Wednesday in Chicago

One day. One day in Paris, one day on the English Channel, one wet cold day in October, one day to take it all in, one day to make something of it.

One day with Primrose.

I wake up early in the home of the Chicago young family, but the little babe wakes up even earlier. I find her un-stacking rings with her mommy as I make my way to the living room. I saw her a month ago and all I can say is that a lot has changed in that time. So you're sitting now, eh? How about that!







Parents are off to work. Primrose stays home today to play with me. It's going to be a strangely hot day (indeed, in Chicago, the temps will climb all the way to 86F, or 30C and Madison isn't that far behind). Windy and very hot. Only today. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. We dress accordingly.

(Why is the marble hiding?)






Initially, Primrose is freshly puzzled by the flashing camera. It takes her a few minutes to remember that this grandma really likes to play with that little machine!






When she naps, I eat breakfast.






You could say that during a good part of the day, one of us is eating. And this is new, too: Primrose, in a high chair, eating mush.






And here's something old and so very endearing: Primrose remains a great stroller adventurer!






It's so very warm (as it was when I was here all those summer weeks), that I get this strange feeling of time standing still, even as Primrose galloped forward in her development!

Because the air is so balmy, so infinitely breezy and inviting (I'm remembering October 1st, which was quite the opposite), I take the little one on a longer walk. Ultimately, we wind up at a spot she and I seem to return to again and again -- Milk and Honey Cafe.






Primrose smells the foods around her. I know she does. (Here comes that camera game again!)






Is that ever a disappointed face when she finds out that only grandma gets to eat?!






As we walk back to her home, I look for signs of autumn. Still just a dusting of spent leaves...






...And only the occasional blushing maple branch.






And now we're home again, eating (and I mean real stuff, not just the new toy)...






... and showing me how much she has shot up to a whole 'nother level (I do have a hand out, just in case she needs the support, but I can almost feel her scoffing at this unnecessary little precaution). "Hey world, I'm standing!"






One day, one good day. Familiar, different, deeply satisfying, very full. As in the past, at the end of it, Primrose and I head out to intercept her mom as she comes home from work.






The little girl's delight is just so grand to watch!

And with that heavy sigh that always surfaces when it's time to go, I leave them to their play.






It's evening now and if I walk very very fast and if the L train isn't poky, I'll catch the 7pm bus to Madison, where Ed I'm sure will be happy to pop me some corn, no matter what the hour of my return.