Summer Break

Gotta love summer break, when my older daughter is footloose and fancy free from her teaching schedule. It gives her time to not only catch up on things at home but also her visits. Grandson got to drive down from Grain Valley today, with Mom and the Whirlwind in the vehicle. It was his longest drive so far. Now parents of a training driver have to keep and sign a log of driving hours for the DMV.

They've been gone for about an hour, and Grandpa and I are resting from all the hubbub that the Whirlwind can bring about! We met them at the local burger place and enjoyed lunch together. When they came in the door, the Whirlwind bounced over to me with a hug and an, "I missed you!" I told her that I missed her too, even though we'd just seen her two days ago.

The Whirlwind is usually too busy talking to eat.....we began to wonder if we could ever get to our ice cream. But my sandwich arrived late, so I was able to get her to match me bite for bite, and we finished together just as the ice cream got to the table.

We came back to our apartment and enjoyed the afternoon together. Daughter, Whirlwind, Mom and I walked uptown to visit a new boutique in town. We enjoyed finding a few treasures. We had a fun afternoon of visiting, coloring pictures, and playing. The Whirlwind and Grandpa developed a game of "who gets to sit on the sofa" - and our new sofa withstood a lot of bouncing on and off (the Whirlwind......Grandpa really didn't bounce any).

The last time these three came down was right after Christmas. And that was the trip when the Whirlwind got carsick when they hit Waverly. This time, everything went fine. That was a relief. They're headed out on a cruise in about ten days, so we're all crossing our fingers that she doesn't get seasick. She sounds excited, though she truly doesn't have a concept of what's happening except for a big boat with a water park on it.

So we had a fun day, and now we're settling in for a quiet and relaxing weekend. I always feel good when Daughter comes to see us. Often she catches a nap while we interact with the kids. She didn't nap today, but she got very comfortable for awhile. I figure it's just that comfort of being at Mom's house that relaxes her. It's a good feeling.

And speaking of relaxing.......I'll be back another day!