I woke up just before dawn. Lots to do! The gift of an early rise is that I get to see the pinks and oranges on the crab apples as the sun gives the first blush of color to the landscape.
I didn't want to wake Ed for breakfast. On a rare occasion, it actually feels okay to have a solo morning meal. Today was one of those times.
I turned on NPR and listened to a story that was as warm and tender as could be. I'll let you listen to it, or read it on this click.
I thought about the legacy each parent or grandparent wants to leave their child or children and I know everyone views this differently, but in the end, I'm with the narrator in the story: I want my kids to think that despite the flaws or missteps, my world was one where we felt at ease and happy to express love and the joy of being together. To laugh together (even though I can't say the one liners!). To spontaneously embrace, perhaps sing, certainly hug and take from each other all the very best.
I return to Chicago today, this time with my older daughter. Juniper is a week old, certainly old enough to entertain an important visitor from "up north!"
The plan is to drive down early, spend the day, overnight at a nearby hotel, and return the next day, because, you know, there's Christmas and someone needs to do Santa's work, and someone else needs to light up the stove for more holiday baking.
But all that holiday-ing is not for today. This Wednesday once again belongs to Juniper.
Primrose is in school, but at the end of the day, she is home too and now we are many! I wont be here when all the cousins meet, but I can imagine the chaos then. A happy chaos of kids, aunts and uncles. For now, though, it's a bunch of grownups, loving the antics of two little ones.
We eat, then soon after, we leave because us northerners go to sleep on this side of midnight. To rest from the travel, from the grand play with the wee ones, to think about how lucky we are to be able to gather as a family again. And to see firsthand how quickly the youngest ones are growing...
With love...
