GRANDCHILDREN BRING HIGH ENERGY INTO A QUIET HOME

George McGurn

May 19, 1999

I just came off the golf course and Gina gave me the word. My son, Ross, and his family are on their way. There is no panic. Gina and I each know our grandparent roles. Gina's mind is shifting into food preparation. No time for a leisurely trip to Demoulas. It's a quick dash to Ralph's Market for chicken, broccoli and some vanilla ice cream. Then she will make a quick sweep with the vacuum cleaner.

My job is relocation of anything that could be damaged, destroyed or become a lethal weapon for the boys. All golf clubs and golf balls are hidden away. All TV clickers are moved to a safer space. My reading glasses, pens and any important papers also moved well out of reach. Now the food is on the stove and the house is ready for company.

My next move is a quick rest on the couch. Because I know that I am going to be burning some energy once the boys arrive. Ross calls his boys the Amazing Dupa Brothers-Donny and Danny. The oldest is almost 4 and the youngest is almost 2. And they and going to be ready to frolic.

Well, here they are. Ross said that the boys slept a little bit on the way over so their batteries are all charged. We remember to give both boys some space while they show us how they can take off their coats all by themselves. The 2 year old is very sensitive to any outside help so we give him some extra time to get his jacket off. Then we give both boys a round of applause for their effort.

Ross, Kristin and Gina head for the kitchen for some adult chit-chat. And the 3 of us kids are racing upstairs for our first frolic. It's into the bathroom and onto the bathroom digital scale. This scale has a bright red "O" that races back and forth until the weight comes up. To dramatize the effect we pull down the shades, close the door and turn off the lights.

I know the scale drill very well. It's on the scale. Wait for the red "O" to race back and forth. Then applause for any number that comes up. The oldest boy knows how to keep both feet on the scale so we get an accurate reading. But the 2 year old gets carried away with the excitement and usually takes one foot off the scale and comes up with a reading of 3 pounds. But we still applaud.

The boys find it tough to wait for turns so I have to do a little refereeing. This madness goes on for about 30 minutes before they get bored.

Now it's time for a quick lunch. And then while the adults are settling in for coffee and more chit-chat the kids are out the door and heading for the back yard for a game of tag. Next comes hide and seek. The 4 year old is fine. But the 2 year old still can't control his enthusiasm. So anytime anyone comes close to his hiding place he just pops out with a big smile.

Now the boys want to go down cellar and play with the golf balls. I have boxes filled with 300 golf balls in the cellar. And the boys love it when they sit next to the pool table and I throw 300 golf balls all at once on the pool table. The boys love the sound and the energy of 300 golf balls crashing around. The boys then sort the balls by color, by the number on each ball and also by any picture on the balls.

Ross calls downstairs and tells us that it's almost time for baths. So we begin to shift into a slow-down mode. We pick up all the golf balls and put them back into the box. Then it's upstairs for a bath. The boys love to take baths in grampa's tub. Everyone crowds into the bathroom at once and we combine a little bathing with a little peek-a-boo behind the sliding doors.

We have been recording some of the activities with my camcorder. So now we treat the boys with a snack. And then we settle in to watch some video of the boys. It took the oldest boy a long time before he accepted the idea that he was the baby in the film. He kept on saying that it was his younger brother.

Now they both recognize themselves in the video and love to watch the parts when they were much younger. The 4 year old really enjoys watching himself on video. He focuses on the activity and asks a lot of question about what is going on in the film. The 2 year old watches for a few minutes and then he is off.

Well, now it's a little past their bedtime so getting the boys ready to go home is a little struggle. But we all pitch in and the boys are in their car seats and ready to go.

As the car pulls out of the driveway I begin to return the contraband materials to their regular place. Gina puts the dishes in the dishwasher. And then we head upstairs for some much needed sleep. We are really wiped out. And no wonder. It t must be close to midnight. Wow. Something must be wrong with that clock. It says it's only 7:35.