Grandpa Loves Zach

Grandma and Grandpa went to visit Zachy on Thursday, arriving late in the evening.  Zach remembered that Grandpa had told him that he and Grandma were coming so he refused to go to sleep until Grandma and Grandpa arrived!  When they arrived, he was so excited that he fired up his little arms until Grandma picked him up.  Grandma eventually shared him with Grandpa, and this caused Zachy to be excited all over again!

Grandma and Grandpa had a surprise for him—a puppy that walked, sat on his hind legs, and barked…, but he wasn’t a real puppy.  He had belonged to his uncles Andrew and Mark, but he was just like new!  Zach was now excited for the third time in the young evening, and it was nowhere near bedtime yet!  Needless to say, there was lots to catch up on, and he and Grandpa had another special time together again!

The next morning, there was lots to do, but first Zachy had to show Grandpa how he has learned to play the piano.

There was so much that he learned since Grandpa was last at his house, that Grandpa could not keep up with him!

After a short power nap, Zach was ready to go out with Grandpa, and Ottawa winter or not, off went Grandpa and he for a walk in the neighbourhood.  The cold weather wearied both of these two hardy men, and after the long walk, they both had a longer afternoon rest!

When Zach woke up, he told Grandpa that there was lots to do but first asked if Grandpa could help him get as big as his Daddy as soon as possible.  Zach thinks that Grandpa can do anything, and so Grandpa got him big and tall right away!

After a long visit and a longer chat, Zachy headed to the spa with his toys, and entertained his Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa.  He is very modest, even in the most awkward situations because the paparazzi are always snapping photos!

He then told Grandpa that they both had better get to sleep as they had to get up early the next morning to plan when they could next get together, and while Zachy talked, Grandpa listened,…, and yes, another special visit is planned between the two men!  The date remains a secret so that their party is not crashed by all the news photographers!

And, did we tell you the we celebrated his Mom’s birthday early?!

Yesterday Zach went to his other Grandpa’s house as he thought that he might just want to have another Christmas!  He thought that he would just try to get two in one week!  Before he left, he had to do a few things…

Firstly, he minded Grandma while his Mom, Dad, and Grandpa went shopping on Boxing Day.  Grandma was a little tried after she had been up  a few times in the previous night talking to Zachy, of all things!  Then, he took his parents out for a visit to his Mom and Dad’s friends, where they met a little friend of his, Heidi.  He then quickly arranged for his parents to have a quick lunch, prior to going to Picton to play with more aunts, uncles, cousins, and another Grandma and Grandpa.  All this was done before 1p.m.—What a busy little man he was!

He then had a power rest, and only opened his eyes when Grandpa came to take of picture of him.  Zachy’s Mother said that this photo was just in case Grandpa had not taken enough photos in the previous week!  When Zach saw Grandpa (and even Uncle Andrew) in the room, he said that he had had enough rest as he wanted to talk with Grandpa again!  He wanted to make sure that Grandpa could arrange time off work to go see him in the New Year!  Grandpa agreed, and sly little Zachy said that to make sure that Grandma would also come, he was going to leave his stroller in the garage (he got more Christmas presents than he parents thought he’d get!), and told Grandma that he needed it before the end of January, 2010!  This way, Grandma committed to another outing to Ottawa in the next month!  Grandpa was very happy to hear that!

In true Grandpa fashion, he got everyone ready for the traditional Christmas photo in front of the fireplace—the one that did not occur the day before as all of the adults were off schedule!

Grandma and Grandpa are already missing Zach—Grandma says that she no longer has a little alarm clock, and Grandpa no longer has anyone to help him shave!  He had to shave v-e-r-y carefully this morning, on his own!   But Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Karen, and Uncle Mark were happy to have had the time with the little man. Grandma and Grandpa can’t wait until they bring his stroller back to him next month!

Did Zach and Grandpa ever have a great time yesterday!  Zach could hardly wait after Grandpa had told him how exciting Christmas would be!  He woke up way before the adults, calling Grandma and Grandpa at 2 a.m., 4:30 a.m., and then 6:30 a.m.  None of the other adults wanted Christmas that badly, so they kept sleeping while Grandma played with Zachy on his last sentinel watch.  He then decided that he was going to have a rest and the adults would just  have to wait for him instead!   The adults finally got up in the late morning, and had a leisurely breakfast, before they made their way to the presents.  Clearly, they were not as excited as our little man!

First came Zachy’s stocking, with help from his Mom.  Again, just like his early Christmas gifts,  he had a hard time tearing away the  pretty wrapping.  He wanted to admire all the work that went into wrapping his stocking gifts.  He liked all the bows.  Why he wasn’t hard to please at all!   He would have been satisfied to see and have just a stocking!

