Visit With Family

We had a wonderful Saturday afternoon when Keith's daughter Corey and her two children, Claudia and Eric, came to visit. I had a dose of playing grandma and I realized how much I look forward to having my kids bring their kids home for me to spoil.

I have been cooking with my kids since they were old enough to stand in a chair next to me. But, my kids are pretty well grown, and now cooking with me means "you do your task and I do my task." The cooking goes faster and the kitchen stays cleaner. It hasn't always been that way. There was a time when letting them help meant slowing me down and cleaning up food off the floor...and the counter....and the wall....and the child.... I remember telling myself that I was teaching them and I'd count backwards and really try to keep it together. Yesterday, it just came naturally. It didn't matter to me that there was flour and cocoa powder on the floor. I wasn't the least bit concerned that the eggs never really got beaten. It was perfectly fine that the measurements weren't just so. I loved watching their faces and proud expressions as they accomplished egg cracking (or egg smashing in Eric's case).

I really enjoyed letting them dig into the bowl when the brownies were finally in the oven. You can learn a lot about someone by the way they attack a batter bowl. Claudia delicately put her finger in. Eric grabbed the bowl and tried to stick his head in it to lick it. I only stopped him because I knew Claudia wouldn't want to eat after that. If it had been only Eric, I would have let him go for it and gotten the video camera (the regular camera wouldn't have done it justice).

Then we went outside and Claudia was overjoyed to see that we had rakes. She wanted to rake leaves. Remember the days when a leaf pile was something to smile over? For me, now, leaves just mean things I have to get out of my yard. It is work. Pretty work, but work. Claudia raked with vigor. Eric did for a moment, but then the hammock and wagon beckoned him. Once the pile was big enough, it was time to jump. And swoosh. And play. And roll. And then it was time to pile them all up again. I had forgotten how fun leaves could be.

The rest of the day was the same. Putting pepperonis on the pizza. Playing the piano, especially pretending to play when one of the prerecorded songs came on. Trying to win the game of Sorry. Hide and seek when you are small enough to fit under the TV cabinet. Reading books.

Yes. I am definitely moving into that period of my life where my kids are growing and moving on. My youngest still needs me, but mostly as a chauffeur. In just over 4 years, she will head off to college. And I'll be home, waiting for the grandkids to come by so I can spill some flour on the floor.