The Stairs, Dandelions, and a Booster Seat

Lauren’s first night at the table in her booster chair. Picking dandelions at Grandpa Tom’s house.

This week, Lauren mastered going down steps. At our house, it’s easy because we have two small sets, and she knows when someone holds her hand, she can step down, sit on each one, and move to the next. At Grandma and Grandpa Wenos’ and Grandpa Tom’s house this weekend, however, she slid down the whole flight continuously on her belly, masterfully moving her arms and legs for balance. Scary for Mama, but of course we took some video of it!

The three of us hit both sets of Lauren’s grandparents this week because Aunt Kayla had a piano recital in Rhinelander and Aunt Ellyse graduated from UWSP in Stevens Point. Lauren sat nicely in Grandma Colleen’s lap and rocked back and forth to the music at the former event, earning comments afterwards about what a nice girl she was. Graduation Day was 50 degrees with a cool wind blowing through the ceremony. Lauren and I toddled around the Noel Fine Arts Center (they did a huge revamp since I visited last), and finally went to Grandpa Tom’s house nearby to set up stuff for an overnight stay. After a nap, we joined everyone for a grillout at Iverson Park, complete with playground and slide for Lauren.

The visit to Point was nostalgic. My mom, grandmother and I used to go to the Fine Arts Center all the time for art shows and plays; six months before my 18th birthday, when my mom was sick, she bought me a photograph as an early birthday present, and that’s the last time I was there. (She did make it to my birthday though, and I still have the photograph.) Ellyse called me with directions, giving me street names, and I couldn’t remember where they were. (I’m a true Madisonian now!) I also tried to remember my own graduation day, also outside on the same quad, but warmer, and Nick’s the year before mine, in scorching heat, when I received a violent sunburn.

Lauren loved picking apart the dandelions at Grandpa Tom’s house and running around. She fell asleep in the car heading home on Sunday. We stopped at Great Grandma Gladys’ house on our way out of town, and she gave Lauren a nursery rhyme book, and Nick her old guitar and songbooks, and for me, an old necklace that she bought for my mom and my mom willed to her. Nick has tuned the guitar and has spent time picking out music from memory on it (years of piano and French horn gave him quite an ear), and I’m really enjoying him.

And tonight, booster seat night. The high chair gets to go in the basement, and for next time, the chair is really easy to travel with!