The Brood
Wendy, James, and Adam Paulukaitis
Makenna after her new nose application!
Adam with his remarkable transformation!
Adam and Wendy picked up this fine specimen of eyewear/nosewear/browwear/upper-lipwear at Chuck E. Cheese..where we spent one glorious evening while blessed with their presence this past week.
I can think of so many other places to go for vacation than Yuma in July! I'm sure it felt like they had stepped off into the depths of hell when they came off the ramp of the plane. And yes, they debarked outside! I'm reminded of Sally Field's Oscar acceptance speech (I think for Norma Ray) when she said something like, "You like me! You really like me!" And they'd have to like us a little to be here for 7 planned and an 8th unplanned day.
It was like a week in heaven for me. I'm going to pick on Wendy a little bit here. When I met and married Wendy's dad, my wedding day was the second time I had seen Wendy and her older sister, Elli. Elli decided to go live with her mom in CA, but Wendy was all about staying with her dad. She turned 15 a couple of weeks after her dad and I married. A situation that could have gone horribly awry, became a relationship I will treasure forever. This week with Wendy and her new little family reminded me that at some point, whether consciously or not, we chose each other. And, yes, we have had "issues" that seemed more amplified than what I thought "true" mother-daughter angst was, but in the long run (and after many discussions with my focus group(!) just kidding!) we are right in there with all of the "real mom and daughter" sets out there.
I'm going to tell why. Here, I will apologize for being vague...so bear with me. When Wendy and Adam were married, I was worried about how Wendy might be able to deal with a certain health issue of her husband's...well, we had an opportunity for a run at it while they were visiting. And while it was a motherly instinct to jump in and take over, the little still small voice in my head ( I swear it's the only one in there!) YELLED at me to let her do this. And she did. When their flight left early and they missed it, she dealt with it. Knowing she had a lesson to teach that evening and conflicts at work since she could not be there, it was a revelation to watch her, to hear her in action. My daughter is impressive. She has made good, wise decisions and she is on track to be better than me and her dad could ever aspire to be (isn't that what every parent wants?). Yes, her dad raised her til she was 15, but I am so blessed to call her my daughter now, for the last 10. Oh, and did I mention she is beautiful and smart? And has the cutest little boy and a fairly awesome husband? And one more comment before everyone starts retching from the sweetness of this post...I hope my children I have borne physically turn out just like her! The total unabashed pride I have in her...I am incredibly proud to call her mine.
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