Eygelshoven - and Dinner Companions At Last!

I didn't want to say adieu to Paris, but the anticipation of a reunion with Ellen and Ben and 13-month old Wesley more than eased the regret. Fortified with my last croissants, I made my way to Gare du Nord and in a few quick hours found myself in the embrace of my daughter and my grandson outside the train station in Maastricht.

It's very easy to be with Ellen and Ben. I just become part of the household and get into the flow of their daily life, which is a happy one indeed. For the next two days we did lots of normal things together - shopping, walking the dogs, sharing a bottle of wine, changing diapers, talking about our day over dinner (exquisitely prepared by Ellen). All the while, I watched closely as Ellen and Ben dealt with their one-year old wonder. I began to think that maybe I was going to do all right.

Wesley and I hit it off from the beginning. He is such a happy little boy who smiles and laughs a lot. The first time he toddled over to me, not his mama or his da, and put his arms up as he looked at me to pick him up, I was hooked. In my entire time with them, my happiest moments were when he stood at my feet with his arms raised like that.

And then, Saturday morning arrived. Ellen reviewed her thorough notes with me one more time. I noted the Dutch version of 9-1-1 (it's 1-1-2) and was reassured that the operators speak English. Ben showed me how to use the GPS to get to the hospital. And then, they were off of their romantic anniversary weekend in Paris in the Mercedez Benz convertible Ben had rented for the occasion.

For the next four days, Wesley and I (and the grandpuppies - Spud and Bella) were an island to ourselves. Wesley was the sun around which everything orbited. I was his captive, and it was demanding work. And I wouldn't trade those four days for four more days in Paris or four days with anyone. We fell into a routine that satisfied us all (I'm including the dogs). Breakfast. A long walk in the country. A nap (for Wesley) and a quiet cup of coffee and writing or reading for me. An afternoon of hanging out and playing. A short dog walk. Dinner. Bedtime for Wesley. A glass of wine or a beer for me before I collapsed into bed myself. Exciting stuff. Not to be missed, believe me.

Wesley is an enthusiastic diner and a lively dinner companion.

The daily walks in the lovely countryside were a highlight for me.

And for Wesley, too. Lots of exciting things happened.

I love changing diapers. We talk and sing and enjoy the moment together.

By the third day, I could handle a one-year old and his stroller,
two dogs and their leashes,
and my camera, the timer and tripod.

Mister Funtime made it all special.

All the while, I thought of Ellen and Ben having a special time in Paris, a city they came to love during their stay in Europe. It gave me great pleasure to enable them to take this trip.