I consider a day perfect when it's spent with one of my three beautiful granddaughters, or my lovely little great-granddaughter, Alexis.
Grandpa and I picked her up at her house late Sunday afternoon. Sporting a pink backpack and swinging her braids, she was all ready for an overnight adventure at our house.
We stopped in Forest Lake to see my mother. We are a five generation family: my mother, me, daughter Kristie, granddaughter Sarah and great-granddaughter Alexis, who we call Lexie.
Lexie greeted her great-great grandma with a big hug and kiss. Then her eyes went to the kitchen cupboard. She knows there are usually M&Ms there in a plastic canister. And she wasn't disappointed. Hugs and kisses accompany the M&Ms as she says good-bye and we get back in the car to head to Lindstrom.
Arriving at our house, Lexie has her rituals. Heading straight to her toy drawer, she digs out the crayons, books, puzzles and Barbie dolls, all of which her mommy and her aunt played with at the same age. Still in the same drawer.
Discovering her safety scissors in her crayon box, she cuts a few things out of her coloring book. So proud to have finally mastered the use of the scissors.
This time, she discovered somethig new: several sets of beads from the local town festival in July.
After a bubble bath and jammies are on, she has another ritual: her favorite DVD, Springtime with Roo. She has watched it a hundred times. She never seems to outgrow this movie. It was originally given to me by a co-worker whose children had outgrown it. It was old and started skipping scenes. So I had to buy a brand new one to replace it. Lexie would be heart-broken if it wasn't there anymore.
The playground was on Monday's agenda.
I was totally captivated watching her run from the swings, to the slide, to the clam digger, to the fire engine, to the climbing bars, to the lion water faucet, to the tire swing. Where does she get all her energy? It seems to transfer to me, because I find I have the same boundless energy when I'm with her.
Such wonder. Such total abandonment in her play. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to think about but the moment at hand.
And for those moments, I joined her. Relaxed, refreshed, renewed.
A perfect day.
