind of like a tomato plant -- actually turns into a full-fledged human adult being.

The childhood years are so much fun; just watching them learn and explore. Then they become teenagers and you realize that Nature in all her Glory made adolescents completely repulsive so that parents are more than ready to detach and let the little bastards fly free.

Now a whole new phase is here: Grandparenting. First off, it sounds fatal, which I'm not too sure I like. Grandparents don't live that long in your life. They're cherished and they have a huge impact in many cases, but they tend to be gone by your 20s and 30s. Even the ones who live longer are often so feeble that their impact is almost gone.

Then there's the whole gravitas aspect of grandparenting. You're supposed to be all wise and old; full of experience and knowledge. While I was ready to be a parent, I'm not sure I'm ready to be a dignified old person.

Be that as it may, I'm a grandmom and I'm finding that I'm drawn more and more to my little grandson. He is seriously one of the funniest babies I've ever seen. I'm not sure what it is because he's not even really talking, but he has a way that just cracks me up. He does things that are straight-out hilarious and then he'll just get involved with one of his little projects and I'm mesmerized.

Cody's shining moment during his last visit was when Lindsay had said something and we were all kind of laughing and Cody just burst in, saying really loud, "HA! HA! HA! HA!" Each Ha said clearly and distinctly from the other: it's totally making fun of whoever he's responding to. He kept doing it when we'd laugh and we'd crack up. Sometimes he'd try to make it more guffaw-y, like Courtney's horse laugh, but mostly he'd just do the HA! thing.

Courtney said they were in St. Louis between flights and they were hanging out at a restaurant. A man at the next table was there with some people she said acted like subordinates. The man told this really corny, lame joke and everyone, Courtney said, started to laugh politely because he WAS the boss, but it really wasn't funny. And Cody let loose with "HA! HA! HA! HA!" really loud, looking at the guy. Everyone just started to crack up -- rolling on the floor, tears streaming from the eyes cracked up. Courtney said the dude didn't know WHAT to do. Here's a 13-month-old making fun of him. So the guy just left.

Serves him right. If you can't laugh along with a baby, then you're way too much of an asshole IMO.

It's just that there's something about Cody -- a complete engagement with the world around him that's always been evident, that is absolutely compelling. He's a complete flirt and can be cajoled out of a crying fit just by the sight of someone smiling at him from across the room.

The kid's got a way. I called today and spoke with him. I was chirping into the phone making enthusiastic noises. I finally said, "Cody, do you miss your grandmom," at which he replied, "yeah" and gave the phone back to Courtney. I KNOW he didn't have a clue as to what I meant, or even if he heard me at all. But just the fact that he did it at the right time made me melt.

It's sad to be so far away. It will be even more sad when Alex is born because if all our instincts are right, he's going to be another Cody. It's times like these when it's hard to have your kid so far away.