CONVERSATIONS WITH CHARLEY

My 4-1/2 year old granddaughter, Charley, & I have some interesting conversations. This one took place while waiting in line at Kohl's. After making faces in the mirror, Charley noticed the nearby mannequins.

Charley: Look! Those ladies don't have heads!

Gaga: What ladies don't have heads?

Charley: Those (pointing at the mannequins). They have hands & feet but no heads.

Gaga: That's pretty weird. Guess they want you to notice the clothes.

Charley: They have boobs. I have little tiny boobs (pointing at hers) & you have big boobs (pointing at mine).

Gaga: Yeah, & when you grow up you'll get big boobs, too.

Charley: Yeah, I'll have great big boobs! (holding her hands way out from her chest).

Gaga: Well, hopefully not too big.

The cashier had a slight smile on her face but I couldn't see the expression on the man in front of us....probably just as well.

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One morning over breakfast Charley & I had the following interaction.

Gaga: I just can't believe how grown up you are getting. You are so big, eating your cereal & sitting at the table. I remember when you were such a tiny baby & we had to feed you.

Charley: Do you want that little baby back?

Gaga: Hmmm, that is a very interesting question, Charley (as I pondered it for a few seconds).

No, I don't think I do. I loved it when you were a baby but I really love it now that you are a big girl. We can talk & do lots of things together. And you can ask me these type of things. Yep, I love you just the way you are now.

Charley: Okay. Can I watch something on TV when I'm done?

Gaga: Sure.

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The other day out of the blue Charley brought this up.

Charley: Hey, Gaga, all my teeth are gonna fall out.

Gaga: What? Oh, you mean your baby teeth?

Charley: Yeah, they are all gonna come out.

Gaga: Sure, but it's just one at a time, not all at once. A tooth will get loose then eventually come out but it doesn't hurt. And I've heard the tooth fairy comes if you put it under your pillow.

Charley: Right, and you get money or prizes!

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And, finally, there was this one. Darrin says to me, "Listen to this."

Darrin: Charley, how old will you be on your next birthday?

Charley: Five

Darrin: When will that be?

Charley: October

Darrin: Who's going to be the next president of the United States?

Charley: Hillary Clinton

Darrin: But what about Donald Trump?

Charley: He's wacka-doodle!

I have no idea how that conversation came about but I think she's pretty right on....and hopefully her prediction is right.

SWEET GRANDCHILD OF MINE

The house is eerily quiet....

This happens each time Darrin & Charley leave after an extended visit. About 2:30 PM yesterday afternoon my son & 4-1/2 year old granddaughter left our house on the second leg of their daddy/daughter road trip. It was a wonderful visit as always but now the house feels unbelievably empty as I write this late at night. I can hear every clock ticking. The toys are put away, the dishes all done & the princess stickers removed from the coasters. We are finding colorful feathers everywhere from the multi-colored feather boa that Charley loves to play with.

It takes me maybe 15 minutes to get used to the chaos of living with a 4-1/2 year old. Schedules go out the window. The constant chatter warms my heart. Stuff is strewn all over the house. Bedspreads are wrinkled & messed up from using the mattress as a trampoline. We make up amazing games & stories, dance to the "Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog" song on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & generally embrace the enthusiasm & energy of a child.

Then after four days of this pure joy, a stillness like I've never experienced descends on my life. Even though I'll see her again in about a week & then a month after that, the bittersweet tears are just below the surface. I miss her so much that it is impossible to describe it with words.

We have the best time & always do something special. Last visit we saw "Frozen on Ice". This time we took her to her first baseball game - the Sacramento River Cats who are the Triple A farm club of our beloved San Francisco Giants. My natural frugality flies out the window where Charley is concerned. She has a cute Giants logo dress that Gaga just had to buy! I bought the four of us (me, Lou, Charley & Darrin) game tickets. It was "Princess & Pirate Night" so, naturally, Charley the special ticket that included a light up wand & tiara. Her favorite princesses (Belle, Cinderella, Merida, etc) were all there in costume & she loved meeting them up close & personal.

I promised to buy her ice cream at the game. We always bought Darrin a chocolate malt at the baseball games when he was a kid. He confided in me years later that he didn't like the games but went willingly so he could have the chocolate malt. Our Charley is a chip off the old block - I gave her a choice of the chocolate malt or a dish of ice cream. She insisted on the malt & ate every last bite of it! Although I'm pretty sure they are considerably smaller now & considerably more expensive.

We must have gone up & down the stairs 25 times to find princesses, get snacks, go to the bathroom, etc. And, of course, a 4 year old doesn't just walk up the stairs - they jump down them, run up them, hop down them & climb on the railings. Charley lasted until the 7th inning before getting bored. She stayed awake the whole game but laid with her head in Darrin's lap & her legs on mine the last couple of innings. 