Then there were gifts interspersed for all of the adults along with Zach’s gifts as well.  He enjoyed watching the reaction of all of the adults to the gifts that he, his Mom, and his dad gave to the others.  Grandpa was the happiest because he got the most special gifts ever from Zach—a set of four coaster mugs with an original photo of Zach in each one, and a 12 month calendar for 2010, with 12 (count them!) pages of Zachy, a new one for each month!  Grandpa will use the coasters for his coffee times with his friends, and the calendar will find  a special place in grandpa’s new office!   Zachy whispered to Grandpa that though he posed for the photos, it was really his Mom who had the hard job of picking out the photos that Grandpa would love best.  Grandpa whispered back that any photo of Zachy is special, making him smile until his little dimples appeared!

While the other adults got clothes, clothing accessories, CDs, DVDs, and books, Zach got things that are useful presently, and some that he will use later—clothes, toys, a little man coat, and even a cell phone with different rings.  He especially loved the phone as he could carry it around in his pocket so as not  to miss even a single call from Grandpa!  The phone even has different ring tones, and a choice of three screen savers—a dog, a cat, and a mouse!  (He loves animals!)

What a big day it was—there were so many presents that he had to even take a nutrition break part way through the gift giving!  The adults did the same, as they too were getting hungry!  Everyone eventually got their Christmas dinner at 7 p.m.—a little later than other Christmases, but then we didn’t have a little man in the past with whom to share the day! 

Later, the adults watched a video, but Zachy wisely went to sleep because he had a very big day coming up!

Zach reached into his Italian heritage and spent Christmas Eve at Nanna’s house with 30 other members of the Giraldi clan.  Yes, it was his first appearance, but he made himself a home just as if he had always been there.  He took everything in stride, and even took the time to cut his second tooth in a week, all in an evening’s events!

While there, he re-acquainted himself with his Nanna, great aunts and uncles, cousins, and great cousins.  The ‘greats’ in the relations can be interpreted in more ways than one!  Everyone related to Zachy is ‘great’ because they’re  related to Zachy!

When it came to mealtime, Zach wasn’t too excited about the dozens of traditional Italian food choices that were available.  He and Grandpa had a quiet time together, and then he had a little nap while everyone else was eating.  After his nap, he hung out upstairs with his Mom. Dad, Uncle Mark, Uncle Andrew and Aunt Karen.  He thought that this was better than listening to all the ‘inside’ stories of his great aunts and uncles, and it was a little quieter upstairs.  He did come down afterwards with his friends while the adults were having dessert.  As the adults kept eating, Zach kept thinking ‘You’ll be sorry!’—He was right (again)!

One of the non-food traditions is for Uncle Ralph, and Aunt Sarah to be very kind to all there with gifts.  This was a first eyewitness situation for Zachy, and yes, he too was overwhelmed with their generosity!  He asked Grandpa, if in fact they were really retired, and Grandpa said it was true!  Neither Grandpa nor Zachy could figure out where they could get so much to give away to so many.  It was just like Christmas, even though that was still to come!

Then Nanna had a special request—photos of all there!  Yes, her family comes by it honestly when they all ask for cameras and poses!  After Nanna’s children, grandchildren,  Zach got into the photo of great grandchildren!  His cousin Rachel got to hold him, while the paparazzi gathered around!  All were happy when the photos were finally over!

Zach got to stay up very late, and as a special treat for both he and his Grandma and Grandpa, he got to have a sleep-over in their bedroom!  Zachy whispered to Grandpa that that he wants to have Christmas Eve every day, and wants to stay at Grandpa’s house more and more.  Grandpa told him that Christmas Eve comes once a year, but staying and Grandma and Grandpa’s house ‘more and more’ is also what Grandpa wants—now to make it happen!!

Two days ago Zach was invited by Charlotte to come to her house the next day.  He  really wanted to go, but wondered whether his family was also invited out with him.  As much as he likes his little friends, this was the week that he had devoted to hang out with his Grandpa!   He asked whether Grandpa could come, and Charlotte’s family was very accommodating—not only could he could but everyone was welcome, including Grandma and Uncle Andrew and Aunt Karen!  The little man was so happy that he was up a couple of times the night before eagerly awaiting going into the van and going to Charlotte’s!

When we got there, Zach had another surprise, and that was that Nathan was also going to be there!  Three little people in one house at one time, adds up to a lot of excitement, not only for the them, but also for the big people. 

