bampa

that's what chloe calls my dad.
he started trying to teach them how to say grandpa when they were 6 hours old and he is very happy that it has paid off..
colton calls him pahhhhh but it kind of sounds more like bahhhhh sometimes. and yes, he holds it that long.

there is something so special about grandparents.
they always make you happy. they make everything better.

i was blessed to have all four of mine up until two thursdays ago.
i lost my grandpa p.

he was an amazing man.

he lived to be 93.



he always had a comb and his rubber change purse in his pocket.

he always cleaned his nails.

he used to make us pizzelles and have cookouts and grill italian sausage.

he firmly believed that everything was better with tomatoes.

he could always tell if i hadn't washed my face in the morning.....even as a kid. he didn't like when i didn't and he always said "you can't feel awake without washing your face."

he made me feel so loved. i was his first granddaughter.

he made me feel more italian than i really was and wanted me to be a proud italian.

he introduced me to cassata cake (my favorite cake) and always had salami, olives and cheese in the fridge.....and ice cream in the freezer 

he was always wanting us to eat and he loved taking us to vince and joe's in michigan for meats and cheeses. and vito's bakery for cassata cake and cannoli's.

he had a garden in michigan and i loved eating his italian green beans with tomatoes.

i didn't really like tomatoes when i was a kid but i pretended to because grandpa p. believed tomatoes deserved their own food group.

he and my grandma used to tell us stories about my dad when he was a kid and i could have listened to them for hours.

he played bocce ball in a league and i used to love hearing the balls clank together hoping my grandpa's would knock his opponents further away from the little ball.

he taught us to play washers which i believe was a game he played as a kid and i loved winning those pennies. i really loved when we played with his quarters.

when he got excited he would clap his hands, crouch down and stretch his arms out like he was ready for a hug and say "ha ha".

he knew a million riddles and would walk up to complete strangers at restaurants and riddle them this or that.

he was a math teacher and was constantly trying teach us math tricks so when we were out he could put us on display. when we performed he would always say something like "can you believe such a young little girl knows that?" and then he demanded a response.

he had four grandsons, three granddaughters, four great-grandaughters and two great-grandsons, one of which he didn't get the chance to meet.

he told me never to pick up a coin off the ground if it were heads up, the last time he did was the day he found out his son had polio and later died. to this day i don't pick up any coin unless it is heads down.

he taught us the phrase: did you know when articulating artificial sentimentality you should beware of the platitude of its ponderosity. after having reached the ultimate state of degradation consisting of dietetic integrity your gastronomical satiety should compel you to beware of the lebi lebay superiosis alacanosy. i know it probably means nothing but he made me feel like a genius once i finally memorized it. he was able to recite it into his nineties.

he always wore a cardigan, even when it was 92 degrees.

i feel so honored he got to meet my twins.

he loved the babies and would light up when he saw them. he would wiggle his hands in his ears a la "the godfather". it made my heart happy and full.

he instilled in us the importance of family and he is one of the reasons i am so close with some of my third cousins who i see once every two years.....if i'm lucky.

he would always say "this is the girl baby and this is the boy baby". i think he was right every time.

i know he lived a long and full life. i knew his time was short and as much as you think you are at peace with someone going home to be with the lord, it's never easy.

you can prepare your mind but you can't prepare your heart.

i love you grandpa. take care of us up there.