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We spent the month of January at our daughter's home in San Diego, helping them out by providing daytime childcare so that baby Brook, age 6 months now, would be a bit older before going to childcare.  Our daughter went back to work mid December, and our son-in-law took care of the girls the rest of December.  In the meantime, he got a promotion and they decided to spend the extra on a nanny so Brook could be cared for at home and Toni could spend afternoons at home.

I wrote a message to our daughter and son-in-law, sharing some observations.  Here are some excerpts:

"As you can imagine, I've been thinking a lot about our month with you as it has drawn to a close.  Here are a few thoughts to record for posterity ( :) ).

1. Brook changed so much this month.  At the beginning, she had to work hard to grasp something, and sometimes it was accidental.  Now she reaches out purposefully.  She rolled over onto her stomach but got tired of that position quickly and couldn't roll back.  Now she can stay on her stomach for a few minutes, looking around or playing with a toy, and she can scoot backwards and sideways, and she can roll back onto her back. Today I watched her scoot a little one way and then the other, reaching out for a toy after each scoot, obviously trying to get closer.  (She didn't master it, but she will soon!)  Early in the month she was interested in toys but didn't do a lot with them.  Now she plays with them, shaking them and turning them over with great concentration, as well as putting the tags and protrusions in her mouth.  She is entertained by them and studies them. She was smiling easily before and laughing a little.  Now she recognizes people from across the room and smiles directly at them with great pleasure (what a joy that brings!).  She finds her toes and fingers, sometimes her thumb, for ready sucking pleasure.
2. As you said, my relationship with Toni "has reached a new level."  She said to me the other day that she could send me an invitation to her soccer game and we could come see her.  When I reacted with great enthusiasm and told her if she sent me something I would keep it forever and ever, she was so happy.  She's been hugging me lately and asking for me to do things like she realizes that I'll be going, and that matters to her. Remember when she said "Woo hoo!" upon see the vase after I changed it from a failed pineapple to a pink and purple vase for her room and then put little jewels on it? What fun we had picking out her flowers for that vase!  She also picked out several that she said, "These could be for my wedding."
3. Having conversations with you and Dwight after work was so comfortable and pleasurable to me.  Joking back and forth and hearing about your work and telling you about our day with the kids -- those things seem so little, but to me they're the core of our relationship, which also has grown this month.  It's not easy to have other people in your home for such a long time, and in some ways taking back your home will be a relief.  But I know we did give you something worthwhile by being here, and that makes me happy.

I'll always remember the pleasure of taking care of Brook and Toni for this month and of sharing in your lives.  We love our active retirement lifestyle, but taking a month out of that to share in your lives was not a sacrifice, it was a gift.  Thank you for that.

Mom"

Well now I'm finishing up this journal entry and preparing to leave Happy Trails again, this time for 7 months.  We'll be traveling in the northwest and Canada, including trips to both daughters' homes.  Soon we'll be enjoying Brook and Toni again, and rereading this journal reminds me of the foundation we created by spending an extended period with them.  We are so lucky to be grandparents!