The other day I was running around the house as usual. Trying to feed and keep the Kiddies busy and outta my hair so I could sit down and tackle redesigning I mean tweaking (for the umpteenth time) my site. I was also trying to make sure I could fit in some snuggle/quality time for me and Hubby. In the midst of all of this I lost track of my cell phone at some point – which for me by the way is like loosing track of an arm. When I found it underneath one of my Kiddies baby doll blankies I saw I had a missed call and a voicemail. I figured it was an appointment confirmation or something. When I swiped my phone I saw it was from my Grandpa (note the monkeys). I listened to the voicemail and heard he familiar tone and humor filled voice with his normal short and very succinct message “Hello Tiff, this is Grandpa. Just calling to see how you’re doing. Have a nice day.” Yeah ummm…he’s not big on leaving messages. LOL
I was annoyed and relieved I’d missed the call all at the same time. Don’t get me wrong I love talking with my Grandpa. He always makes me think (harder than I usually do on a normal day) and he always leaves me laughing. If it isn’t a riddle or a joke it’s a weird factoid about a bug or a bird. Something he’s seen on TV or if I get truly lucky he’ll tell me a story of when he used to be in the Marines. Those are rare to come by and when they come I usually just get really quite until he’s finished, like trying not to scare a deer back into the woods. Yet he is also one of those people who will say “Ok let me let you go” and well it never really happens. So I knew I wanted to set some time aside to talk to him when I could have the Kiddies settled somewhere and actually be able to talk without yelling out “Stop That!” “Sit Down!” or “WHY are you biting her?!?!” (Yup that’s my life). So, I made a mental note to try to call him first thing the next day. My Grandpa is also an early sleeper and early riser so anything after 6pm is kinda No-No.
Ok, so the next morning comes and goes. I got caught up with running the Teenager to Band Camp, feeding the Kiddies and the regular everyday mix of things and totally forgot to call him back. That is until around 8pm which was way past the ‘okay to call time’. So I put it in my head to do the next day. Yet again.
This went on for maybe another day. Then I was sitting in the car waiting for my Hubby to come back from running into a store or something. I’m listening to my Kiddies whine about how they were tired of sitting in the car for the entire 5 minutes he’d been gone when my phone rings with a very distinct ringtone of Monkeys howling and laughing …it was my Grandpa! Yes folks that’s his ringtone…and this is his Contact Picture:
I know seems weird right? Not if you know my Grandpa (and ummm I know I’m not the only who may not use pretty profile pics for their family members phone pics LOL). Still…he loves monkeys. Like seriously. He knows like every scientific, weird and silly fact about them. He makes silly monkey noises on the phone to my Kiddies (which wasn’t exactly a hit when they were infants) and every year for his birthday I search all over to get him a card with monkeys that I haven’t already sent him a prior year. This is the kinda of funny and eccentric guy he is.
So anyway, back to the call. I answer the phone and I’m like “Hi Grandpa!” I instantly start to explain why I didn’t call back. He tells me it’s not problem and how he was only calling to double-check my address so he could send me my birthday card. I instantly became the little girl again. He was tracking me down to send me my birthday card? Mind you I’m turning 35. Also, he still send me money in my cards. This is a man who when my grandmother took custody of me and raised me despite the fact that they had been separated for years he never let me want for anything. This is the man who would sit with me when I was 6 years old and taught me how to write out my own allowance checks. Yup, that’s write he opened an account for me and wrote my allowance by check to teach me how to balance a check book and handle my money. Yet at almost 34 he is still sending me my birthday cards and calling to see how I’m doing.
So, the next time…when my Grandpa calls…no matter what may be going on I need to answer because chatting with that old monkey is just too fun to miss out on…LOL
Do you have an older family member who still makes you feel like the little kid you used to be (but in a good way)? How often do you speak with them?
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2 thoughts on “When Grandpa Calls…”
Great post! Sounds like my husbands Granny…we miss her a lot now that she's gone but her calls were hysterical.
His calls can definitely be a 'Spirit Lifter' if I'm having a crazy day…
PS->sorry for your loss but memories are the best things to hold onto especially the funny ones…laughter can heal the soul