birthday bash

This day marks my final attendance at a birthday party for a one year old! Of course, you never really know. Unexpected babies pop out all over the place. Best guess though -- this is the last time I'll watch with utter contentment as a babe plunges freely into a piece of a first birthday cake.

It's almost always better here, on Ocean, to hand over the stage to the main players on a day like this one, so I will hold back the words and rely on photos to tell the story of how it all unfolded.

1. Breakfast: I come up just us oatmeal is being served. 

I cut up the fruits for us all and join them at the table.

2. The Cake: this was a long process! My daughter had already made the cranberry jam and the sugar coated berries. Last night, actually late into the night, she baked the cake. This morning she is making the frosting and putting the whole thing together. Primrose helps.

The dad helps as well.

Done!

3. Getting everything and everyone ready: we make a paper chain to decorate the room. And now the kids get dressed. As it's a special occasion, I share my lip gloss with Primrose. Can you tell? No? Okay, I'll use more next time!

Juniper, the birthday girl, wakes from her nap and also gets ready. No lip gloss for her. Just a crown!

(Happiness is... owlie.)

4. Grandparents arrive (and, too, an uncle an aunt).

5. Lunch: the savory part.

6. The gifts: first, a card from big sister.

A musical llama from me. Juniper is so musical that she will sway rhythmically to her own banging on the xylophone.

Wait, do I see more presents? Yeah!

You know she is getting tired when she clings to a purple box and looks with glazed eyes at all of us.

7. Lunch: the sweet part. The cake: finally, to be enjoyed. The song, the candle -- just one!

No no! Can't touch!

Mesmerized.

Help blowing it out.

The younger family.

Eating it! Loving it! Being amused by it all!

And there you have it! A beautiful celebration of Juniper, the youngest little one in my pack of grandchildren. Pulled off grandly by her dedicated and joyous parents, and her friend for life -- her big sister Primrose.

I drive home soon after. I want to get back before dusk. Blasting Christmas music, losing myself in thoughts of this month of festivities and foods and love, so much love -- I get home in no time.

Hello, snow-covered trees.

Hello farmhouse. Hi Ed...

Let me tell you about my weekend in Chicago...

With so much love...

Chicago: a day with Juniper and everyone else

It's almost as cold here as it is in Wisconsin. Almost. But who can even notice such details when the day is so full of family. Yes, I wish the Madison bunch could have been here. In the end, back home, all kids and one parent came down with a virus and there was no way they were going to drive down here and share their woes with the rest of the family. So, unfortunately, they're home. But everyone else is here! Well, later in the day they will all be coming together.. 

Initially, the morning is calm. I come up when Juniper is already eating breakfast...

The girls have a bath and get ready for their day. It unfolds differently for the two of them. Juniper is going to stay home, with me...

And Primrose -- after helping her mom make candied cranberries for her sister's cake...

And after playing around with my time-released selfies...

... the big girl gets ready for her dance class and recital. (her mom is an expert at ballerina buns!)

She and her parents are off!

Juniper looks at me with quizzical eyes: what are we going to do now??

Ha! Selfies, of course! This grandma will surely be remembered for those time-released picture games!

Ah, Juniper! You don't know that this weekend is really for you, do you...

You don't really understand the concept of birthdays yet. That's okay! You'll grow into it. I expect you'll be counting the days toward your next one and the one after!

In the meantime, would you like to walk over to the grocery store with me?

I bundle her up. It's below freezing and the wind is brutal!

(Even as the city has its own winter beauty after a light snowfall...)

Phew, that was tough going. though! We have a pause for a breath of warm air in the store, where I pick up the essentials: flowers and more fruits (since I tend to make copious fruit bowls for everyone when I am here, well, back home too!).

Time to bundle up again!

On the walk back, Juniper is less willing to stay hidden behind layers of cloth. By the time we reach her home, her cap is off and wickedly tossed to the side, her blanket is pulled down and she is laughing triumphantly, bitter cold wind notwithstanding!

At home, I feed her lunch. As I tidy up, she explores. And finds. Are those presents for me?? Yes, but not today little one! Tomorrow's the party!

Eventually the family returns, another set of grandparents flies down and joins us, Juniper tries on her first pair of shoes.

... and then we all go over to yet another set of grandparents for a pizza supper. With snacks!

Two kids, adored and watched over by five grandparents this weekend! (The sixth one is home finishing his own run with some virus and, too, tending to the animals while I'm away.) And another uncle/aunt combo are here as well!

And still, this is not the birthday celebration. For now, we just enjoy watching the kids cavort. May they sleep well tonight. With visions of sugarplums, or at least sugared cranberries...

... and so much love...

to Chicago

Between now and the New Year, we will not see a single day, indeed, a single hour with temperatures above freezing. If you're smart, you prepare for such cold spells. You scrape up slushy snow off the walkway, because going forward, it will be iced over and falling on your fanny in the winter is never fun. You make sure the car tires are pumped up and that there aren't snow mounds by the car doors. I swear most slipping happens when I try to get in and out of my car and the footing just isn't there. I imagine the ice rinks will open next week. I am of course not terrific skating material this year (that knee injury!), but that doesn't mean I will not skate. Maybe by Christmas! We surely are getting the weather for it.

In other words, a blast from the north can be a gift. 

For now, though, I'm focused on doing the morning barn run (so beautiful!)...

(Wouldn't it be thrilling to string lights on the tall pines??)

(Perhaps it's more realistic to imagine them on the little ones, like on this juniper that I planted here. Hmmm... not so little anymore!)

(The field of snow begs for grandchild activity. But, Snowdrop likes playing outside with her neighborhood pal. By the time she comes here, she wants indoor hours! Sparrow is basically an indoor guy, period. Sandpiper -- he's my hope! Though still too young to build a credible snowman or snow fort...)

I'm focused, too, on eating breakfast with Ed. And Dance. And at our feet -- a meowing Unfriendly, now renamed "Snowflake" by Snowdrop herself, who had proposed Snowdrop until I told her that that name was already taken!

And on fitting in a very quick ski run at our local park...

And on packing up for my trip to Chicago.

Hello, young family! It's great to see you again! 

(Picking up Primrose at school...)

Remarkable how kids never stand still. Not in their physical space, not in their weeks of growth. I saw them three weeks ago! The girls seem to have taken a great leap forward since then!

(dinner with the girls...)

(bedtime reading...)

We stay up for a few hours after the kids are asleep, but we don't push it. We all need to rest up for the full weekend that's ahead of us!

With a smile of anticipation...