Send Them Away For Mothers' Day?

Any time I take visitors to the airport I am sad. Invariably I cry as I drive back toward the city. Kate always comforts me by saying, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be your buddy.” And she is. But today not only did I loose my visitors, I also lost my little buddies. My mom and dad and Kate and Jane are all on an airplane flying to Utah. Who is going to be my buddy now? Maybe I’ll go pull out my old teddy bear.

We had a wonderful week with my mom and dad here. We played a lot but we also did plenty of relaxing at the same time. The day we went out to Valley Forge we took along a picnic and a kite. We tromped to the middle of a huge field, set up our blanket, and enjoyed the afternoon. Valley Forge is undoubtedly the best place I have ever flown a kite. Not only is it open and beautiful but it has the perfect breeze. We literally took the kite out of its package, unrolled a few yards of string and watched as it gracefully floated up into the sky. There was no running or throwing the kite upward in hopes of catching an air current. In fact, you could just sit on the blanket munching your lunch while simultaneously flying a kite like a pro.

Because my parents have been here before, we were able to see some historic sites that are not on the typical 24 hour tourist trail. We visited the Declaration House where Thomas Jefferson was lodging when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. We toured Walt Whitman’s house in New Jersey. (Inspired by Doug’s enthusiasm we are all becoming Whitman fans.) We visited the Franklin Court--what is left of Benjamin Franklin’s printing press, post office and house. We walked through Christ’s Church and Elfreth’s Alley, and although we were off the beaten path a little, we made sure to conveniently end the day near the Franklin Fountain, our favorite ice cream parlor.

The girls wanted to show Grandma and Grandpa one of their favorite places so we went across the river to the aquarium and saw hippos swimming and sharks cruising all around us. Sitting in front of a two story tank at the aquarium and watching sea turtles, sting rays, fish and sharks swim around has a similar mesmerizing effect to watching a camp fire burn. I could have stayed there all day.

A trip to Philly would not be complete without an outing to Longwood Gardens, so we were careful to squeeze that in as well. We saw the end of the Spring flowers and the beginning of the bright Summer colors. One thing I love about Longwood is that the girls enjoy being there as much as I do. There is room to run and play. The girls will disappear under a weeping birch, run to the top of a hill and roll down, splash in a fountain, and smell the flowers as we walk through the conservatory. It is a great place for childhood delights and imagination. Another thing I love about Longwood is their food and, of course, we made the most of that as well.

We managed to make the most of having Grandma and Grandpa around. Grandpa completed all of our long neglected home repair projects. Mom helped me cook creatively to use up all the food in the house. They both played and pretended with the girls. Kate would dress them up and pretend she was their dance teacher and they would prance around just like she asked them to. Is there anything better than grandparents?

Josh was in the middle of finals this week while we were off flying kites and smelling flowers. He would come home each night and play games with us to unwind a bit. The good news is that he is finished! You can now refer to him as a mighty SECOND YEAR Wharton student. Last night after we put the girls in bed we walked across the street to Figs and had a celebratory dinner. It is always nice to have a reason to celebrate.

Our summer has officially begun. Josh and I will wrap things up here in the next couple of days and then drive to Utah to reclaim our girls. Instead of worrying about how to entertain two little ones on a four day drive, we can think about what book we want to read out loud and what off the beaten path place we would like visit. The girls will be happily playing and we will be peacefully driving. (Thanks to mom and dad for making this possible.) I don’t know what kind of mom I am to send my kids away on Mothers’ Day, but now I know I’ll only think of their endearing traits until we are together again.

Hooray for the beginning of summer!