Saturday: return

I've said this before, working closely with a child -- being attentive to her emotions, desires, behaviors, words -- you learn to fine tune your ideas about human behavior, about family, about the world. This is the time for you to be more patient, more compassionate. To act with greater resolve and thoughtfulness. To not hide behind the easy. To forge ahead, calmly, with understanding.

A week of grandma camp, lots of time with young ones from both families, with their parents, their spouses too -- all this is of course very intense. Did I navigate it well? You never can tell. You hope that the wisdom of the years has lead you to a good place and that your watchful eye has guided you to good decisions and reactions. When to be firm. When to offer help. When to accept different approaches, even to things you've done one way, your way, a million times before. You learn not to judge. To resist the temptation to give unwanted advice. You learn to offer your best, knowing that sometimes it's not going to be good enough.

These were my thoughts as I drove back from Chicago to the farmette this afternoon.

A brief summary of our morning still in the city: Primrose had a swim class and so very soon after breakfast...

... my daughter, her two girls and I went to the local pool -- three of us to watch, one of us to swim.

(getting ready)

By the time we were done with that, and everyone was showered and bathed and dressed and pressed, it was time to head out to brunch. At the Pompette -- a lovely, bright place just a few blocks up from the young family's home.

Absolutely heavenly quiche! (For me. One girl had French Toast -- her fav, the other had sausages -- her fav!)

And then we walk home (their home) and I pack the car and head north.

Ed was just leaving to bike when I drive up. He pauses to review the last few days with me and once again I marvel at his insights, given that he has zero experience with kids and historically, not such a good track record of successful childhood family life. It's always good to listen to another perspective. We chew over details and bounce around ideas and then he bikes and I put my feet up for a good long while. 

And then I, too, bike. Because frankly, in movement there can be rest.

It's been an incredibly busy summer.

With so much love...