The year was 1986. My first born grandchild, Mark Jr., was almost two and beginning to talk–although we were barely able to understand him. His father, mother, grandfather and I were seated in Chi Chi’s Mexican Restaurant, when he looked up at me and said “is plce loks gd,” which I interpreted as “this place looks good.” Then he spoke these unforgettable words: “Me ungry, GRANDMA”.
With steely eyes I glared at him, and through clenched teeth whispered the following:“Honey, my name is NOT “Grandma”; then glancing down at the menu I noticed an item called “Chimmichonga”. Smiling demurely, I chuckled and in a quiet voice suggested: “Honey,why don’t you call me ‘Chimmichonga”’?
A hush swept over the table, then little Mark stammered : “Chi Chi mee Chongie?” And since that fateful night, all twelve of my grandchildren, and my children, call me “Chimmie”.
Fast forward to the year 1994. My first born granddaughter, Paige, was three, and ‘into’ “Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs”. Having watched the movie fourscore and then some, she had memorized all the words and songs. One day as I was babysitting, she opened the refrigerator door, plucked out a “poisonous” apple, sang the song “Some Day My Prince Will Come”, took a bite of the Red Delicious, swooned onto the kitchen floor in a state of apoplexy, and passed out appropriately.
I took the little drama queen into my arms (as per the script.) When she ‘awakened’, there I was, her ‘bested audience’, reviving her. She looked at me, grabbed my hands, and breathlessly uttered the following words which will remain forever in my stockpile of ‘famous grandchild quotes’:
“Oh, Chimmie, you have WICKED WITCH FINGERS–I LOVE THEM!”
Jan Chapman
November, 2012
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