Having Kai and Jack for sleepovers is ....well, it's the best. Sometimes they come when mommy and daddy have date night. Sometimes just because Gigi and Papa would like to have a sleepover night!(and their mommy and daddy are gracious enough to say "yes") This week has been sorta extra special. Kai had a sleepover by herself. Then Jack, a sleepover by himself. It has been fun to have the one on one time. To remember and notice and celebrate how each is so different. Each so uniquely Handmade by God.
These past few nights, I find myself wanting to freeze-frame each moment. I don't want to forget the pictures in my mind, the memories in my heart. And so....I write...
Kai 5 yrs old ~~ She comes with her pink otter, her doll, and a pink bag with treasures.The first thing she does ....she pulls out her pens and markers. She sits at our table, and writes me notes, on pink, heart shaped paper. She cuts more heart shapes with her pink scissors. She writes squiggly lines that fill the page. Then she reads to me, "Gigi, you are the best Gigi in the whole wide world. I love you more than there is sand in the car :-), more than there is hair on Chester, more than there are stars in the sky.....and on and on." She puts heart sticky notes all over Maxine, and reads me each one. We read the 6 library books we just picked at the library ~~ straight through in one sitting ~~. Still sitting at the table, together we work through 8 whole pages of a kindergarten workbook (with a puppy on the front) and she deee-lights to show me all she is learning at school. Sight words. Sounds. I teach her how to make a 5, with a straight line, a big tummy, and a hat on top. (she is VERY SMART!). Time for dinner, she colors and draws and reads to Chester while I cook. She chooses to eat outside at the picnic table. She helps Papa carry silverware and cups and napkins...and sets the table. We eat and talk. After dinner she and Papa look at books. Then....we take a walk and she gets to decide where...we walk all the way to the very end of the park...a long ways. Sometimes we hold hands. We talk about birds and trees and notice pine cones and feathers. There is a wedding reception at the gardens, music playing. We dance and boogie and twirl and she giggles at Papa's silly moves. It is getting dark, so we head back to Maxine. Kai puts on her pink pj's, and dresses Charlotte (her American Girl doll) in matching jammies. I braid Kai's hair. And Charlotte's. A fancy french braid. With a pink bow. Campfire. Smores. She likes Papa to cook her marshmallow. After campfire, it is snuggle time/movie time in Papa 'n Gigi's bed. We giggle that Papa falls asleep. She says her daddy does too on movie nights. After the movie...I tuck her into her bed with her best buddy Chester. Prayers. Snuggles. Kisses. Sleep. And I check on her over and over throughout the night. Just to watch.
Jack 2 yrs old ~~ He arrives with his blue puppy backpack that has his Elmo puppet book and blue blankie. The first thing he does....have a yogurt snack. He picked mango yogurt for him and blueberry for me. After snack, toy box. He finds a truck. He can make amazing truck noises. I cannot make truck noises. I cannot. We play with a fishing magnet puzzle. He fishes all the fishies out of the puzzle 4 times. He is good at it. Really good. We build with legos. We look at a book for about 20 seconds, his favorite book, the Elmo Puppet Book. Then we perch the Elmo book in the window so Elmo can look outside and watch Jack...after resttime. He takes a nap with Papa and Chester. After nap he rides his tricycle to the park, down the campground road, to the path, over the bridge, and across the meadow....to the park. He steers, peddles, negotiates bumps, and figures out how to get unstuck and how not go tooo fast down the hills. He slides down curly slides and climbs ladders. Over and over again. Papa climbs and slides too. Jack holds out his hand to help Papa off the slide...everytime. On the trike-ride home, Jack discovers a green plastic disc/lid in the field, one that covers a sprinkler water pipe thingy. He pulls off the cover. We look inside. Papa, Jack, me, ...we all bend down and look inside. I say wow. Jack says wow. Papa says oooh. Jack says oooh. We found 4 green cover-thingies in the field. Jack stopped at each one. Took the cover off....we all bent down, we all said wow, and oooh. And paused. Dinnertime. He sits next to Papa while he eats. He holds a spoon in one hand, and the other hand rests on a napkin...that he uses often. (smile) He helps clear the table, every spoon and fork and plate. AND THEN, another walk. He pulls a red wagon around the campground, with his sunnies on because it is bright out. "Bright" he says. "Sunnies On" he says. He helps Papa carry wood to the campfire. He wears his sunnies when he roasts his marshmallow because the fire is "bright". Bathtime. When did he start wanting to wash his own hair? Striped PJ's with a fire truck. And shoes. He points to his sleeper's feet and says "shoes". A little more campfire time in pjs w/blankie and sunnies and Papa. He waves to Elmo who still watches through the window. I rock him gently by the glow of the campfire. Then bed. Snuggles goodnight kisses hugs prayers a blue blankie & Elmo Book. I lay by his side and snuggle safely in, until Jack's eyes get heavy. Sweet dreams. And as I type this....I have gone to watch him sleep...just one more time or two.
Kai and Jack, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Unique. Special. Amazing. So different, yet so much the same... kind, tenderhearted, loving life, funtobewith. Thank you for having sleepovers with your Papa and Gigi. We love love love you. More than there is sand in the car, more than there is hair on Chester.
PS Derek and Abby, you are wonderful kids and wonderful parents.Thank you for letting us be Papa and Gigi. We are blessed.
