Best present ever

I struggle a bit when it comes to buying gifts for our granddaughters. On one hand I want to buy them everything, on the other, they already have everything. We have opted for experiences lately – a date with Gramma and Papa in lieu of additions to their toy rooms or closets. We upped the ante this year and had all three granddaughters for a sleepover this past weekend – a cousin party that included a date to see a matinee performance of Beauty and the Beast on stage at The Stanley, on Sunday afternoon.

These little girls have a connection with each other that goes right to their bones, they share not only grandparents but a sense of humor – everything is funny. They think each other are the best – and they are. They are friends. They are fantastic.

The festivities started Saturday afternoon, on their walk to the front door. They burst on the scene sporting gum boots and gortex, carrying stuffed toys and pulling suitcases. They brought the party. They are the party.

Saturday night we dined on grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup, had a puzzle palooza, they shared a bath, listened to three story books and tucked in for a long winter’s nap (three little girls in the bed, Gramma in a sleeping bag on the floor). There may have been a bit of giggling (a lot of giggling) before silence finally reigned.

The first fall out of bed occurred at 12:47 am and roused Gramma from a semi-decent sleep. The ousted child was more confused than hurt as I tucked her back in beside the child sleeping like a starfish in the middle of the bed. The second fall occurred at 3:05am – same kid, this time not as keen on getting back into bed with the starfish -I tucked her into the sleeping bag and decided to get an early start.

I was a pot and a half of coffee into the day before the first of the sleepover-ers emerged. It didn’t take long for the entire party to arrive – we were on a roll before the sun was up.

These little girls are like royalty to me – princesses in every sense of the word. A beautiful dress, a classic braid and a long stemmed rose from Papa only enhanced the quality. We arrived at The Stanley with three little show stoppers. The afternoon was magical. It turned out a gift we had given to the girls was really a gift we gave to ourselves – and one of the best presents ever.