It's A Lovely Day

We had little visitors for the weekend. Mommy and J-Daddy dropped them off at the farm on Friday on their way to a wedding. (Big Sister spent the weekend with a friend.) Fortunately for us, Jessica had already planned to be here the same weekend. This was an all-hands-on-deck kind of weekend.

There had been plans to visit the Dr. Seuss exhibit at a nearby museum. But the little people had zero desire to leave the farm. They had two days of playing outside, riding everything with wheels. That included their little pink car, the big wheel, the scooter, and the red wagon. It also meant rides through the pasture in the big green John Deere tractor and the classic old blue Jeep. Things they don't get to do at home.

Remember that there were two little girls and three adults here for the weekend. Then how could we be so tired when the weekend was over? My days went something like this:

In the kitchen:
 I sit down.
"Mimi, I want a snack" "But you just finished dinner (or lunch or breakfast or another snack.)" "Pleeease! I'm hungry." "I'm starving."
I stand up and go to the kitchen and peel an apple.

I sit down.
SPLAT!!  The dinner plate hits the floor. "Mimi!"
I stand up and clean up the mess and make another plate.

I sit down to eat.
A fork hits the floor. "Mimi!"
I stand up and get another fork.

In the den:
I sit down.
"No! No! That's Mimi's knitting. You can't play with that."
I stand up and move the knitting to the mantle.

I sit down.
"Mimi, can I draw with this?"
I stand up and put the permanent marker on the mantle and find the washable markers.

I sit down.
...Silence...
I stand up and go see what's going on.

In the bedroom:
I get in the bed.
"Mimi, I need to go potty."
I get up and take care of that.

I get in the bed.
"Mimi, where's my bunny? I need my bunny."
I get up and find the bunny.

I get in the bed.
"Mimi, I spilled my water."
I get up and mop up the spill.

You get the idea. All of us were doing the same kind of thing. But with three grownups here, we did manage to keep the littles fed and entertained and safe.

After everyone had left, we talked about how the newly-turned-three Baby Girl sounded so grown up now. She looked up at her adored Aunt Jecca, who had taken her out to swing, and told her, "It's a lovely day." And Little Sister sneaked up behind me on Saturday and stuck this pink note on my shoulder. It truly was a lovely day and a wonderful weekend.

When the house was quiet, after all the cars were loaded, and the visitors headed down the road, we picked up the dollhouse with its million tiny pieces of furnishings, the plastic princesses, the farm set, the checker game, and the crayons and coloring books. We emptied the mantle which had filled up with confiscated items. We deflated and rolled up the air bed—which Little Sister prefers to a bed. Then we sat down. It might have been more like a collapse.

And then we thought this is what grandparenting is all about. There are many reasons grandparents are important. One of those important things is making memories. We usually think that we are making memories for the little ones. But every bit as important is that we are making memories for us. Memories that will be the springboard for those, "Remember that time...." conversations that Daddy-O and I will have later. Memories that will keep us company when we don't see these little girls for many weeks and we miss them terribly. Memories about that "lovely day"—the lovely weekend—we had with family.