Paxton And Grandpa John

Paxton had his hair cut like Grandpa’s more than once now. Grandpa teases and when Paxton teases, he gets in trouble with his teen brothers. Some things I have overheard Grandpa and Pax talk about:

Day One this week

Grandpa: Ford is fix or repair daily, right?

Paxton: No, wrong. My dad’s Ford is running good and he doesn’t have to fix it all of the time. His Ford is better than your Ram!

Grandpa: Time to do your sit-ups and pushups, then we will take our walk.

Paxton: I already did them earlier.

Grandpa: You lying dog! Or is it hog or frog?

Grandpa: How come I am always working and you are always sitting around?

Day Two this week

Paxton the next time he came over and Grandpa was sitting around: How come I am always busy and you are always sitting around?

I hear laughter in the living room from my office. Then I find out that Paxton said, “Why can’t I use the bug zapper, I am getting the mosquitoes and it can probably get your moles too!” So the chase is on. Grandpa tried to catch Paxton with knees he was told not to run with.

I say, “Take it outside, no running around in the house!”

John says, “I just don’t want him to wreck my mosquito killer. It is not a toy.” I’m thinking, why is it just laying around then for him to find? I may be the only adult in the house right now.

Then I remember how he cut his finger on my paper cutter, not knowing what it was. I guess he can and will stumble onto things he shouldn’t have or play with.

Day Three this week

Grandpa: OMG, Monkey Bob or Sissy Box? Is that all you do all day when you aren’t with your grandpa?

Paxton: Sponge Bob! Or Tablet, or Xbox. Then I shoot baskets.

Grandpa: Time to go for a walk. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!

Paxton runs into my office to hide from Grandpa and it doesn’t work as John is right behind him. Now I am saying, “Be careful, you are going to break something.” Again, the only adult in the house today also.

Grandpa: Remember all the raspberries we picked last time we were out? They will all be full again.

Then I hear him whisper, “We will eat them all and we won’t bring any back for Grandma either!”

They came back from their walk; no mention of raspberries and they got ready to go to the dump. We recycle every week and even though I started that, he does it now. I love him for that! I have been recycling for a long time.

Next, it is getting ready to change spark plugs in many machines we have here at the place. They were taking out a few and then the plan is to ride to L&M for spark plugs. They would be riding on Grandpa’s motorcycle and having dinner in town.

He asked if I was going, but I declined. Time to myself to put a PowerPoint together for the first week in August and to have a quiet dinner all to myself.

They are camping tonight. He said that there were only 5 mosquitoes last night. I am waiting for no mosquitoes to camp with him on the property again.

I love being a grandmother and spending time with our grandchildren, especially since I live with the very best grandpa in the whole world! He has a go-kart, with a track, a gun range with bb’s and pellet guns, 4-wheelers, a snowmobile and we have motorcycles and a camper with camping spots on our property.

I was in the delivery room, giving my daughter Reiki as he was getting ready to be born. I was still recuperating from cancer as you may see by my short hair. He was a beautiful baby and still is a pretty cute kid. Between the cancer and then the pandemic we have a few gaps in our bonding.

We are making up for the gaps and I am doing my best to change that misfortune.

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First published by Penny Press in Medium.