Nana's time with the 4 Webbs came to an end today... sadly. She was a blessing to have in our house for a week. One of the side effects of living in a different state than your family is that gifts are next to impossible. I'm not around to hear the day to day conversations like, "it sure would be nice if I had... whatever". I took full advantage of the opportunity and bought Mom and Dad a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS camera. Giving a gift Mom actually wanted was a great feeling. I could never pay them back for the time and sacrifices and money spent on me over the years, but it doesn't hurt to try!
She took a few pictures to familiarize herself with the camera. Even though the quality is diminished because of the blog size requirements they turned out very well. Kendra spent the past 10 days in bed or on a couch for her knee recovery. That meant many occasions for book reading and cuddle time with Easton and Layla.
My time lying on the couch reading with the twins is purely voluntary and my back is feeling great. I just use book reading as a lure to hold Easton and Layla close for a few minutes.
I wished the timing was different for Nana to visit because the AZ summer doesn't present many opportunities for adventures. We are mostly in hibernation mode, but I know Mom didn't visit for the entertainment or outdoor activities. The mall is a great escape from the heat because it is indoor and has a train!
Kendra and I celebrated 9 years of marriage! We didn't get too extravagant since next year will be our 10 year anniversary, my 3-month sabbatical including a boat load of travel, and Kendra's knee isn't yet ready for a dance floor.
All of us relived the special wedding day by watching our old-school VHS tape. This was the first time Easton and Layla saw it so I spent most of the time watching their faces comprehend what was going on. They kept saying, "There's Mommy! There's Daddy! There's Papa!"
Nana did an enormous amount of work around the house and caring for the twins. Even so, I did my best not to take advantage of her and use her willingness as an excuse for laziness. She started sweeping and I took over. Easton wasn't interested when Nana swept, but as soon as I did it Easton became very interested. He quickly dug his broom from the closet and we cleaned house!
Easton is a smart boy and I know he notices when I help out. Layla felt left out since we only have one child-sized broom. She grabbed the dust pan and the three of us were a good team of cleaners.
Nana and I went out for Italian dinner alone twice in two nights. Papa isn't a fan of Italian food and Kendra was considerate to take care of the twins while we spent quality time together.
We engaged in several meaningful conversations over the week which were deep, thoughtful, and sometimes painful. Mom is the only person who has answers to some of my childhood questions. Now I have the daunting task of processing all of the things we talked about and adjusting my perspective accordingly.
The 4 Webbs have been around grandparents for 8 weeks straight! I'm not looking forward to daily life without them around. Easton and Layla are deeply impacted by the daily involvement from Ouma, Oupa, and Nana over the past 8 weeks. Now it's time to get figure out what normal looks like again.
See you soon!
1 comment:
Mom had such a great time with all of you! Sounds like you both savored the time and enjoyed the company. She bragged on you all and how fun it was to be there with those amazing kiddos. So happy for you!!
Hugs and love,
Joanie
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