Zach made himself a home, and was soon playing with the exersaucer  that was given to Charlotte as a gift.  It was really neat to try something new, with so many dials, lights, pulleys, colours, and other contraptions that it even made the adults envious.  They were trying to sneak a try when no one else was looking!  In the end, Charlotte even let Nathan have a try, while she was busily checking out the gifts  under the Christmas tree!  All three thought that all in all, it was a great day!

Zach then reminded Grandpa that it was time to go home as his Daddy was coming to re-join him and Mommy later in the evening, and he needed a rest so that he could stay up to see him when he got in.  He said that Grandma and Grandpa could take him home, and that his Mommy could go shopping again.  He had a nap in the car, and then stayed asleep when he got home, because he knew that the longer he  slept, the later he could stay up to see his dad!  His dad arrived to see him very late, when most boys and girls are asleep, but Zachy stayed up and gave his daddy a very big hug, and whispered in his ear, that he and Grandpa had been having a great time together! 

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Zachy reading Grandpa 'The ABCs of Christmas'

Telling Uncle Andrew that he l-o-v-e-s playing 'Peek-a-Boo' with him!Yesterday was another exciting day for Zachy as he had lots of people to talk to and to help around the house. He has read lots of books to Grandpa, and even gets him going at the start of the day by helping him shave! After that, he was available to help just about anyone that asked him! As soon as he caught their eye, he told them that he would help them, with a little glint from his own eyes! Hanging out with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa

In the late morning, he and Grandpa drove the rest of the family to Great Grandma’s and Great Grandpa’s house in London, arriving there in time for lunch.  He chatted around the dinner table around lunch, and then had a short nap–this was Grandpa’s cue to have a nap as well so that both would be ready when his Aunt and uncle arrived along with his Mommy’s cousins.  When they came, they had another early Christmas gift for him, and Zach really enjoyed unwrapping it.  He is experienced, you know, because he had unwrapped one the day before! 

There was rejoicing in the streets of Mississauga as little Zach arrived to a hero’s welcome for seven very full days of love, laughter, and excitement, and that’s just for the adults in his life!  He and his Mommy were personally chauffeured from his home in the Nation’s Capital to Grandma and Grandpa’s home.  The end of the long drive was met by Uncle Mark, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Karen, and Grandpa all waiting to be the first to have a chat with him.  Grandpa had prepared a special meal for everyone, the type that Zach’s Daddy loves, even though his dad could come right away.  (Dad is to come to re-join Zachy on the ‘fourth day of Zachy’)

Zach had grown so much that he could hold his own in a conversation with the best of his talkative family!  He has learned lots of new sounds, and antics, and was often seen getting others to imitate him!  We thought that Zachy would be learning lots from his Mom’s family, but as this goes to press, all are still trying to imitate Zachy’s feigned cough, his hide-and-seek tactics, and the acrobatics of his very flexible tongue.  He is often a man of a few words, so all listen intently as he articulates morsels of wisdom!

Grandpa has scheduled the seven days around Zach’s visit, and in fact, the days around Zach’s schedule.  Last night both stayed up until midnight, and today when Zach had a midday rest, Grandpa also had to have one!  In fact, Grandpa could have had the nap earlier, and would have slept in until later, but Grandma told Grandpa that the little man had already woken up and was being given his first Christmas gift four days early!  Grandpa wanted to know what that was all about, after all Grandma never allowed her own children to do that?!   Grandpa knew better than to ask, but it appears that Grandma has also been softened up by Zachy’s charisma!

The gift opening was an event in itself!  Zachy is not materialistic, and so chose to just marvel at all the time that Grandma had put into wrapping it ever so carefully.  He then meticulously considered all the pretty designs on the gift paper, marvelled at the lovely bow, and then decided to shake it a little to see if it would yield hints of the contents.  He was still revelling in the thought of this first gift when his Mom’s own anticipation could wait no longer, so she (actually) poked it!  Seeing his Mom in such a pensive, wondering mood, Zachy decided to help his Mom by finally tearing some of the paper away.  He could hardly believe what he saw–Grandma had broken the bank, buying the little man his first pair of genuine leather shoes, with a design that Grandma cherished (and probably wished that she had as well)!  Grandma suggested that he can wear them tonight when he goes out with his Mom to visit her friends.

Zach will no longer be wearing 5-point crowns

Zach drove a long way this past weekend to attend his first wedding, at least that’s what he led his parents to believe!  If truth were known, he knew that Grandpa was also going to be there, so that’s the real reason!  More about that later…

He arrived late Friday to a myriad of camera flashes!  It a good thing his Italian heritage has built-in paparazzi-resistant genes, so  he wasn’t at all frazzled.  In fact, he even yawned a couple of times to cameras that weren’t Grandpa’s.  After a few private family sessions, he called it a night because the big day–Saturday–was coming!

