GP Winner!

When it comes to sweet, touching, fall-down-laughing stories about grandchildren, we've got them in bushel baskets. Yet, we must now announce just one winner of our eighth annual "Cute Grandbaby Story" contest, and she is grandmother Patricia Zagone, of Mundelein, IL.

Here then is her story, featuring grandson Nicholas Harazim. Dressed in his Sunday best, Nicholas, age four, is making a first visit to church. He is instructed that the building represents: "God's house."

Grandma reminds Nicholas he is not permitted to talk out loud in God's sacred house. He must be quiet, "like a church mouse." So, young Nick sits silently beside his worshipful grandmother. But, suddenly he begins to fidget. "What's wrong, Nicholas?" asks grandma.

"Ask God if I can go to his bathroom," replies the child.

Our second and third place stories represent strong runners-up. From Poway, CA, Sharon A. Varner tells of granddaughter Julia, then age three. She is taking a shower with her mother when suddenly she declares, "I used to be a man."

Reporting the story to grandma Sharon, the mother says she at once asked, calmly: "That's interesting, Julia. Who did you used to be?"

Without so much as a blink, the three-year old says: "Dr. Phil!"

As it does every year, death showed up as a subject, proving once more that children deserve to hear the truth, as much truth as they can absorb. Our scene is a New Jersey hospital. Margaret Rothmund, a widow living in Linwood, is the narrator. Her grandson, Steven, age five, is at center stage.

Steven has an accident and is taken to the hospital-the very hospital where two years before his grandfather died-to have his chin repaired with stitches. Steven is being brave, but remembers that when Grandpop Rothmund died, he had told everyone who would listen, "My Grandpop is a star in Heaven. You can look up and see him..."

Now, with the doctor closing his wound, Steven asks his mother: "Am I going to be a star, too? A star like Grandpop?"

No, young Steven, you will not soon be a star above us. But, shortly, you could be a star of a different magnitude...a star on the ball field, or in the classroom, or in the ER, like the emergency medicine specialist who expertly closed your wound, so as not to leave a scar.

Children and animals: sure winners, every time. Here, to beguile us is Josie Maniero, age four, of Philadelphia. Amy is grandchild to Dr. Fred and Rita Schwing, of Surf City, NJ. Little Amy presently treasures two cats, and asks now for a dog. Mom (Amy Maniero) explains how dog-owners must buy bowls for food and water, so as to feed their pet-and they need to regularly walk (exercise) the dog.

Sparing no details, Mom mentions cleaning up after the dog. You know, scooping up the waste and placing it inside a plastic bag. No fool this kid! She ponders her responsibilities and, like a Philadelphia lawyer, rebuts:

"Well, Mommy, maybe it can be your dog, too."

Lastly, the best grandbaby stories never die; they seem eternal. Edith Fainter, of Wheaton, IL, is 95 yet remembers more than 35 years ago when she was Gramma Edie, a new widow, with two grandchildren in the back seat of her automobile. As they drove along, Scott, age four, and big sister Julie, age five, were arguing.

Scott: "Gramma, are you re-vorced?"

Julie, the elder sibling: "No, you dummy! She's a window."