Lolo Poppins

So Saturday morning the Psychology Department held its commencement ceremonies. Brian was out of town, Mimi and Auntie and Miss Jessica were all busy. In desperation I called on my friend Lauren and begged her to come and watch the kids; I hate calling on Lauren because 1) she lives a fair distance away, so it is no easy thing for her to "pop" over, and 2) she is busy enough with her own lovely one-year-old boy Owen. However, like a true friend she came to my rescue and showed up bright and early Saturday morning with Owen and a big bag 0'fun. I scooted out the door, with glib promises of being back in an hour and a half.....

I will skip the torture that was the commencement ceremony; this year we were outside instead of in the air-conditioned gym where we have held our ceremonies for the past three years. Clearly someone somewhere did something horrible and now God and the Dean hate us. Suffice to say that 2 hours and 45 minutes later, in the beginning stages of heat stroke, I arrived home sweaty and hoping that Lauren wasn't waiting for me with firing squad......

What I actually found waiting for me were three happy children who were sad that I was home because that meant Auntie Lolo and Baby Owen would leave. While I was gone they had read books and colored in the new coloring books Auntie Lolo brought them. But what really thrilled me was that she had also found the time to make the sweetest drawings with them; she asked them "What do you like to do with your Daddy?" and she wrote it on a piece of paper which they then drew on. Jack said "I like playing with my daddy" and added some very nice squiggles in various shades of blue and also a "J" and an "A" and what looks a bit like a "C" or maybe another "A" - but not too bad for a three old I would say.......Ava said "I like to run in the grass with my dad" and signed her name in green, of course. Cate said "I like to do a lot of tricks with my daddy" and decorated the paper with orange, purple and pink. I was going to save them and give them to Brian on Father's Day, but I just couldn't wait, so they became his "Welcome Home!" gift instead.....

Lauren herself was still smiling when I got back, so I took that as a good sign. She said that Owen had a good time playing with the "big kids" (hard to believe my babies are now the Big Kids!) and was full of smiles and kisses for me. He really is a cutie pie; he has his mommy's smiling eyes and his daddy's everything else. Quite the killer combination......

So I owe Lauren a million thanks and probably half as many strong drinks. If she is reading this then I should warn her that the kids have asked repeatedly when I will be leaving again so that Baby Owen and Auntie Lolo can over? Today? Later? Is Later TODAY?