I’m with child.
My great niece Grace is visiting. For two weeks, she is going to Emerald City Theatre Camp. She has always had a theatrical flair. When mom and I took her to the movie “Tangled,” she entertained us on the way home singing the story highlights. Her song was a complete original and also missing some major plot points. Currently, she sings an emotional rendition of “Let It Go” with inflections and hand gestures. Grace is dramatic and now she’ll have a real stage to showcase it.
This afternoon, mom and dad brought her in town from Indiana accompanied by my soon-to-be 16 year old nephew Matthew. We ate at Ed Debevic’s at Matthew’s request. He likes the rude server schtick. In fact, he thought our server was too nice. Something I didn’t mind at all. Grace ordered the “world’s smallest sundae.” This goofy pose reinforces that she is ready for theatre camp. We said goodbye to the Indiana crew and made our way back to my house.
Randomly, we ran into my friend Steve on the street and he kissed me. As he scurried to his dinner engagement, Grace let me know how ‘gross it is for a boy to kiss you on the street.‘ Her perspective on the world is going to be an eye opener. Despite letting me know that she wasn’t up for any extra walking after we caught the bus, she insisted that we walk up the twenty stories to my condo. I agreed because I thought she’d poop out on the fifth floor. She went the whole way. I followed breathlessly behind her. I always was about two flights behind. We kept calling out the flight we were on. It was pretty funny…. afterwards with my feet up.
It’s my stint as a single parent. As a spinster, I know I get stuck in my routine and my schedule. This is an opportunity to be responsible for someone else. I’ve read the camp handbook. I food shopped to cover a lunch and two snacks — no nuts! I’ve written her name on her binder, lunch sack and water bottle. We are ready to get campy!