After the Grandkids Visit

Ramona sits on her shelf slumped sideways, one shoe half off, exhausted.  The Peter Rabbit family rests quietly on their shelf, looking strangely expectant.   Bambi, having been much loved as Emily's constant companion during her stay, is posed contentedly on the jungle shelf next to Baloo the Bear and Lion.   The ring of alphabet blocks remains positioned on floor of the grandkids room as the center ring of Emily's circus.  Mr. and Mrs. Noah and their animals are once again nestled in their wooden ark, marveling at their recent stint as circus performers. 

The wooden wagon with its picture blocks that make a puzzle, Molly’s favorite toy while she was here, are right where she left them.  All the books, replaced by Mommy and Uncle Walter on the last night, are tucked away neatly on their assigned shelves, looking quite pleased at how much they were read.  A bright metallic sticker is stuck at child height on the wall at the top of the stairs; another is in the carpet just outside the grandkids room.  Tubes of finger paint and some poster board lie unnoticed on the upstairs porch.  Bubble wands tossed idly on the porch swing.

All the sippee cups and plastic plates are cleaned and put away; the booster chair is back in its storage spot.  No more cheerios or goldfish to dodge on the floor, no more "haz-mat" diapers by "polecat", as Grandpa affectionately referred to Molly when she produced one of those.   No more shape pancakes, no more icing birthday cakes together, no more baking cookies with lots of sprinkles.    No more tea parties, no more train rides in the grandkids room for all the animals in baskets, chairs and boxes.  No more block towers for Molly to knock over. 

The house is quiet without that sweet toddler voice piping "tank u", without that little girl voice inquiring, "Grandma, have you seen Bambi?" or "Can you please pass me the scissors and glue?"  The arts and crafts carefully made by Emily are stored in her crafts basket downstairs at the children's table.  How many times was that table used by her mother for tea parties and crafts when she was that age? 

Only Pete the Cat seems pleased that everyone is gone, and even he seems to look for them as he wanders the upstairs.  There is a sweet sadness in the air, permeated by lingering joy and love and laughter.  Oh how blessed are we to have such family love, to experience the full range of emotions God created in us, and to have faith that God willing we shall be together again soon. 

Until then, I think I'll go downstairs and eat that last cookie with the blue sprinkles on it....