Whew! Y’all, it’s Monday evening, and I’m only now sitting down to catch my breath from the weekend, which kicked off Thursday since I had taken Friday off.
My Florida girl and her little family flew into Atlanta Thursday evening after having to rebook the morning flight that was canceled Wednesday afternoon.
I’d originally planned on working the first half of Thursday and leaving at lunch, but with them getting in so late, I worked all day. The Mr. made the hour-plus drive to retrieve them since we don’t have a car with enough seats for four adults and two kiddos.
Although I was disappointed that we were being shorted a half-day, the few extra hours I had at home after work was a blessing. I ran around like a maniac putting the finishing touches on the house . . . tucking things into random closets and drawers and putting toys in strategic places.
Chicky had warned me that Little Miss would be heading straight to bed and that J Man wasn’t to be riled up so he could follow shortly afterward.
But y’all . . . how do you stop a three year old little boy from exploring all of the nooks and crannies and loving on the fur baby he’d seen two years prior (and had no memory of) and via FaceTime.
He immediately fell in love with Gambit. Gambit, in his gentle way, allowed J to hug on him. Gambit loves young children. He is everyone’s favorite, that’s for sure.
E girl came right to me without any tears. Being able to see her in September and October helped her get to know me.
My heart melted as I toted her through the house.
The kiddos finally made it to bed, and after a short time chatting with my girl and her hubby, the grownups hit the hay.
Friday morning, I got up extra early to ready myself for the babies’ appearance. J woke raring to go. He is all boy.
E girl saw me and toddled down the hallway into my arms.
This began the real fun.
The kids played outside a long time. The weather was perfect last weekend.
My littlest grand was scared of Gambit. She’d never been around a dog, so the sight of a hairy muzzle sniffing her wasn’t to her liking, and she cried every time Gambit got near her.
She eventually overcame her fear, but it took a lot of coaxing.
After Little Miss took her first nap, we loaded up the kids and took them downtown to eat at the Hey Day Market. It’s like an upscale food court with outside seating and a fun putting green for kids.
Then, we walked to my office so I could show off my babies (grown ones and little ones). It’s a rite of passage for a grandma, is it not?
We headed home for naps after lunch, and when the kids woke up, my son and his family had arrived. They drove down from their little corner of the state just to spend the weekend with us, so I had all of my babies under my roof (hence my mad dash Thursday evening to prep all of the bedrooms).
They brought their four month old dog, which led to more tears for Little Miss.
My eldest E girl loves her younger cousins, so chasing and sharing toys (a little h willingly) ensued.
Friday evening, we invited the Mr.’s parents and our siblings (who happen to be married to each other) over for taco night. It was a loud couple of hours, but everyone seemed to have a good time.
The kids were ready for bed, let me tell you.
Early Saturday, I spent a couple of hours quietly taking in the morning . . . waiting for the kids to wake up.
As soon as they made their appearance, we baked chocolate chip muffins – something that’s become a bit of a tradition when they visit.
I had prepped everything beforehand to make the process go a little smoother.
These didn’t last long . . .
We took the kids to a new park that recently opened near my house. It was fabulous and is my new favorite after Saturday’s visit.
After a quick lunch at home, two of the kids went down for a nap, and some of the grownups dispersed to go shopping. Chicky and I took Little Miss to get shoes. E girl recently started walking and doesn’t really need shoes unless the grass, which she loves to play on, is wet.
We had more outside time and then a smaller family dinner that evening. The kids played their little hearts out and hit their beds hard.
Sunday, Rooster’s family headed home. We attended a later church service to allow E to take her first nap. Then, we had lunch, played outside, and put the kids down for another nap.
We took the kids to our favorite sushi restaurant for dinner that night. My grands can put down some food, let me tell you. We tipped our server extra because we left the place a lot messier than we’d found it.
I tried not to get too sad Sunday evening. I knew Monday was coming – the end of our visit. J and I watched a bit of The Grinch before his mama put him to bed.
Sigh.
Monday, the kids had a mid-morning flight, so we all left the house around 7 – headed in opposite directions.
Boo.
Chicky sent me a picture of J riding home from the airport after they landed. He was sound asleep in his car seat with a pile of Cheerios under his chin. It was the sign of a great trip.
It was too quiet when I got home from work. As a young parent, you long for peace. As an empty nester, you miss the noise and chaos.
It took me two hours to put my house back in order. The laundry is going to take a couple more days to catch up on.
Honestly, this is how I deal with being sad after my kids leave.
Even Gambit has been dismayed by the return to silence, and he vocalized his displeasure.
It was a wonderful weekend, and my cup is brimming over with love.
Y’all have a wonderful week!
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