We didn't have huge plans for my visit. I just spent time doing regular grandmother things,
like working puzzles...
and getting to see our pink unicorn on Halloween...
who only wanted one lollipop after trick-or-treating.
She wears high heels better than I do.
The only toy better than the building blocks was my tape measure.
Little Sister said my hand measured "forty-three."
One huge treat for me was getting to attend the All-Region Choral Concert. Big Sister auditioned and was accepted into this phenomenal group. Of the 45 from her school who auditioned, only five were selected to participate. There were large four choirs that performed. As a long time chorus mom (from Mommy's high school and college days), I know that these were excellent choirs. I got to play piano for her to practice a little when I first got there. I knew she could sing, but I didn't know she could SING!
Pattern: Honey Cowl
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK, Jasper colorway
Needles: size 8
I delivered two finished cowls to Mommy just in time for cold weather. Big Sister wanted to wear them to school immediately. I think Mommy gets first chance! (I also think it's cool that a 7th grader likes my knitting.) I never got a photo of the soft mohair cowl on Mommy. Sad. It's pretty.
The most exciting knitting event was that Mommy finished the scarf that she started knitting just before Little Sister was born. It's done!!! I don't know that she'll ever love knitting like I do, but she now has a warm scarf to wear on cold days and she can say she made by herself. We are now a whole family of knitters. Big Sister and Jessica have been knitting for quite some time. Little Sister sat right beside me several times as I was knitting. She had a wooden crochet hook that she pushed in and out of a piece of plastic mesh. She told everyone she was "kniddin' with Mimi." That's a start.
And of course, there were other fun things, like a trip to the yarn shop and the yummy coffee shop next door to it, a holiday open house, a shopping trip with Big Sister to use her birthday gift cards (and I might have come home with some new shoes), lunch at some favorite local restaurants, our traditional girls' pancake night while Mommy and Daddy had a date night, and a marshmallow roast in the backyard the night before I left. S'mores!
I was so happy to spend some time with Little Sister and her family. She was pretty glad to see me, too. Leaving to come home was hard for both of us. Mommy said when she picked Little Sister up from preschool after my plane had taken off, Little Sister's first words were, "Where's my Mimi? Let's go find her!" Sweetness, I am right here. Just a phone call away.
And thank you, Jessica, for coming home to check on Daddy-O while I was gone. He is on the mend but he was happy to have her come cook for him. (I made a Honey Cowl for her, too—a surprise for helping out.)
It is so good to visit and so difficult to leave. But this is the way it is. And what a blessing to have air travel so the visits can be more frequent. I often think about how, only a few generations ago, when family moved away they were not seen again for many, many years. If you're like us, you are already planning your next visit :D
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