Lailah and growing up

Tired.

Very tired.

Had an opportunity to be with the girl today.

Notice I didn’t say “the little girl”?

There are times when it’s readily apparent she’s growing up.

So fast.

Spent the entire day with her, from around 11am to about 8pm.

Tired.

Too tired to type up one of my stories.

But, if I don’t do it now, I’ll forget everything by the morning.

Supposed to go to the Eagan Art Fair – got there, and we immediately bypassed ALL of the art, and went next door to the kids play park. We played there for a very long time – the gym set they have is a lot different than the one we have in my neighborhood. She loved playing on it.

It was a really hot day (as you all know).

But we had lots of refreshments with us. And, we sat on a picnic table in the shade after awhile.

We went to GranMa’s place and swam in the pool there, She has her inflatable circle tube which she uses to swim with (sitting in the middle of it), just amazing how far she’s come from last summer. Again, it was really hot, I had put on some sunscreen (on myself), but apparently not enough – lobster red all over (face, back, shoulders, etc.). Lailah gets out in the sun more often than I do, and already had a nice tan going.

After awhile, we went inside, and while we started to watch Hotel Transylvania 2, together, she fell asleep, and eventually, I did too. Got a couple of nice pictures of her sleeping.

Woke up after awhile (a couple of hours for her), and went to get some dinner – on the way there, she is teaching me how to pronounce “Cha-pol-le” (Chipotle). “Cha”, “Pol”, “Le”. Oh, you mean: “Cha-pol-te”. “No, GranPa – Cha – Pol – Le!”

Apparently I’ve been saying it totally wrong all these years.

Left her so she could spend the rest of the night with her GranMa.

Got my ration (and then some) of her love, her (doggie) kisses, and her hugs, all day long.

I took lots of pics, will have to sort thru them, and a few thirty second videos of us together, horsing around. She loves watching herself on the phone, and, is posing more and more when I’m shooting pics of her. [i wonder who she gets that from?]

Anyway, another great day with her.

Oh, while driving to the art fair, she repeatedly asks “why?” Over and over.

Dozens of times.

So, I tried to make up a story to answer her “whys?”

It wasn’t easy. [try it sometime]

After tucking her into her car seat in GranMa’s car in Chipotle’s parking lot, and I lean in for a final kiss and hug, she said those magic words to me, unprompted: “I love you, GranPa”.

“I love you, Babydoll”.

Makes my day.

Makes the heart swell.

Makes everything seem all worthwhile.

Love her so very much.

[Pictures/video to come later.]