The Grown Up Grandchildren

 Brett,  Eric, Andrew, and Legend

Doug took immense pride in his role as a grandfather to Brett O’Brien (Alex Pfaffenbach) Eric Newmiller, Andrew Newmiller...Legend Teller

 

        Right now, we have four grandchildren in all, three of whom are grownups. Luca, who is about to turn three, is actually younger than Joanie. He is our fourth grandchild, however. As I write this, Brett and Eric are 38 years old, and Andrew will turn 35 in April. 

 

Brett O'Brien. The very first grandchild, whose mother is Catherine. We spent may of Brett's childhood years with her. Catherine was at Neiman Marcus at the time and felt the stress of holiday demands along with having a child at home.  Even in a managerial position, she had long, long days, evolving into nights beginning in the fall and gearing up in December, just when Brett's school would be out for the holidays. 

        That time off fit perfectly with both Doug and me, because we were teaching. Even though we had finals to grade, we were off at the same time that Brett was. It made perfect sense for us to come to Richardson to stay with Brett during that time. So we would board the animals and take off, driving so that we would have a car. We'd drive south to Raton, New Mexico, then head east and south to the Dallas area.      

        Brett was an easy child and didn't require a lot of looking after. We were mostly the adult presence in the house. We had great conversations, though, and it was fun to meet her friends and to take her to parties here and there. We played games and did walks when the weather was cool enough, but not too cold. At times, we would have dinner ready for Catherine when she got home from work.  On Christmas Eve, we would go to Christ the King Catholic Church for Midnight Mass. 

        I don't quite remember when Catherine announced that Brett was now able to stay on her on during Christmas break, but it was the end of an era for Doug and me, when we knew we were helping out, while at the same time enjoying every minute of it.  

        Over the years, we came to Boston College twice, for Parents Weekend and for her graduation. We got to go to her 30th birthday celebration in New York, and later to her wedding reception. Then, of course, we came to meet Joanie when she was born, and later, Rafe, when he came along.  Doug and I enjoyed those milestones tremendously.

        Here are some pictures.

Doug, Grandma Kay, Brett, Eric

Catherine, Brett, Doug in Boulder

Catherine, Doug, Alex in Nederland

        Doug liked to brag that he had a grandson-in-law. He thought that was amazing, although people usually just gave him a blank look when he told them.

Doug, G. Kay, Catherine, Brett, Alex

 Eric Newmiller.  Eric is our second grandchild, born only a few months after Brett. He is Julie's oldest son.  We much enjoyed Eric's childhood and growing up. We would always see him during our holiday visits to care for Brett. Occasionally, I would come to stay with him and Andrew while Julie and Ned would vacation. We had great times going to plays, making cookies, and going to bookstores. Doug always enjoyed Eric's quick wit and sense of humor, a characteristic he has had always. When Eric was at the University of Texas, Doug loved talking with him about his classes. I remember one Christmas in particular, when both Eric and Brett announced that they thought James Joyce was overrated.  It was actually a pronouncement. Doug and I just nodded. Of course, we're both English professors. Joyce is not overrated, but that's another subject altogether.

        After Eric graduated and moved to Chicago we saw less of him. Yet, when we did get together at family reunions and other occasions, we felt right at home catching up with his life.

Here are some picutres:

 

Eric at Central Park

Eric & Doug

In the first picture, we are all in New York for Brett's 30th birthday. Eric had walked over to Central Park to meet us for coffee. I'm not sure where the second picture was taken, but notice the look of sheer pleasure and admiration on Doug's face. 

 

Andrew Newmiller.  Andrew is Julie's second son. He is unique in many ways. Along with Eric, Doug and I enjoyed holiday visits with him while he was growing up.  Early on, it was clear that he had a real talent for writing, and we exchanged manuscripts with one another. Like his brother, Andrew also has a quick wit and great sense of humor. Our greatest memory of Andrew, however, is when he came to live with us for a few months in Boulder after his high school graduation.  We quickly got into a rhythm of our days, and both Doug and I loved having him there with us. He took an English class at Front Range College while he was with us.  The three of us also established a workout routine at the YMCA. Andrew actually created a program for both Doug and me, so the three of us would set off for the Y, where we would go our separate ways and meet up in the lobby after we finished our workout. Then, we'd either go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner or go on home, where Andrew was really adept at cooking his own meals. 

        Andrew was great company when he lived with us, and when he decided to return to Texas, we really missed him. Again, as with his brother, we haven't seen him often during his adult years, but we love it when we do. Last spring, as Doug's memory was fading, he had a moment of clarity when he said that he'd like to see Andrew. I think memories of his time with us had bubbled up. So Andrew and Julie came to Boulder, much to Doug's and my delight. It was only a few months before Doug died, but he did recognize Andrew.

         Here are some pictures:

At André's house in Nederland

André, Doug, Andrew at Ed & Julie's house

 Legend Teller.  As I write this Legend Teller is 13 years old. Legend and his mom Eileen came into Doug's life about five years ago, when André and Eileen got together. André and Legend have a great relationship, and we have welcomed him into our family circle because, actually, he's a great kid. And he's a great big brother to Luca.

 

Legend & Luca Read Books

 

        Since André and Eileen got together during the time of COVID, we had to first meet one another at a distance, and it was a few months before we could actually get together in person. We were still living in the mountain house, although we would move into town for Doug's care shortly. Even though Doug's health was declining, he was able to spend time getting to know this new addition to our family. We had gatherings, and Doug always remembered the Thanksgivings that we had a Eileen's parents' house. 

Eileen & Luca Read Books

 

        When Doug went into Juniper Village, Legend often came with the family to visit him. As short as the time was together, they had a good relationship, and I'm glad that Legend got to know him.