ISLA TURNED TWO
… oblivious and very contented
Monday May 19, 2014
While many focused on gardening skills and rainy camping I can only report on busy grandparent activities. Clearly, nothing else important was happening yesterday in Fort Saskatchewan.
There can be no better reason.
A grand-daughter.
A birthday.
A little party.
Single toy caught here attention.
Little bus/van with removable people.
Everything else, everyone else – superfluous to her needs at that moment.
Isla turned two.
Surrounded, by two parents, four grandparents, a baby brother, a friend, two dogs and a cat. Multiple cameras. So many distractions.
Everyone else looked on – even little Alex (at four months) seemed amused by his sister’s command of everyone’s attention. She, on the other hand, seemed mostly oblivious to what was happening because, at two, the concept of a year, of birthdays, is still something new to be learned. Cake, ice cream, a candle to be blown out …
Isla was the star attraction. Baby brother Alex got high marks for contentment and smiles, but he got second billing yesterday.
Just up from her nap, she ignored us all, ignored the table laden with gifts in favour of heading outside, her attention divided between a new slide and jungle-gym thing in the backyard.
BBQ’d smokies, condiments, birthday cupcakes. Paper, ripped, parcels pulled apart, bags emptied – these pleased a two-year-old yesterday. Each of those carefully chosen gifts – puzzles, books, clothes, an FAO bear and a ball – just things to be unwrapped and set aside for another day.
Two years have flown by, a party ending in a waving tiny hand and tiny voice saying by-bye.
Round trip yesterday, about twelve hours from door-to-door back to my door …
Perfect.
Mark Kolke
197,816
column written/ published from Calgary
morning walk: 7C / 45F, overcast, overnight showers, Gusta soggy, chilly breeze – streets were empty and quiet befitting a holiday intended for sleeping late . . . except for being startled by a chattering scampering squirrel we walked undisturbed
