A DAY OF “HAPPY” …

Last week, I shared a baby shower for my daughter.

This happened the day after!

Since all my immediate family was in town, on the east coast together, everyone agreed to make it a “Happy” day.

“Happy” is not his real name. His great-grand, Goldie, lovingly endowed him with the name. She was introduced to “Pappy”: given her small vocabulary as a one-year-old dubbed him “HAPPY”. He loves the title.

We now refer to him as both in my family. “Happy Pappy” either or both suit him perfectly!!

We all rose early, taking the three-hour trip over the river, through the woods and across the Bay Bridge to spend the day with our eldest senior member of the family.

He hadn’t met two of his “greats” given Covid and half of the country that lies between.

Today was the day!

My Dad lives solo and at 92 1/2 his days are pretty quiet. Twelve of us descended, breaking his silence for a good 8+ hours. My older brother and his wife joined us, so 14 people.

Of course, we took care of all the details. My daughter and her husband supplied the lunch, which was a smorgasbord. We ordered in for dinner, which fed the army in Dad’s home.

Zee Zee (me), of course, brought a few bags of kid fun for the adventure.

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(If you’ve wondered and didn’t know, I chose “Mumzee” (English) for my “grandma” name. Deacon, my first grandbaby, shortened it to “Zee Zee”, which is easier for young ones to say. I love it!)

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There were hugs, snuggles, giggles, dances, etc. for hours. The weather was sunny and in the 60s (in February), so we had outside time too! We did some porch sitting, watching our six-year-old and cousin-twin two-year-olds play ball, run around and play with disc shooters.

I wanted to bring an outside toy and remembered these disc shooters. I thought they could be fun; hoping our young ones could launch them. The two-year-olds needed help to turn and pull the trigger. But they loved shooting and chasing them. Dad has a pretty large clear front yard. These discs shot a long distance. I stayed with Justice and helped him and Goldie’s Dad helped her.

Funny Story: We had been shooting and retrieving discs for a while. After we launched the disc, I’d say “Go get it Justice!” For a long while, he ran out and brought it back. I knew he had to be getting tired. After one launch, with lots of enthusiasm, he said, “Go get it Zee Zee!”, using the same tone I used for him! A quick study… he knew how to turn this game around! Of course, I went and got it. I couldn’t resist that adorable brilliant request!! I tired too; then my brother took over. He had Dennis chasing discs for a while!! Great management/people skills!

Another “win” was the Stomp Rocket! My husband’s sister gifted it to Deacon the day before, so we brought it along. It was one of the smaller ones, so they could launch it indoors and out. The three older grands had tons of fun with it! So did their dads and Papa. One of their favorites was “butt” launches, which I prefer to call “bum” launches. (My guys laugh at me.) They would drop on the launch pad with their bums and the rockets would fly high! Oh my goodness, so many giggles!

Of course, we wanted a photo of “Happy” and his greats. My daughter, being a photographer, came equipped to capture. We knew we had to do this almost immediately upon arrival with any hopes of wrangling the high energy cousin crew. So, we attempted a 92, 6, two 2-year-olds and a 2 1/2-month-old photo shoot.

It sure was fun to watch, but I would not have wanted to be the photographer. Hehe. Liv, my daughter, loves children and family shoots. She does marvelous kid captures!

I suppose it’s the phone camera/selfie prominence in our culture: all three grands have learned to stick out their tongues when you ask for a “smile”!! It cracks me up. Almost all the pics Liv took had somebody’s tongue sticking out!! They didn’t even get it by looking at each other. They all just do it themselves! (Note… I love photos and the convenience and volumes of pictures we now can take any second!)

They were all sitting on the couch and everyone was moving randomly, so Liv said, “Everyone put your arm around each other”; that ended with no one’s face looking at the camera. The photo below, I think she said, “Everyone hug Pappy”. And this was the WINNER!

I love Deacon’s loving expression and care for Indie and Pappy. Justice’s arm over Pappy and the two-year-old version of hugging/squeezing his neck of Goldie with Justice completely happy about it!! And of course the bliss of “Happy’s” face being surrounded by the littles!! My cup runneth over!!

BRAVO Liv!!

She also took some of just the three siblings and Pap. They aren’t available yet. You can’t tell in the pic, but Deacon’s shirt says “Biggest Bro”. Justices’ says “Big Bro”. And Indie’s onesie says “Indie”. I can’t wait to see those pics too!

In our toy bags were beads. Deacon made jewelry for “Happy” to wear! Notice ring, bracelet and necklace! He willingly participated!

Then Pap got Deacon inside the necklace, too!

Sticker books were stuck.

Playdoh made an appearance!

We took Duplos, some games, and other toys! Aunt Laurie (my sister-in-law) hosted a dance party with her phone, too!!

Of course, we all loved passing Indie around. Enjoying infant snuggles and cuddles just never gets old! Sometimes, sharing isn’t easy even for adults: we had our best sharing behavior with us!😉

At some point, Deacon had Pappy watch a book on Aunt Laurie’s phone. This picture melts me!

Only Deacon visited Dad’s house when Mom was living. Mom and Dad visited us, at our home, many times after Deacon was born. He was four when she passed away, so he remembers her. Plus, he loves to watch videos on my iPad of himself. He’s watched her and Pap repeatedly on my iPad, cementing their memory even more in his young heart and brain. Also their picture was a frig magnet, keeping them before his eyes.

When we were eating dinner, Deacon said, “Pappy, I miss Nanny!” We all gulped. Dad responded, “I do too, Deacon, but I’m very happy she’s in Heaven!” Children say what we all feel and sometimes try to ignore for self-preservation. Deacon, especially, has always had a very loving, profoundly intuitive and sensitive heart. He expresses emotion like a pro and it’s extremely admirable.

As Deacon and his family were pulling away in the car that evening, his Mom told me he said, “If we all leave, Pappy is going to be alone! I don’t want him to be alone!!” How observant and sensitive is that for a six-year-old! It brings me to tears!! What’s that verse about a young one shall lead them? I believe it in so many ways.

Dad made a profound and loving statement that evening…

“Today, every corner of this house was filled with life!”

It had been a while since his home bustled with so much life!

Despite the noise, activity, and sheer numbers, the day was filled with …

Love, Joy and lots of “Happy”!!!

Reminiscing the Happy,