We took a week off after the annual meeting to cross the river into Wisconsin and visit Johanna and Nate and their girls. Being papa is a part of life I always thought I would love and I sure wasn't wrong. Yet.
Yes it's hard being far away as they grow up and no its not always easy when they are celebrating their milestones but their mom and dad work hard to help us feel connected and we are grateful for that.
And by the way, they have very patient and kind parents who love them. It's really tough parenting small people who get up way too early and are quite demanding and often unreasonable. But they are doing a better job at it than I think I ever did.
We took each girl out for lunch one day and we took them to swimming and gymnastics and watch them play with their neighbourhood friends. Its good.
We make as many memories as we can and try to keep them safe in our minds for the upcoming year, and we take pictures. Some of them prefer not to be in pictures so I try to honour that by asking them if its just a photo of them. Then they come and ask at some point if I can take pictures of them, like they know its going to be a long winter without their photo on my desk. :)
Then, all too soon its time to go home. You kiss and hug them all and your eyes get a little wetter than last time and off you go.
The week goes by quickly, but it is good just to be present to their lives and activities and their growing personalities.
We love em all.
Oh, and Nate introduced me to the best pretzels I have ever tasted. Oh my.
We've not quite reached that stage yet (any moistness around the eyes yesterday was perspiration due to a very un-British summer) and the boy is closer than your grandchildren.
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