Home After Vacation

Our flight out of Dulles was delayed due to weather in Atlanta, then the Atlanta flight delayed--but we five arrived on my newly-paved street at 1:30 this morning.  Having arrived at Dulles early and on planes for about nine hours, I woke up with leg cramps and a few Virginia-sized mosquito welts, so today it's Calamine lotion and water to rehydrate my stiff self while sorting mail and unpacking after a terrific visit with my two kiddos and their families.

Here are a few highlights:

     1.

On the night of the outdoor S'more roasting, precious Marcus said to me out of the blue, "I love you, Yenna!"  Nathan then said, "I love her more!" and Marcus protested that he loved me more than Marcus!  The love of ten and twelve-year-old boys is such a treasure!

     2.

That same night, Veronica was telling about hers and Will's high school romance and how she once felt jealous of a previous girlfriend who was "model-beautiful."  Elena said, "Mommy, I never saw her but I know you are beautifuller than she is."

     3.

Jackson, who joined the ranks of the adults this visit and mostly sat with us and talked instead of playing with the three little ones.  He's a super smart almost-sixteen-year-old with the manners and personality of his daddy, Tom.  A cross-country runner, he gets up early and runs--and gets teased a lot by his uncle about his cool demeanor when girls flirt with him.

Chivalrous in the old-style way, he opens doors, helps women in and out of cars, and walks beside his grandmother up the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial at night.  When I mentioned that to Day, she said, "When you marry a king, you get knights for sons!"

     4

Day's house inspired Will and Veronica to put their house on the market.  The Leary house is spacious with a new back porch where we spent most of our time.  Will is tired of small spaces and all the work it takes to maintain a big yard, rusty water pipes, and having no internet service.  Country life has its charms, but it's time-consuming; the romance of it has run its course.  They now want a house large enough for overnight guests, a house without a bumpy mile-long road, and a house where the water runs clear.

     5

All in all, it's been an inspiring and relaxing vacation, a chance to get to know everyone all over again as they have moved up a year in ages and desires--not to mention (though I am!) being showered with love  from affectionate grandchildren, five, ten, twelve and sixteen.

     6

When Nathan grows up and becomes an inventor, he's going to have three double-decker planes and poor people can fly for free anywhere they want to go.

     7

While their parents were waiting for luggage on the carousel way past midnight, Elena ,Nathan and I had a long chat with a school psychologist named Elena and her big four-month old puppy--a Collie/Newfoundland mix, the best behaved puppy I've ever seen.  The adult Elena (who'd traveled with her puppy from Atlanta) has already trained the puppy that he only gets pats and hugs if he sits down, no jumping, and he follows commands in both English and Spanish to "use his inside voice."   Elena and Nathan were fascinated by him.

"He's training to work with disabled kids and to be my service dog," Elena (who travels by scooter) told the kids.

     8

The favorite food of all four of my grandchildren is sushi!  We enjoyed one Asian buffet and a sushi bar at Tyson's yesterday.  My favorite meal--not counting Day's meals on the porches--was definitely Founding Farmers on Pennsylvania Avenue.