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Saturday, March 28, 2009

A visit with Mom and Aunty Joyce

Mom and Aunty Joyce have departed back to Maryland, Charlotte has lost her adoring audience cheering her on as she groves in time to Tick Tock Crocodile's clock sound and laughing as she plays for 45 minutes with the heater. It's quiet here.

My mom and her sister are very similar - they go to church together, teach at the same school, live one mile from each other, both have lost their husbands and now they travel together. It's a lifetime of shared experiences that have brought them close together.

They both brought their sewing kits, never ones to watch TV or sit passively, they are always diligently working on something. They fixed Charlotte's hat so it doesn't fall into her eyes and fixed her car seat's gaping hole that's been there for 9 months!

They complimented every meal we made and asked for all the recipes - the ultimate compliment!

They insisted on paying for EVERYTHING!!!

They didn't really care if we went anywhere but requested one day at the beach so they could tell the folks back home that yes they did come to Florida and went to the beach. It rained for 4 days straight so finally last Sunday presented an opportunity if not a very windy one. Charlotte spent the entire time using the cooler as a prop to stand with! Again I find the redundancy in my career as I watch my child play with random objects.


She fell on top of the cooler and I kept taking photos while my mom rescued her. What kind of mother continues to take photos as her child wobbles precariously towards a face full of sand?!?


They bought Charlotte new pajamas and because I said we were tired of pink she got dinosaur, blue butterflies, firetruck and puppy dog pajamas.

We took them to Coral Castle and on the way home intended to stop for Mexican food at our favorite, Tijuana Flats, but Charlotte had the biggest, baddest messiest diaper we've seen yet and it warranted a bath and entire cleaning of the car seat carrier. My family set about having left overs and cheerfully told us not to worry!

I had to work most of the days they were here so the last two days my husband took them to the park. Charlotte had a blast with the swings and slide.


Husband also took them to the Japanese Gardens to see bonsai plants and bamboo.


and Charlotte fell asleep holding an acquired pine cone


It was a lovely visit. Makes me want to move back to Maryland. Florida's great and I have a fun job making toys - but the pull to be near family is getting stronger.

4 comments:

Jeanne Estridge said...

She's growing up so fast. Glad you had such a good time with Mom and Auntie!

Grit said...

what beautiful photos. and what a family. are they for hire? i could do with a mom like that! but i agree about the irrestible urge to snap away while she heads face down in the sand. when shark took one of her first tumbles and came up with a grazed knee i was over the moon with joy.

R. Molder said...

Thanks for your lovely comments. I wish I could keep family around for longer. Funny how we come full circle in life. I high school/college I couldn't wait to get away.

crazywildberry said...

If you move north, I will be overjoyed! But, if my hubby has his way, we would move down south.

I am so glad that your mom and aunt came to visit. Sounds like a nice time.