A Day with Lena

My seven-year-old granddaughter Lena had a day off on Friday and we spent it together. I allowed her 30 minutes of iPad time before our first project: coloring Easter eggs. I didn't have a kit, so we went old school and concocted the dyes with food coloring. She loved measuring water,  setting out spoons, measuring vinegar and putting in 15 drops of red, yellow, blue and green. Papa prepared the eggs, so we were ready to immerse them in the dye. I set the timer and when it chimed, Lena carefully removed the eggs and happily placed her creations on a rack to dry. 

Then we got out the Sorry game. I won the first game handily, and she was determined to best me in the second round, crowing after just a few turns that she would win . Alas, her last game piece was mired in the safety zone. I sailed around the board and walked my last man right in.  Not pleased, she insisted that Monopoly would have a different outcome. While I fixed us each a turkey sandwich and strawberries, she set out the money and property cards. Lena struggled a bit with making change, but eventually got the idea. She said, "Nobody actually wins Monopoly, do they Grandma," I replied that when one player went broke, the other one would win. "That's not how it works when I play," she asserted. OK, then. When boredom set in, we moved on to the next task: grocery shopping. 

I needed a few things for our upcoming Easter brunch, starting with the produce section. Lena had forgotten her jacket, and it was chilly, so she's capering around with arms tucked inside her shirt, complaining loudly. However, she was not too cold to locate a plastic egg filled with Nutella and chocolate, as well as a little bag of fudge-dipped Oreos. Oh well, Grandma is an easy touch.

After unpacking our purchases, Lena and Papa watched  women's softball on TV. Fascinated by the pitching, she had lots of questions. Then Mommy showed up and whisked her away to do some errands, so our day came to an end.  I cherish these hours with my only granddaughter, knowing that they will end much too soon as she grows up. 

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