My Bubby

This is a blog no one reads. This is a most important blog for me because I write about the most important aspect of my life - my grandson Brendan. Don't get me wrong, I love my wife, I love my two sons Tom and Mike and I love my three step-children, but my love for Brendan is a completely different love than I have for the other loves of my life. Brendan is an Angel. Brendan is a gift from God to me and Jane. Brendan gives out a love to Jane and I that cannot be equaled. It is a love from heaven. Thank you God for this wonderful gift - Brendan. He has changed my life. He has shown me love, true love. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Amazing

The emotions that this loving little boy elicits are so very, very powerful. I sent a video on my iphone to my wife, Jane, today for Brendan. I told him that I wished that I could be at lunch with him and Nana but that I had to work. After I sent the video (from Busch Stadium) I teared up big time. You see, I angered his mother with a comment that I shouldn't have made (I later apologized) and now this vindictive person is doing her best to take my grandson away from me. After being with this little boy EVERY day for the first three and a half years of his life, his mother has decided that he son is a pawn (not a son) and he will NOT be with Nana and Papa unless she decides that he will do so. Of course, her decision has nothing to do with the fact that this 28 year old has #1 has never graduated from high school, #2 has never had a drivers licence and #3 has never achieved her GED. Despite the fact that my wife drove her to and/or from or both to work for 6 years she "doesn't feel comfortable" riding with her. My statement on Facebook that she was a "hoosier dimwit" caused her to use her son as a pawn. Her ignorance has hurt her son and she doesn't get it or she doesn't care. Bad grandparent to call the grandson's mom a hoosier dimwit. Bad for a mom to use her son as a pawn. They are both bad. Which is worse?

Pic Of The Day

The greatest moment of my day is when I receive my "pic of the day". I used to get a pic of the day EVERY day because we got to see Brendan every day of the week, but now I get a pic of the day 5 days a week since we don't see Brendan Tuesdays and Thursdays.

What is the pic of the day you ask? Jane (Nana) or Mark (Brendan's dad) send me a picture or pictures of Brendan on my cell phone almost every day. In fact, I have 601 pictures of Brendan on my phone right now.

There is no better moment of my day than when I get my pic of the day.

Just seeing this little angel makes me feel so very, very good. As you may know, there is no greater, more intense feeling than the feeling of love.

I have 601 intense feelings of love on my cell phone!

I LOVE THE PIC OF THE DAY!!!

Knowing

Jane and I have this incredible love for Brendan, our grandson.

I know that I could never love anything more that I love Jane. I love her more and more each and every day and I thank God for this incredible love.

I also know that God rewarded me for my honest and complete love for Jane with another honest and complete love.

Brendan's honest and complete love for me.

There is no doubt - Brendan loves his Papa. And, there is no doubt - Papa loves Brendan.

There is no doubt in my mind.

I know.

Love Is All You Need

Saturday night sleepovers continue today.

I am not quite sure what is better - the Saturday nights or the Sunday mornings.

Brendan exudes so much love that it is difficult to pick a better time.

He is so much fun on Saturdays and Sunday mornings are so special when he wakes up.

Saying good night on Saturdays is a wonderful experience and waking up on Sundays with Brendan is unmatched.

Jane and I are thankful that God gave us the gift of love for each other. (My God I love her!)

Jane and I are even more thankful that God gave us the gift of Brendan.

Believe me, the secret to life is love.

PERIOD

The secret to life is love.

God has given to me the love of my profession - directing TV baseball.

God has given to me the love of my life - Jane.

God has given to me the love of all love - Brendan

I will never lose the love of my profession.

I will never lose the love of my life.

I will never lose the love of all love.

John Lennon you were right - "Love is all you need".

Even 4-year old Brendan knows this.

My Grandson Brendan

Hi. I am Brendan's Papa. Brendan is the son of my wife's son, my stepson, Mark.

I will never forget when Brendan was born - Sunday, September 2, 2007.

I am the St. Louis Cardinals TV director and I worked a Cardinals game that day. The Cardinals beat the Reds 3 - 2 in 2:33.

Jane and I went to the hospital at 6:30 PM after we learned of Brendan's birth.

I held that little angel that day and my life changed forever.

God showed me complete and total love.

God validated my love for Jane (we had both experience terrible divorces to be with each other) because the strength of my love for Jane equaled the strength of the love I felt for this little boy at his birth.

This is the chain of events that occurred before the glorious birth of this wonderful little boy.

After being three months pregnant with Brendan and the mother of three year old Libby (with a different father) Elisabeth was kicked out of her mother's house (where she had been living) and she/they moved in with us.

After a few months, they found their own place and the three (with pre-Brendan) moved in. to their own apartment.

Then Brendan was born.

Six weeks after this angel was born, Mark and Elisabeth (the parents) asked if we could keep Brendan overnight on every Tuesday night.

Without hesitation, we agreed.

This practice continued until Libby started school.

Once Libby started school, she spent the weekends with her father and step-mom.

After school started, Brendan, at the request of his parents, spent every Saturday night with us.

We loved Saturday Night Sleep Overs!!!

Stay tuned for more updates to "Papas Thoughts" blog.