What was Saturday all about?–Zach’s first wedding, but more importantly, the first full day that he had been with his Grandpa in  six weeks!  Grandpa and he had  a plan that can now be told to the public–they would spend as much time as possible with each other!  They hung out with each other in the morning, and this is when Zachy confided in Grandpa that he was not pleased with the shirt his parents had told him to wear.  He told them that it was not at all appropriate to wear clothing with a five-point crown as it is gang insignia, but his parents wouldn’t believe him, until, yes, Grandpa had to confirm that Zach was in fact correct.  The little man is wise beyond his years, but he is also obedient enough to respect his parents, and so he wore it all the way down to Grandpa’s house.  It is a good thing that it had rained all the way, or else someone may have seen what he was wearing while in the car, and this would have caused grief!  His Mommy and Daddy assured Grandpa that it was genuine ignorance that caused them to put it on their firstborn, and that there was no intent to be ‘gang wannabees’.  So all is well on that front after all!

Yes, there was colour coordination!

Grandpa and Zach colour co-ordinated their clothes, both wearing navy so that they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves, as they really wanted to be together.  When they arrived at the reception, Zach pointed out that he was not at the same dinner table as his Grandpa, so a scheme of sorts was devised allowing both to sit next to each other!  What was disclosed to the press was that Zach was to have been seated in front of some amplifiers and that this would have affected his cat naps, but Zach can sleep anywhere and under varying decibel levels, so you guessed it, he and his parents ended up at Grandpa’s table!

Uncle Mark, Daddy, Mommy, and Zach before the scheme unfolded...

  The weekend is now over, and Grandpa promised Zachy that they would soon be back together again!  Zachy knows that it will be sooner than any anyone else knows, as Grandpa has lots of tricks up his sleeve, and if they don’t work, Zachy has some of his own!  Stay tuned…!

Well, it’s been long, far too long to be without Zachy.  If it wasn’t for Zach’s parents sending photos or blogging, Grandpa would be besides himself! 

Grandpa NOT Being himself...

Three weeks is long enough, but Grandpa has to wait another week before Zach and he can chill together again.  Zach feels the same, as he hasn’t been himself the last two nights–waking up and refusing to go to sleep as he has in the past.  He just stays up, expecting that Grandpa will arrive at his house, or that he and his parents can just come to Grandpa’s house in the middle of the night!  Well, he is somewhat right because it will be only another seven sleeps before Zachy comes to Grandma and Grandpa’s house!

Grandpa is at times stressed without Zach, so he does things that he was not known to do in the past–today, he actually hugged a dog, and everyone knows that that isn’t really Grandpa!   He lacked his usual judgement as he temporarily  reasoned that the dog was cuddly like Zach!

The he went on an unprecedented photo shoot as he had not done since being with Zach in July–he started to take pictures of babies, as many as he could find!   Grandma now thinks that Zach has changed Grandpa for life, and he in fact does like babies!  Grandpa had to set the record straight–yes, he always liked babies, but he l-o-v-e-s Zach!

Grandpa wished that he could be holding Zach

Grandpa and Zach have agreed that life must go on–Zachy won’t stay up all night again, and Grandpa won’t take anymore pictures of babies, until next week when both will stay up all night, and scores of photos of Zach will be taken!

Zach attracting the women

Posing with Uncle Andrew and Karen

Zach has a charismatic personality.  He draws a crowd wherever he goes, not just relatives, but anyone! 

Many come to hear his words of wisdom, but Grandpa comes just to be with him. 

Sometimes he studies people, sometimes he listens to them, and sometimes he drops a few pearls of wisdom to those who are astute.  He has been gleaning much from the books his Mommy reads to him, and especially likes books with an artistic flair.  He promises not solely to be scholar, but also a fine art connoisseur.

Uncle Mark is attached to Zachy

Phone line for other children--Zachy has his own private line to Grandpa

Grandpa has so much enjoyed the chats with Zachy as they call each other every day.  The chats can now be longer as Grandpa has finally figured out how to actually use the Bluetooth device in his car, so there is at least one call on the way home from work, but usually more.  Grandpa often thinks of Zach during the day as he sees (slide show)pictures of him on his computer screen saver.  Grandpa has surprised himself as he uploaded the pictures himself!

Word has it that some grandchildren have a toll-free number to their Grandpas (1-800-Grandpa), but this Grandpa and his little man have everyone else beat as they already had a private toll-free number just for Zach and him–1-800-I-Luv-Grandpa.

Phone calls are good, but visits are best, and Zachy seconds that! 

Zach reading his Mother Dr. Seuss