Coming Home

My daughter and her two daughters, who are 2 1/2 and 5, are in visiting for 10 days. We have looked forward to this visit for quiet a while. It isn't often that she can come for an extended visit with the girls. Her husband is a farmer in Iowa and couldn't be with her this trip since they are trying to harvest their corn. While we miss having him here we are enjoying a rare visit when we can just enjoy having her home to ourselves.



As usually happens when you anticipate something so strongly, it isn't working out quite like we expected. My son, who lives in our community has been here most nights after work to visit with his 2, 4 and 12 year old boys. It's wonderful to see the little ones enjoy running and playing on the farm. However, I forgot how wild it is trying to cook for 5-10 people while dodging two 2 year olds, a 4 year old and a 5 year old. The kitchen, which seemed spacious becomes an obstacle course of toys, kids, and dog. Grandma finds herself hurdling from counter to counter, while calculating portions and amounts frantically in her head. See, the other thing I've forgotten is how much food it takes for a crowd. Especially a crowd that seems to fluctuate continually. As friends of the kids hear about our daughters visit, they all want to come by and see her. Of course, they do usually come at dinner time. About the time I get the hang of this again, she'll go back home!



In my mind I visualized laughing visits in a clean house with happy children playing peacefully. In reality, the house is a wreck, the dishwasher hasn't stopped running and there is always at least one child either out of sorts or with an "owwie". What we did get right was the part about laughing visits. We have laughed, giggled, snorted, and chuckled. The stories have just flowed out and everyone is talking over everyone else. It's wonderful! The kids have been bandaged, hugged, rocked, kissed, or corrected by whichever adult was handy. The house has never looked more perfect with people, clutter, clothes and shoes everywhere.



It's not perfect, but it is perfectly wonderful.