why we call Steve Bumpie

No one asked me …….why we call Steve “Bumpie”

Some seventeen years ago, when we received the wonderful news that we were going to be grandparents, my husband Steve said “I have just one request”.  Now we are all familiar with his one request scenarios. However this one was uncomplicated.  “I want the baby to call me Bumpie”.   I assured my husband that the baby could call him Bumpie, in fact that the child would use whatever name or term we introduced.  Then Steve started to second guess himself. “Maybe it would be too confusing, Dad is Bumpie to Jane and Peters children and ….” 

Bumpy Dick, Nanny and their grandchildren

Time for explanations.  Steve’s father Richard, aka Dick, Bauer was grandfather to Leah and Mikey. They called him Grampy.  Enter the third grandchild, Emily.  Grampy was not a word that was working for her and she pronounced him Bumpie and so the original Bumpie was born. 

 I had heard of Bampie but Bumpie was a first for me.   Bumpie Dick had worn his title well. Now Steve was moving in.

Bumpie and new born Marcia Brooke Denton

One blustery evening in March of 1995 our granddaughter Marcia was born.  Her arrival was made even more special as she had a number of obstacles as she navigated the highway of birth.   Steve held Marcie in his arms and said “Hello, I am your Bumpie”.  And so he has become.  Marcie was never confused between her Bumpie and Bumpie Dick.  We waited ten long years for another grandchild.  Finally a little boy was to be born.  Sadly, Bumpie Dick was finishing his life.  Marcie asked me one day, “Gram, does God pick the person to die when he knows there is going to be a new baby?  Or when God knows someone is going to die, does he send a new baby so the family will not be so sad?’  We decided on the second scenario.  

Richard Bauer passed away November tenth, 2004.  Matthew Mourad was born Dec third, 2004.  Though not related by blood, they are tied by family.  And they share some character traits such as a love of sweets and a body built for athletics.    

Noah, Matty and Marcie 2010

In March of 2007 Marcie and Matty were joined by a brother Noah. Now Bumpie had two boys on his team. All three children love their adventures with Bumpie; biking, hiking, going to the beach, the list goes on and on. The boys are privy to a special game they call Monster Grampy and only a Bumpie can play.

our Jonah

In August 2011 we were once more blessed. Jonah Schlacter arrived to capture Bumpie’s heart and fill out the grandson roster.  Although Jonah lives in Burlington Steve will be a hands on Bumpie.



Even today Bumpie was at work, dropping off Marcie to visit her Mom in the hospital and taking the boys to McDonalds play land.   My husband likes his job, and title, so much that it forms his email accounts.  And least you doubt the validity of his title; Steve reports that it was very difficult to use Bumpie as his name; because so many are already in use.