I am one of those people who gets so excited anticipating a vacation, a concert,
a wedding, or any other fun event away from everyday life. I admit having expectations
isn’t always a good thing, but I love them. When I was a kid, my sister and I would pack for
our July vacation in Sea Isle City, NJ in early June. It drove my mom crazy that all our bathing
suits were packed away a month early. We refused to go swimming because we didn’t want
to disturb our suitcase filled with swim and vacation wear. We were so excited, we’d unzip the suitcases
just to see if we missed anything. Then we’d reorganize our piles and re-zip.
Since then I’ve kept that expectation gene running hot. I don’t pack a month early anymore, well except
for the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Retreat, but who doesn’t do that?!
I have almost as much fun in my mind, planning my getaways, as I do once I’m there. In my mind,
everything goes smoothly. Flights are on time. I have a very pleasant seat mate. There are no bumps in
the air. That is crucial to my expectations.
This time I’m anticipating a visit to the ballet in North Carolina. This is a very
exciting time. I will also be privy to a dance rehearsal in my granddaughter’s play
room. It will be a full-dress rehearsal complete with pink ballet slippers and tu-tus.
Their hair will be piled high in buns, hair sprayed in place. There will be serious
plies and twirling amidst lots of giggling. There may even be a few large dogs in the rehearsal, not by design.
I begin to anticipate the fun the moment I book my flight. I can’t wait to see two little bodies come
running to greet me at the gate. A Welcome Gigi sign usually accompanies them. I try to peek around
the corner before they notice me. After all, this is my anticipation of greeting my two favorite little girls
on the entire earth.
Yes, this is blessed time. Not only will we visit the ballet, we will have a sleepover
with me in the middle. I must be in the middle, lest we have a problem. We sleep in a
large lower bunk sideways and chat about “life” until my daughter tells us to stop
laughing and go to sleep. I used to tell her the same thing when she was that age.
She didn’t listen either.
A tea party at the crack of dawn is mandatory. There’s a lot of commotion getting a tea party ready. I
try to chug coffee to open my eyes. The girls are more concerned
about who oversees the sugar bowl. This is a serious issue at any hour of the day
or night. When you have a four and six-year-old scooping spoonfuls of sugar, you
end up with a sugar party with a splash of tea. Therefore, Gigi needs coffee. She
needs to be wide awake to supervise.
The tea set is shrinking as the girls get older. We might need to shop for a larger set after
the ballet. Getting a larger tea set is an emotional task. We’ve had tea parties with this set of pink and
green striped cups with fireflies for a few years now. It has survived spills, tears and it hasn’t decayed
from too much sugar yet. The tea kettle has poured over two hundred cups of tea. So, while I’m just
slightly attached to this tea set, I’m realizing that my two little best girlfriends are growing up quickly.
Yes, this is blessed time.
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Nancie Moore says
Sounds like a wonderful, magical time! You are one lucky Grandmom, Gigi!