The Storm after the Calm

This past week is what I like to call the storm after the calm. It has been a hard week for me and the kids and not just because it has rained every day (but that is not helping my cause) but because my parents flew back to NH. Nate and I are amazed at how our little ones minds work, we use things for years, but my parents use them once and they are now "Nana's and Papa's". Whenever we pick up our coffee mug Aliya says "Papa's", whenever I put on my slippers Dylan says "silly mommy those are Nana's" and so on. Little comments are fun and passing but the tears that our kids have been crying for their Nana and Papa hurt my heart so much. Each one of them has done it, every day this week, crying for a half hour here or fifteen minutes there...calling out for Nana and Papa. They are trying to come up with ways they can be together again Dylan says "I know, they take their airplane to my house" or Trent said "I know they have to work, so we can just go stay with at their house and eat dinner with them when they get home at night", even little Aliya has been lying at the door where they stayed crying "Nana and Papa" over and over again. Our visit with my mom and dad was wonderful. The weather was beautiful, we visited lots of fun places, but most of all was spent time together. I love watching my parents with my kids. They are such great grandparents (maybe it is all the practice they get with 10 grand babies and one on the way). During their trip I watched them, slide down slides, play chutes and ladders, play clay, make many silly noises and pretend to be anything that was asked of them. They laughed and ran, walked and jumped, tickled and most of all smiled and so did the kids and I. During their trip we visited the Springfield Train Station, the zoo in Chatham, and the St. Louis zoo. My mom and I were pampered by Nate on mother's day. He got us a gift card and sent us out to get manicures, and pedicures. It was such a wonderful time to relax together, drink our Gloria Jeans coffee and talk. Afterwards we went to the park with the entire family and had a picnic lunch and then went out to our favorite ice cream shop. It was a perfect day. You see with all of these wonderful days together, it is hard to go back to normal life and the distance that separates us, BUT, I am thankful for the time we had and can't wait for the next visit!