I joined my son and his wife for a visit to the Georgia Aquarium on Nov. 13th. Lorelei and Genevieve were mesmerized by the sea life. Lorelei got very tickled when the beluga whale swam by the glass where she pressed her face close. Genevieve delighted in watching the penguins jump in the little pool. Lorelei held on to the fish identification card and tried to locate a shark and a stingray. It was an enjoyable family outing for us!
I'd been planning to sleep outside in a tent with the girls but the right time hadn't presented itself. So when I was asked to babysit on a recent Saturday night, I decided to pitch the tent in the living room and add an air bed so we could "camp out" right there! We called it a castle. We read books by flashlight (currently "Knuffle Bunny" by Mo Willems is the favorite) and talked and played. We had a great time and the girls slept well. The following morning Lorelei announced, "This is fun!" Next time we'll camp out in my back yard when the girls come and overnight at my house.
I was invited to join my son and his family for their trip to the local fair at the end of September. Lorelei had ridden a few little rides at a parking lot set up before but had never been to a fair. We rode the Crazy Bus, carousel(she didn't want to sit on a pony), and the Circus Train rides together. On the Crazy Bus Lorelei laughed so loud and excitedly as we whiled around and around like a giant wheel. Lorelei also rode her first roller coaster, one that looked like a dragon. It was fun watching her face go from unsure to delight! She's gonna be a "rider" so Six Flags here we come! I enjoyed that afternoon with both Lorelei and her baby sister, who couldn't ride much. Another memory made!
When I learned that my oldest grandson Tucker and his family were moving soon to Roanoke, VA I hurriedly planned a visit to his classroom. It was his last day of school and I only stayed 20 minutes. But, it was fun to see Tucker at school...he is in first grade, the grade that I teach. One of his classmates teased him by singing, "Tucker has a Mimi, Tucker has a Mimi!" but Tucker just shrugged and smiled. A few days later, when Tucker came by for his last visit before leaving, he gave me a little yellow card on which he had drawn pictures and written "Me Me"...his spelling of "Mimi." It was the first card I've ever received from any of my grandchildren that said "Mimi" on it. It was so special because his mom told me he had asked the teacher if he could make his Mimi a card because he "just wanted to" and she let him. I have that card on the fridge now...I miss the little guy. I doubt we will see him any time soon but I am always thinking of Tucker and the last few visits we had with him before he moved away. I'm hoping he'll write and send me a drawing.
When I arrived at the home of my granddaughters dressed like a queen, their mouths hung open as they stared at me. I spoke with a British accent asking Lorelei to join me for "tea" which was chocolate milk and pecan finger iced cookies. She was delighted to pour the "tea" in flowered cups. Thus began a fun visit. When it was time for me to leave, Lorelei said, "Mimi, when you come back, will you be a queen?" Priceless!
