Air Grandma 2014

Colleen, the kids' nanny, has decided to go home for four weeks, her first visit to Australia in several years.  Air Grandma to the rescue (or rather, Juliet and James to the rescue of a Grandma who's been missing them since August)!

I arrived today and soon had wormed my way into James' confidence.  He was shy at first but quickly warmed up to me.  He still needed to know where Mom was at all times, but he was also content to sit on my lap and have half of a book read to him.  When the first half was finished he would get off my lap and run for another book.  Maybe he was bored with the first book, or maybe he thought that if I ever finished a book I might say, "Okay, that's enough reading for now."  At any rate, he made sure we never made it to the end of a book!

Juliet came in from the last of two parties (one Christmas, one birthday; although I guess technically they're both birthday) and ran across the room, jumped into my arms and gave me a ferocious hug.  Then she leaned her head back to look at me, gave me a big kiss and then another ferocious hug.  I don't think there's any better feeling in the world.

Juliet is even taller and thinner than in August.  It's a good, athletic thinness.  James (I'll eat anything at any time) is slimming down, too, and getting taller.  Both of them seem much older than they were just four short months ago.  With Matthew I didn't notice changes that much because they happened so gradually; one day you just realize that hey, he's walking much more steadily now, or his speech is getting to be understandable.  With grandchildren you don't see very often, the changes seem to jump out at you.  Wow!  He runs everywhere, he doesn't walk any more; he's imitating words I say; he looks like a little kid now, and not a baby.  

Oh,Juliet, oh, James, please don't grow up so fast!  I love you with all my heart, and I love being someone you're delighted to see.  I love reading to you, teaching you to sew, and baking cookies together.  I don't want these days to ever end.