Introducing Grouchy: The “Little” Brother

Irony is funny, right? Like little brothers that are a foot taller than the tallest sister. That’s Grouchy for you.

Grouchy seems like a kind of funny name for him. After all, he hardly fits the role if casting for Smurfs – The Musical comes to town. Honestly, he has mostly gathered up the title from silly periods of grouchiness rather than any long-term unpleasantness. Generally, he’s a pretty mellow guy. But, being over six feet tall, and pretty big with it, when he barks, regardless of his intentions, it comes out pretty harsh.

Like the others, he grew up in the sticks, hauling water and the like. He still heads back out there, where his Dad lives, regularly, to help with whatever his Dad needs.

How I met Grouchy

In case it wasn’t obvious, most of my family were relatively grown by the time I came on the scene

. Grouchy was in his teen years when I met his Mom. He was the only one to issue threats of what he would do when I came back from Australia with her. He was also the one least likely to be an issue. Guys like Grouchy and I tend to sputter out of our anger pretty quick, and I figured he’d get over it fast. For once, I was right.

Obviously, I was never going to replace (nor try to) Grouchy’s Dad, but in short enough order, Grouchy was living under our roof. It was an interesting time, and I’ll admit, I like being a grandparent a lot more than I liked being a step-dad to a teenager. Hormones are rough. But soon enough he settled down and eventually he met Sleepy. Those two didn’t take long to settle in and start a family.

What Grouchy likes

Grouchy is unlikely to get on here to tell you about himself. Writing isn’t something he’s interested in. He likes video games, movies, and ANYTHING old. Old coins, stamps, guns, cars, it really doesn’t matter, if it’s old, it interests him. He also plays Magic: The Gathering (a collectible card game), usually against Sleepy, but, lately, the whole family has been getting in on the action.

He loves his family fiercely. Is loyal to both his wife and his family. He cares deeply and worries whenever anything is going wrong. His Dad, not too long ago, beat throat cancer, so when he heard about my Dad’s battle, he was very concerned and supportive. It really helped me, to know that he cared and wanted to make me feel better. He was one of the first to offer my commiseration and a hug when we learned that my Dad had passed.

He changes diapers, cooks, and otherwise does the Dad thing more than many. It is rare when you see him walking around that he doesn’t have one of his children in his arms or haphazardly thrown over his shoulder. Lala doesn’t trust most people when they have a child over their shoulder, but she trusts Grouchy to keep his kids safe.

In a Nutshell

In a nutshell, Grouchy is our gentle giant. He might come across as gruff. Sometimes he barks loud enough to make everyone jump. However, he’s also as likely to be found holding Blueberry and Banana into the night, if you look for him. He adds to our family and not only with numbers! Sometimes we struggle as a family to fit together with his family. We have different ideas and opinions on some topics. We get in each others’ way. Yet, I wouldn’t ask him to leave, and if he tried to, I’d ask him to stay. He’s family, one of us, and if he’s different, so am I. Having him here gives us all an opportunity to better learn how to be united. We love him.