Opinion : Grandpa learns that it\'s time to \'cowboy up\'

Sooner or later it was bound to happen.

After two years of blissful, virtually stress-free grandparenthood, I had a bad day yesterday.

More of a bad half-hour, really.

Both of my granddaughters are walking, and at age 1 and 2 they seem to walk first into places where they can get us all in trouble.

Yesterday, in the time it took for Grandpa to go to the rest room, the 2-year-old got on the couch and found Grandma’s stash of chocolate. She unwrapped about 10 pieces and gave one to her sister, who put it in her mouth and began to immediately drool a thick dark chocolate all over her clothing, which of course, was pink.

I spent the next hour scrubbing, washing and removing the chocolate, which I – much to my surprise – was able to do.

So when Grandma came home I gave her a lecture about baby-proofing the candy. Then I let someone else watch them for a while.

The experience taught me that it’s time for this grandpa to, as they say in some parts of the U.S., to cowboy up. I have had it too easy for two years, showing off each granddaughter as she sweetly lay her head on my shoulder.

They still do that at times. But mostly, they now view Grandpa as a playmate, someone to climb on or to hold them while they bounce. I am also the Guy with the Good Food, the one who feeds them the fun stuff.

So while my last moments were spent with the baby sitting on my lap, sharing my supper, I handed her back to her mom realizing that being a grandpa is becoming more about doing than about being.

And I am OK with that, even if at times I have to catch my breath.