The quintessential "perfect day" is something that seems just slightly out of reach. Yes, it's easy to imagine all of those things that might make a day especially lovely (sleeping in, for example, or knitting to your heart's content without anybody asking you to stop and do something else), but as adults, there's always a little bit of "have to" on a day's list that keeps hedonistic perfection at bay. That is, unless your an unnamed single friend who lives every day of her life like this (except when she's working) OR if you're four years old.
By all accounts, Rose has a commanding personality and demands attention almost every moment of the day. Her normal toddler egocentric tendencies are tempered by the fact that she usually has to bend to the wants of another, be it her brother, parents, teachers or friends. This week, however, Rose had the chance to stay home from school and hang out with Bill's father (also named Bill), and his wife Sarah for an entire day. All by herself. It was a very special day because they designed the whole thing to be exactly what Rose wanted. All. Day. Long.
Wow! The very thought of it made me exhausted, deeply appreciative and a wee bit jealous all at once (time for this type of thing is in short supply for me at the moment, but that's another story). As you might expect, it was positively thrilling for her to recount all the ways that she got to drive the day's agenda and the fun she had with her adoring fans.
In fact, the day was so successful that Rose embraced the idea of drawing a picture to thank her grandparents and to capture the highlights:
Some of the "perfect day" activities were:
1. Choosing her own outfit (which included a scull and crossbones t-shirt elegantly worn over a striped turtleneck and highwater soccer pants (hand-me-downs from her brother);
2. Baking a pink angel food cake with pink frosting with her grandfather;
3. Having a birthday party for her stuffed animal, Torchick (yes, you read that right - he's a Pokeman character) with her grandmother, with all (read: dozens) of her other dolls decked out in silly-bands sitting around her table in her bedroom;
4. Spending loads of time at the park, playing on all of the swings (her favorite park activity);
5. Watching Evan kick the soccer ball outside;
6. Snuggling with everyone on the couch to watch her favorite show, Hello Kitty;
7. Eating dinner at a restaurant, where she got to have one of her favorite dishes, fried rice.
Rose can be a bit daunting in large doses. However, her grandparents have proven once again that a little effort to get to know her pays huge dividends. Despite the tantrums, the pouting, the screaming, the stomping and the general fuss, Rose is bright, funny, creative, caring, loyal and eager to try anything and everything -- especially with those she loves. After seeing the picture and hearing her breathless account of the day, I was once again reminded how blessed we are to have her and such a wonderful group of friends and family with whom we can share her.
Seeing her so happy and feeling so loved and special made my imperfect grown-up day all the better. Thank you Bill and Sarah.
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