Today my SO and I had to give them back......The Three Musketeers, that's who. We knew the four days would come to and end, and so they did, but what fun we had. Driving two hours with them this morning passed so quickly it was hard to believe that the exit was less than five minutes away when Capt. SO announced, "We're almost here."
We spent the time in the car with Grandma reading books from the front seat to the literally captive audience in the back seat, TLV talking non-stop, TLV reading a book to the rest of us, TLV'sLB eating more grapes than I thought one small person could ever hold, TLV helping Princess Leia with her chopped-up string cheese, the boys finding truck cab colors, the discussion about the speeding car and the police officer that chased the car, and the enticing promise of the boxes of animal crackers to be consumed later. Princess Leia negotiated her Cheerios and cut-up grapes just fine from inside the sippy cup sans top and the boys managed, for the most part, to keep their zippered baggies upright while eating their Cheerios and grapes. It was a fun car ride.
Then came the car ride home with just two occupants instead of five - when the silence from the back seat was deafening. Walking back into the condo and seeing all of the toys strewn about, going to their bedrooms and seeing where they laid their little heads, seeing the chairs and sofas where so many books were read while small, warm bodies sat on older laps, seeing the booster chairs still attached to the dining room chairs, the three wash cloths hanging up from bath times.......all memories.
Their essence is still here even though The Three Musketeers will sleep in their own beds tonight and their parents will be the ones to say "Good night." and tuck them in. We have our own memories of little heads tucked in under our chins, of baby-signing at meal times, voices squealing with delight, and questions. Hundreds of questions. All in a day's work being a grandparent. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I have to stop typing now. Something is clouding my vision.
Ancora imparo
