Yesterday in the late afternoon, Ben headed off to watch the Super Bowl with some friends. Isaac was pretty bummed about not being able to go along, so, I decided to take him and Maddie to do something fun. Since they had been outside playing in the snow for about two hours already that afternoon, and since it is getting dark around 5:30, we settled on the Burger King with the Play Place.
(For the record, fast food grosses me out, but Burger King has good cold lattes and one has to buy food in order to use the Play Place. Also my children love chicken nuggets and french fries . . . )
So, the three of us sat together and ate our supper.
Then Maddie and Isaac took off their shoes and started to climb the labyrinth of tubes and stairs and slides. We were the only family there, so it was quiet, save for the thumping and bumping of my two loves in the maze. Every once in a while a laugh and then a little Isaac voice, "Maddie, is this an adventure?"
I had a book with me, and it was a lovely story. Becca at Sea. Written by Dierdre Baker. It is youth fiction, and I would highly recommend it for 8 - 12 year old girls, and also anyone who appreciates the magic of being 10 years-old at Gran's house by the sea. It is quirky and warm and salty and sweet and sometimes a bit gangly - in the way of a little girl growing into a teen girl. I was thoroughly enjoying the story.
And always I could hear the soft thumps and bumps and then every once-in-a-while, a lilting little "Mo-om, hi, Mom!" And I would look up and find Maddie's face peeking out from above me just there, or Isaac's grin looking across at me from over there, through some funny window. I would wave and smile. And feel warm. The sound of them playing adventures so nicely together - enjoying each other, and the fact that they just wanted to say hi to me every so often, a sip of cold coffee, a line in the book - "You're certainly lucky, Rebecca my girl," Gran said. "You've found a whole handful of pearls all in one go. I can't believe it!" - just perfect. Just perfect.
Later, at home, when I had the kids all tucked in, I turned on the TV and discovered that Ben's team was winning the Super Bowl and then I found Sense and Sensibility on Masterpiece Theater, and it had just started. Tell me what could be better?