One Christmas, I made each of the kids their own mini-scrapbook with the theme "What I Love About You". I found a rubber stamp that I used for the last page in each book, along with a family photo, that read "Home Is Where Your Mama Is". I used that rubber stamp again when the boys went off to college and then again, when each of them went off to war in Iraq. I pulled it out again when Natasha left for college. And I reinforced that statement a couple of years ago when I found magnets with the same saying-- and sent them to each, wherever they were.
When Natasha came home for Thanksgiving, she reminded me of that sentiment and told me what it meant to her. Her boyfriend was at her house keeping her company while she packed her bag for the weekend. He asked her when exactly she was going to be back home. She corrected him and said that her little rental house in Pullman is where she lives--- but HOME IS WHERE HER MAMA IS and that is the best place in the world to be. I loved that.
So I picked her up from the train station on Thanksgiving Day:
It made me so happy to see her smiling face:
We went home. In no time at all, she became her father's daughter. I don't know who started it... maybe a poke or a "dead-leg" in the kitchen, but all of a sudden Natasha began to look like she was up to something:
And it turned into this:
Trust me. Though Bill is built like a grizzly bear, he has trained Natasha how to defend herself (or to start fights) (which she does with Bill) (once again-- I did NOT see who started this!). Though Bill is probably giving Natasha a painful pressure point, it looks like she went in for the nipple-twist:
There is usually kicking and screaming involved (Natasha).... sometimes funny faces and groaning (if Natasha gets Bill in 'the family jewels'). They laugh, they cry and then it is over:
Another thing that Natasha does when she comes home is.... she sleeps:
Jeremiah did not do this. But Nick and Natasha do. When they come home, they just relax and they catch up on sleep. They look happy. I'd like to think it is because they feel safe, they feel loved and they know they have nothing to worry about when they are HOME (where their mama is).
Natasha made sure to re-accquaint herself with Toddler Elijah (and to prove that Aunties are fun):
We had a family dinner at our favorite place:
And then *POOF!* it was time to say good-bye to Natasha. And collect hugs from her favorite sister-in-law:
And her brother:
And drive back to the train station, which was now decorated for Christmas:
We waited with her. Then we gave her our hugs good-bye... until January:
When I was outside of the train station, I texted her "u r beautiful-- I miss u already". Before I could hit <send>, she sent me a text that read "I am so glad I came HOME. I miss u mama".
And I shed a few little tears ... as we headed HOME:
This song is for you, Sissy [Katy Perry- "Firework"]:
Comments