Thursday

Time to pack a bag and head down to Chicago. We have a birthday before us!

You want to be there for all your kids' and grandkids' birthdays, but of course, that's not always possible, especially if the offending child dares to live in a place that's a bit of a drive from where you are. Still, you aim to be there. You expect to be there more often than not.

But Primrose (whose birthday it is in a few days) really takes the cake among all grandkids, in terms of birthdays missed by me! She was born early, so I missed her birth day. Both Ed and I made it for the celebration of year one. Then along came Covid and suddenly we were all stuck zooming instead of hugging and dancing and eating cake and ice cream. 

It stands to reason that I am not going to miss this one, her fourth, and indeed, I'll come plenty of days ahead of the family celebration, so that I can settle in and while I'm at it, I can check in on Juniper!

And so very soon after breakfast...

I pack up the car and head south.

Hello, very youngest member of the family!

And hello, soon to be birthday girl!

(I walk over with her mom to pick Primrose up at school. We're "south," alright! First flower sighting -- a Helleborus, aka Lenten Rose.)

(Juniper, looking awfully cute in the stroller!)

(At their Chicago home, with everybody!)

The kids and I play while the parents get ready to go out on a hot date. Well, a date without kids. Which I suppose makes it both hot and calm.

After Primrose and I eat dinner and Juniper insists that she feels left out of that process, I put on the latest Pixar movie for the older girl and attend to the needs of the younger one, and then I let the younger one doze, while I read to the older one, and then I switch fronts once again.  This may sound complicated, but in fact, both girls are sweet and good and awfully patient, in the way that children often are around ancient grandparents. 

I check in with Ed, who, by 9, still hasn't given thought to dinner, which only goes to show that time alone is absolutely necessary so that you can then fully appreciate time not alone.

Later, the parents return and I retreat to my quiet space downstairs and give a lot of thought to how lucky I am  for a million reasons which I cannot even begin to articulate.

Sleep well my friends and dream of peace.