MISSING MY SWEET, SWEET LILY

Liliana Grace when she was not quite three

a few days ago in the High Tatra mountains

In one week our oldest grandchild will be five! Last year I was in Austria and then in Bratislava with LG for her big #4. A couple of days ago we were talking on the phone and she asked me if I was going to be at her party. She insisted that I could get on an airplane in America and be there in time for her party. I can almost cry...

LG is my sprite--a veritable burst of light and energy. She's all arms and legs and sunshine. She dances through life and embraces her world. She can't walk by a flower without smelling and touching it. She is her mommy's sous chef, and an accomplished one at that. She's been competently cracking eggs for years, and she's interested and determined to be in the center of any cooking enterprise.

LG has a tender heart and a strong will. While she can be a challenge for her mommy and daddy some days, in the future those traits will serve her well.

Lily has taken to putting me on speaker phone when I call. Not my favorite thing, but I'm not complaining... A few days ago we were talking, and she said to wait a moment while she took the phone off speaker. Then, she asked, "Grandma, did you send my Barbie DVDs?"! How great that she KNEW to hold that part of the conversation privately. They are in the mail--Swan Lake and The Princess and the Pauper.  I had to write those here so I can keep track of which Barbie DVDs I've sent already.