My older daughter asked for a favor: would I stay with the kids so that she and her husband could escape for a four day trip? To celebrate their tenth?
I paused on that one. In a sense it's an easy peasy job. The three kids are reasonably independent. I see them so often that my coming into their home is not strange, certainly not for the older two. But Sandpiper is a super active little guy and, too, there is the issue of school: getting them ready, getting the cats fed, breakfasts served, lunches packed and in the car by 7:30... is that even doable? For just me to manage?
Still, in the end I agreed. I mean, what could possibly go wrong, no?
The goal is for me to work in the farmette yard this morning, then to hustle over to my daughter's house around lunchtime. I'll stay there tonight and do the morning/evening run tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Sandpiper will be visiting his former nanny initially, but I'll have him with us the remaining three days.
Complicated? Sure, but in a good way. I hope!
So, quickly: morning on the farmette. It's still buggy. I mean, beastly so. Still, I plunge into work on the weeds and eventually Ed comes out to help me move some more hostas. Brutal job! But the views onto the gardens are sweet. Look up, and you have to smile.
Breakfast. This one is a bit on the fast side. Ed sold the sandbox on Craigslist and the buyers are coming over to load the sand away. Me, I have to bake muffins and cook up a chicken dinner. All before noon.
And now I am off to my girl's house. Roll out the comfy sheets on the big bed! You've got a visitor for a few days!
You guys need to get going or you'll miss your flight!
And they're off. Ad it so happens that Snowdrop has a play date at a friend's house, so for a few hours, it's just me and this guy!
Sparrow normally loves to play on his own, but the suddenly very empty house makes him just that much more my shadow. It's been a while since he and I have hung out together! We have some catching up to do!
Dinner? The three of us. Ed's home tending to the animals.
(Parmesan cheese figures heavily in their dinners, at the farmhouse and at home)
And Snowdrop -- she comes back home from a street fair, face painted, spirits high. One minute later, she is out playing with the neighborhood kids. And thirty minutes after that -- she stumbles in face smudged, with the biggest bump on a cheekbone I'd ever seen. She and her friend "ran into each other by accident." Snowdrop's cheek is pretty sore. I can only hope that the friend is not even more bruised!
(Face wiped, somewhat, cheek iced, things are looking better!)
And very quickly the day ends in the usual coaxing of kids to get to bed. Let's see if the morning rush to school goes smoothly tomorrow! What can happen in the morning, right? Right??
With so much love...
