Sunday, August 02, 2015

weekend at the farmhouse

It's the last day of Snowdrop's visit. For those who look for general nuggets of thises and thats on Ocean, rather than just grandma notes, move on! My day is full of my granddaughter. This post, therefore, belongs to her.

Snowdrop is just a farm girl at heart. Wake up with the roosters. Again two hours earlier than her usual at home.

Never mind, she's in a great mood!


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(And yes, we finally lowered the crib today. Clearly she is moments away from climbing out.)


Eat your bananas, beets and blueberries, little one! The label says HappyBaby...


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I ask you: does this look like a happy baby?


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The words "by myself!" were invented with Snowdrop in mind.


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The much needed bath.


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She drinks her regular stuff, then she gives me that "now what?" look. (All the while practicing her vowels.)


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An aside: the pillow reminds you of Oreo? Here's an update. He's with his 21 hens and they finally decided to let him join their clique. And back at the farmette, our girls couldn't be more docile and good -- no bickering, just pure hen love. Snowdrop, Ed and I are part of their brood. They follow us everywhere, clucking away in hen happiness.

Alright, time for the adult breakfast.


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Well, adult plus.


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Ed looks on.


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We play. It's tough to do that when you're not even seven months and so, predictably, Snowdrop wears down. Of course she does! I take her outside to look at butterflies, flowers and crab apples. I'm not sure she picks out the ever fleeting Monarch on the milkweed.


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And the crab apples are only worth a tired grab or two.


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But I have no doubt that she takes in the flowers. And the hens.


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A few more fairly quiet moments...


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(by myself!)


And finally I put her down for a nap.

After -- she's ready for more jumping, moving and executing what, to me, looks like a nearly perfect downdog.


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All this, of course, tires her. (Grandma is reaching for reserves of energy as well). We need a pause. Where to go on a hot and muggy August day?

Ed, do we need anything from the grocery store?
Can't think of anything.
Try.
Salsa. 
Which one?
Cheapest.

We're on it!

It's nicely cold in a grocery store (as opposed to, say, in a park) and the shopping trip offers educational opportunities as well. But the hot initial minutes in the car are discouraging. I pep her up with the usual generational tale: when I was your age, my family didn't have air conditioning. She is too young to come back with: when you were my age, your family didn't even have a car.

Salsa (and a bottle of Cava for dinner) in hand, we go back to the hot car and being the great sport that she is, Snowdrop, whose name isn't Snowdrop for nothing (she prefers the cold to the hot), hardly even articulates her displeasure.

At home, we track her mommy and daddy's flight on flightaware.com. Never do that! I am greatly distressed when I see the flight turning around and heading back to where it came from. And then it turns again. And again. Okay, I get it. Weather circles. Your mommy and daddy are going to be late for dinner, I tell the little one. She lets out a tiny groan. Possibly because she understands, more likely because she slept too little last night.

Evening. Snowdrop and I do some deadheading of spent lilies and watering of the flower tubs. It's beastly hot, but the girl is interested in the proceedings and boldly hangs on as I bend and twist and squat and straighten, maneuvering through the dense beds and aiming the hose just so.

The lilies are hanging on for another week of brilliant bloom. I swear Snowdrop appreciates their beauty.


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As the gold tones set in again and the hot wind picks up, we finish our work outside and return to the cool farmhouse.


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We wait for the parents. It amazes me how good Snowdrop is, especially on this evening, when she surely wants to catch up on sleep.


She "watches" a public tv show with Ed...


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She jumps higher than ever on her jumparoo...


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And when it seems like she has no more oomph in her, even as her parents are a ways away, I pick her up and do what I did with my youngest daughter again and again -- I cook with Snowdrop slung on my hip.


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She is most certainly a future chef.

Tired that she is, every bit of the shrimp stir fry is fascinating to her.

Snowdrop, you are a kitchen super star (even if you haven't quite discovered the value of bananas, beets and blueberries yet)!

Finally the parents drive up, I hand her over.


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But I'll not ever forget the week-end. She and I were best pals, even if I never could quite get her to wave a hello or good bye. Next time.

8 comments:

  1. Future chef, gardener, librarian, writer, actress, gymnast, fashion designer, techie, photographer... so many possibilities and more to come! (Just wait til she starts snatching the camera out of your hands, as her dad used to try to do when he was about one and a half.)

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    1. Whoo, yes, Charlotte, I remember 18 months. Whew! Once we got to the so-called "terrible twos", it was already smooth sailing. Once we were having a conversation, everything was ok. But 18 months! Insisting on pushing his own empty stroller, vaulting out of his crib, yikes!
      Can I keep up with an 18 month old next summer? I don't know, but Nina can!

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    2. Just so you know, Charlotte -- I cannot leave the camera strap within Snowdrop's reach. She is after it!

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  2. Nina....love all your travel posts but have to admit I'm super enjoying your Grandma life. We have 5 grandchildren and the youngest is now 3.....still find the discoveries they make in those early years fascinating!...So much work to do....remember watching each grandchild trying to lower themselves into their own tiny chair....lots and lots to learn in just that little move! These are the things I just didn't have time for when my (4) children were young...which is why watching the grands grow is such a blessing! Keep the travel posts coming but will also enjoy every one of the Snowdrop posts.

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    1. PatW -- thank you! You know, I was thinking -- I had two kids. If each one now has one or two, will I have the same energy for all? But I don't think about that very often. Right now I have one grandchild and she makes me look at the process of child rearing all over again. I'm learning things I wished I knew when I was tending to my own two babes.

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  3. Nina, your Grandma Weekend has been so enjoyable for me! You are doing exactly what my daughter-in-law advocates: attend to all of the home & garden business TOGETHER. Watering the flowers, magical. Baby on your hip as you stir the supper - look how interested she is. You are helping to raise a capable child.

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  4. PS We had a super day of babysitting our 8 month old. I feel like one day was plenty! I'm not the athlete you are. Our little C can suddenly get into EVERYTHING, and guess what, she doesn't want toys as much as she wants ALL the things she sees the adults use. So she is trying to pick up heavy field binoculars, climb the guitars on their stands, turn the pages of Mommy & Daddy's wedding album none too carefully, and crawl over to the computer to shut off the music. Not to mention hoisting herself up on the table trying to reach my wine glass. She is VERY attracted to the reflecting lights of the wine glass. One of our own for sure.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, JoyD, that made me laugh! Snowdrop is showing signs of just that! She can get cranky if left to her toys, but take her shopping/cooking/gardening and suddenly, the mood changes. That's the upside. On the downside, she is SO HEAVY and SO SQUIRMY (that has been her true nickname from day one and it holds true today!) that my arms are taking a nice spa moment right now, recovering from the Snowdrop weekend.
      p.s. Snowdrop can visit our clan: she LOVED the touch/color/feel of a glass with a kir aperitif.

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