It always gives me pleasure talking about my kids, but of late I have been smitten by my grandchildren. Last year, I wrote about my granddaughter, Cady, soon to be 4 years old. Now there is another grandkid to speak about, and this time it's a boy child. I'm not used to having boys around. I have two sisters and two daughters. What do I do with a boy?
His name is Ryan. His sister calls him Typee Johnson. I hope that name doesn't stick. Unlike Cady, he is a wind-up toy. She would sit quietly and read or ask questions about the creation of the universe. Typee doesn't speak yet, but he doesn't have to. What he lacks in conversational skills, he makes up for in sheer movement. He started standing when he turned 7 months old and began to walk at 9 months. And several weeks ago, he began running. I can't keep up with him. He began as a fast crawler getting into closets, the fireplace and even the dishwasher. Now that he can walk, the amount of damage Typee can create is endless.
This month he turns a year old. How can a toddler have that much energy? It's a shame that as soon as he gets his energy, I begin to lose mine. How come I can't just sit down and watch him play? I forgot. Typee doesn't play with his toys. He tries to eat them, throw them and move on to other conquests. He is the male version of Godzilla, without the subtitles.
My wife and I always babysit for both kids, but lately we pause, knowing that one of the children will be Typee. When he is with us, there is no telling where he will venture. If he is not walking under our feet, he is climbing the stairs. And if he is not climbing, he is lifting. His specialty now is picking things up and trying to eat them. When he can't get a chair in his mouth, he'll tip it over and move on to the next object. If you try to slow him down, he just smiles, gives you a kiss, pushes you aside and continues on his quest to explore.
Typee is certainly wired differently than Cady. We watched him the other night, and both my wife and I were exhausted after he finally went to sleep. He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping, but we know what he's thinking. Tomorrow, there will be stairs to climb, furniture to mount and objects to eat. The best part is that he smiles when he is exacting terror. That's what we love about Mr. Johnson.
