" It's been an amazing day!"

No I don't wear glasses...

Those are the words uttered by my mini-me as she hopped into the back of the Escape from our final stop for the evening.  I can assure you those are words every grandparent wants to hear!!  She is staying with us this weekend, we rarely have enough time to spend with her, they don't live close anymore and with her in school and us working, weekends are so few and far between.

This one is simply like a little snippet of heaven!  We picked her up Thursday night. Just her and her new kitten. Before heading home we helped Mom get down to her weekend getaway.  Mom's plans got changed and she just needed back up... why yes of course we will do that, because we are simply that way.  Anything for our kiddo's....

Arriving home at night, I was nervous that she would not have enough sleep after finishing her homework.  As I said we live 40 minutes apart so she was going to have to wake up early for us to have time to get her there in time for the 7:45 bus.

Driving in circles around the square (yeah think about that one for a minute), while we looked at the changes colors of the fountain and marveled at the huge moon that appeared to have been hung over East Main street, I realized that not only had she done just fine, but that we had enjoyed a magical day!

As I was bouncing between helping her get ready and taking care of this much too tiny rescue kitten, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, and grateful that I had the day off!  I was pretty sure I am not young enough to do this kind of crazy stuff anymore.  Surprisingly, we all survived, the kitten ate a huge breakfast, drank plenty of water and complained loudly about going back into her house for the day.

Mini-me was so easy to get ready it wasn't funny!  We had gotten everything together the night before.  She was a cake walk, easily taking her bath and brushing her teeth before request the slightest bit of help to get dressed.  Her mom keeps telling me she isn't a morning person... I gotta tell you... I think Mom lies, hehe... she is a dream for Gramma and Grampa.

Trying on helmets

Hubby and I were supposed to pick up our new to us motorcycle, but monkey wrenches sometimes happen.  Instead we went to our place one more time.  It was time to say good bye.  I felt like screaming 30 minutes after we got there.  Whatever I am allergic to out there was murder!  My face was on fire and burning, I could barely see or breathe.   Even if we don't sell it this season, I am not going back down there.  That kind of reaction just isn't worth it.

A last goodbye...

I will miss Kim and her beautiful Lucy (whom I loved on like crazy today), but not enough to suffer being down there.  She is an amazingly friendly and kind woman.  I will miss her.  I felt bad not telling her we wouldn't be back down.  It just didn't feel right to tell her, on such a beautiful day...

Instead we had a long leisurely lunch, with nowhere to be for several hours, and just enjoyed each others company.  It's been a long time since hubs and I have had that much unscheduled time.  It was amazing!  Although both of us were anxious to get our baby girl back.  We had big plans...

Gramps and Big J

Gramps, Mini-me, and Evie... enjoying fish and fresh air

Our dear friends made dinner, it was a surprise for mini-me.  They are two of her most favorite people, and it's been a long time since Big J has made Friday night fish and mac n cheese.  Mini me was beside herself, she was so happy to have dinner with them, she'd been asking for months!!

busy while grampa waited in line...

Wheee... that was fun, can I go again?

With dinner and friends behind us, we were off on another adventure.  We took her to the Stock Car Races.  It was kids night which only made it better.  She'd never been and I'd never been to Belle Clair.  Grampa hadn't been in years, and his best memories were of going with his Dad.  So off we went, not really sure what to expect, but excited just the same!

You mean we get free sno-cones?  yes please

Decisions, decisions... bubble gum please!

It was so LOUD, and so much fun.  Mini-me got to participate in a money grab, she managed to pick up $19.35, not bad at all.  Who knows what she will do with it.  She informed me that she has decided to be a race car driver when she grows up!  Okay... sounds fair, not sure mom will go along with that idea. She wore her ear plugs, goggles and waved her flag for the entire evening, yelling and cheering her favorite car for each round.  I am not sure how she decided, but I am fairly certain it had something to do with the colors each were painted.

No, not a zombie, just a bubble gum sno-cone fan! Blue lips for everyone!

Not really a kid sized hot dog is it?

Can you see the little pink blur?

At one point she asked me to take a picture of her, in her racing gear.  Then she took my phone and sent a text message to mom, that simply read "I'm having more fun than you!"

"I'm having more fun that you are Mom"

A quick stop for frozen custard on the way home and next thing, I know I hear "It's been an amazing day"... she's right, it was!
None of us know how much time we have on this earth, I personally want to insure that if this was all that I have left, they know that I love them.  Gramps was so happy, he got to make memories, and boy did we have fun!

Today has many more fun memories waiting to be made.  She'd requested a trip to the science center, so we will head over there today.  Her and Grampa will do the Omnimax theater.  Gramma will have a cup of tea and wait, I can't handle the Omnimax, I will be seriously ill for the rest of the day.  She already has plans to dig for fossils and explore the exhibits.  St. L through the eyes of a child is magical.

Grampa had plans for this evening too, we'll see... I am not sure we can keep going at this pace.  The hope was to go to the zoo also, but that might wait until tomorrow... We don't have to give her back until then...

I hope that everyone else is having as wonderful a weekend as we are!