Christmas 2015

Dec 20^th, Late in the evening we picked up my daughter Jennifer, her husband and our precious package at the DFW airport. Their plane was late so in the airport we sat. Waiting ……waiting.  All of a sudden the double doors leading to the baggage claim opened. Out burst our precious package screaming “Dee Dee, Popo ……….hi”……running in circles and screaming with delight… It was as though the plane had brought Dennis the Menace to our city. We obtained their luggage and off we went.    Dennis  the Menace passed out straight away during the car ride home. Arriving home, he was put to bed and slept thru the night.  Whew!  It was a whirl wind of 9 days. I don’t know if I knew where I was or if I could think straight most of the time.  We just had a grand time having a very active and extremely smart 2 yr old in our mist.  My body will never be the same.  

He is destined to be a Musician .   He loved playing my piano, not banging but playing the notes carefully and swaying with such showmanship.  He has thoughts of being another Jerry lee Lewis I am sure, for he tried often to play the piano with his toes and his tush.  

Santa knew he loved music so he left him a Yamaha recorder, that he called his clarinet.  He was quite fascinated with our CD player and learned very quickly how to turn it on and most assuredly how to turn the volume up as loud as it would go to our deafening ears.   

I am so confused now it will take me a while to understand what just happened or where I am now residing.  I ran a fast food kitchen/ gourmet restaurant for 9 days.  Turning out Belgian waffles, fresh fruit, soft scrabble eggs with fresh spinach. Orange juice, coffee, sautéed fresh tomatoes and mushrooms in butter.  Brioche, with butter and apricot jam.   Lunch was pastrami and roasted turkey from the Central Market Deli. I made Homemade vegetable beef soup for my son in-law who loves soup. We ate out on some occasions.

Christmas Eve we attended an early candle light service thinking that this would work out for our precious package.  His extraordinary dad missed most of the service because a certain person in our party of 5 decided to throw a fit and lie on the floor and throw crayons at the lady in front of us in the church.  She was nice enough to offer a candy lollipop which she produced out of her purse and that was wonderful for about 5 min and then all pandemonium broke loose and wonderful daddy missed most of the beautiful service.  

On to Brio Italian restaurant where we had reservations for 5:15 for dinner.   I have never had dinner at 5:15 in a restaurant before and it was explained to me by my daughter that this was the kiddy hour for parents with young children that have a yen for eating out on occasion.  I have never seen so many children in a restaurant in my life.  This was truly the children’s hour.  Precious package actually cooperated and we had a lovely dinner with a bottle of sauvignon blanc , actually 2 bottles’. So all was not lost we had a wonderful Christmas eve.  

Since arriving at my home precious package never touched the tree or any holiday decorations.  He was fixated more on the packages and wanted to immediately open them.  I explained  maybe on Christmas eve he could open one.  Which he constantly reminded me of and kept saying maybe 2 presents.  On one evening before Christmas, as his parents walked out the front door to do some shopping. He immediately went to the tree grabbed a package and said   “ open.” I had to wrestle him to the ground to get the present away.  I thought it interesting that as the parents were out of the way , he just thought old Dee Dee would be fine with him opening up a couple of presents.  

As I said he loves music, so I got the great idea of taking our whole family, my son his wife and 2 sons and the 5 of us to the kitchen after dark  It was Frank Sinatra night,  we called ahead and requested a table on the side so everyone could see the stage and Preston, the precious one could be next to the wall and we could contain him.  Well let me tell you, I have never seen anything like I witnessed that evening. A 2 year old jiving to the tunes.  After the first song, everyone claps, well Preston clapped and he also yelled “ Yea !!!!!!!!” Well everyone turned around and all eyes were on Preston and our family.  The audience loved his energy, one lady ask if he was 4 and I said “no he is just 2 yrs old.” To her shocked face  . The vocalist sang more songs and Preston began to gyrate in a way we had never seen before, much less none of us had ever done.  His parents were speechless.  We were all entertained beyond our wildest dreams.   The music was in his soul right from the top of his head to the tip of his toes.

All good things come to an end and Preston loved being there, he did not want to leave  however if you choose to lie on your back on the floor under the table, it is not acceptable to some people. Namely Preston’s parents so off to home he was taken.  Screaming I might add that he wanted to stay , he loves music, and wanted to lie on his back and listen, now who could have a problem with that  he didn’t.

Christmas morning came and all the packages were opened that were under the tree.  Preston had so much to open he decided to ask his dad to open some for him for all he cared about was the very first package, and guess what it contained.  A guitar.  It is clear a musician is on the way.  Maybe not a child prodigy, but a musician in the works. 

After Christmas, we had lots of family time, which was fun, he loves his cousins Jacob and Garrett and great fun running through the house, he loved to be chased.  From the hot tub time , trampoline, to the piano, etc. He loved being at Dee Dee and Popo’s house. 

On one evening we were all asleep and He apparently  woke up and got out of bed with his daddy chasing him.  Preston ran in to my room screaming” Dee Dee….Dee Dee.” And I thinking it was time to get up started singing the Good morning song to Preston.  I later looked at my watch and it was 4 am.  

My daughter said she heard me singing and thought I had lost my mind.  I had no idea it was 4  o’clock in the morning and I am singing for the whole house to hear.    I made coffee , cleaned a little in the kitchen and went back to bed. As Preston and his dad had secretly crept away back to bed and slumber time.  We had a good laugh and a memory that we will never forget.  

On Dec. 29 we drove them to the airport . Everyone was hugged and my daughter Jennifer, Richard and Precious Preston  flew away to Philadelphia.  I got back in the car and cried………………………

I might add. He is 9 years old now and has been playing( for real ) the violin for the last 3 years .