Alone together

“I want to have alone time with Nana and Poppa.”

There is no greater gift than these words. My heart did a little dance when my daughter-in-law shared these with me.

“I want to have alone time with Nana and Poppa.”

Four-year-old Frog and Mom were driving to our house on the last day of school before winter break, to pick up little sister Bird from her day of care with us, when Frog named this want. 

She must have been reflecting, thinking … about Bird, her little sister, having a day with us, perhaps thinking about the fun we must have been having.

“I want to have alone time with Nana and Poppa.”

You see, Frog’s in full-time preschool now, and our time together is much reduced. She doesn’t get to be with us, her grandparents, very much at all, except for an hour or two at the end of a school day. 

Plus, our home was being remodeled over the past many months, and we couldn’t have the children over for sleepovers. 

“I want to have alone time with Nana and Poppa.”

We used to have a weekly overnight . . . long walks in the woods . . . fun in the kitchen, making pancakes and biscuits, washing dishes at the sink . . . all sorts of low-key fun, together.

We have to do something about this.

“I want to have alone time with Nana and Poppa.”

This afternoon, tonight, tomorrow morning: a special holiday sleepover. Frog and Bird together again, at Nana and Poppa’s. There’s no limit to the fun we’ll have together! 

Bounteous alone time – together.