She wanted to leave before the Saturday night fireworks because "it would be too loud" but then once they started (on our way out) we had to stay with hands pressed firmly over her ears. We wisely took her jammies & put them on in the car before we left the parking lot at 10:30 PM. She was out like a light five minutes later. A wonderful night for all!

We also visited Pop (my father), had lunch with Zizi (my sister), went to a fun park, ate dinners outside by our pool (at Charley's request), shopped for new clothes at Kohl's & had lunch at Taco Bell (for her favorite Baja Blast Freeze plus chips & guacamole!) Yes, she is definitely my granddaughter!

One cute, little side note. She & I (mostly her) put a puzzle together at my dad's. We did it on the hard floor in "my bedroom" since the carpet was too soft. She called for Pop to come see it. His 87 years are showing & as he slowly made his way out of the chair with his walker, Charley says to me, "I hope he doesn't fall." 

She is such a special little girl (ooops, sorry, "big" girl - I get in trouble if I call her "little"). Her numerous hugs & kisses every time you leave, even briefly, will melt any heart. Thanks for letting me share my Gaga thoughts with you. It really does make it a bit easier to handle the time away from her.

PLAY BALL!

It just doesn't get any better than a Giants/Dodgers series if you are a California baseball fan! Those of you who know me are well aware that I am a sports fanatic. I love the Niners, the Warriors, the Kings, NASCAR & pretty much every other competition in the wide world of sports. BUT my love of baseball goes way back..........waaayyyyy baaaccck!

I attended my first San Francisco Giants game with my dad back around 1960. They had just moved into Candlestick Park after relocating to San Francisco in the late 1950s. It was freezing cold & we had to brave the ancient two lane San Mateo Bridge to make it to the game. Honestly, I can't ever remember NOT being a baseball fan. I grew up knowing all the intricacies of the game. I played catch with my dad as far back as I can recall.

As we progressed through the sixties, the San Francisco Giants versus the Los Angeles Dodgers (formerly of New York & Brooklyn respectively) became a legendary rivalry. My family was glued to the TV for every game of the series. Often we would even take a ride over to Half Moon Bay (about 45 minutes) to purchase fresh roasted in the shell peanuts to eat while we watched our Giants hopefully beat up on the hated Dodgers. I'm not sure how that tradition got started but it shows you a little of how my sports craziness began.

Now, that I am an "old kid" of 66 & the Giants have won three World Series in the last six years, nothing much has changed. Lou & I are still glued to the TV & still can't help screaming & high fiving when we beat our despised Southern California rivals. We have won it all in the even years of 2010, 2012 & 2014....so I am optimistic that 2016 is our year again! Especially since we appear to have an even BETTER team than recent years!

Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention weeks ago when I planned an overnight getaway to Guerneville on the Russian River for Lou's birthday. It was on the last day of an early season four game series with the Dodgers. But we are two motivated, resourceful Giants fans who will find a way to see it or hear it or at least follow the score online.

The Giants have started this season off balls of fire, hitting lots of home runs, making lots of great plays & winning five of seven games to lead their division. These guys are amazing! I have to tell you it has been a total blast to watch these games. We are hitting up a storm & everyone is contributing. We beat the Dodgers soundly the first game & barely the second game. The third game we should have won but an error by our back up second baseman after our closer loaded the bases let the winning run score for the Dodgers.

As we drove to Guerneville on Sunday our radio coverage became worse & worse. In between the static we heard that the Giants were down 5-0 in the first inning. Yikes! After some sightseeing we stopped by a funky, little "sports bar" to check the score.....5 - 2. We strolled the streets taking photos & exploring (check out my "Travels Near & Far" blog to see them) then headed back to McT's Bullpen Sports Bar.

Pulling up a couple bar stools we ordered some beers & watched several innings with the "crowd" (maybe 10 locals) of Giants fans watching the game. One guy had a Giants visor, Giants shirt, Giants shorts & Giants socks - a true fan! It is great fun to yell & cheer with strangers who have a common bond as sports fans. We left the bar to head over & check into our hotel, giddy with the knowledge that the score was tied 6 - 6.

Ultimately we watched the last couple of innings in our hotel room - the Giants won 9 - 6 to take the series 3 games to 1. Woo Hoo!!!!

As much as I love the Giants & as successful as the last several seasons have been, this year has started with a magical quality that holds the potential to be the best year yet! I can't wait! And we already have a July trip planned (with tickets bought & paid for!) that includes a Giants/Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston PLUS a Giants/Yankees game at Yankee Stadium in New York! Nope, it just doesn't get any better in our baseball world!