Gabriel David

Today is my grandson's fourth birthday. In honor of the occasion, I intend to indulge my grandmother tendencies and devote this blog entry to talking about Gabe.

When we babysit for him, I enjoy the distinct privilege of reading to him. He plays hard with Grandpa most of the time, but we finish the evening with me reading original Thomas the Train stories from a volume we gave him last Christmas, followed by a Bible story.

Last time we babysat, Grandpa was helping Gabe make puzzles and would clap for him whenever he finished one. Gabe would smile his face-splitting smile and bow emphatically from side to side, saying, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

When Gabe's dad called last Sunday, Gabe asked to speak to us.

"Hey, hey, guys!" He said in his breathless telephone voice, "Are you coming for my birthday party?"

We assured that we fully intended to do so and told him that we would also be bringing along his great-grandparents.

"Do you think so? Do you really think so?" he asked excitedly.

So tonight it's pizza and games at Chuck-E-Cheese, followed by presents and cake at Gabe's house. Chuck-E-Cheese is an experience in sensory overload, but surprisingly enough, I'm looking forward to the evening.