Monday, March 10, 2014

It's in the eyes

Today would have been her 95th birthday.  I still miss her every day.  I have meant to write down all the things I wanted to call and tell her or email and tell her.

Last night when the kids went to bed, we talked about all the things she has missed seeing or we have missed telling her since last April, and how we hope that wherever she is, she can see them or know about them somehow.

Audrey has lost two teeth, become a fantastic reader, made new friends, is rocking second grade, learned to tap dance and jump rope and add and subtract, is about to have her first dance recital, said about 1000 funny things that would make NuNu laugh, and is really growing up into the spunky, sassy, smart girl that her great-grandmother wanted her to be!

Lance has lost about a million teeth, has become an even more voracious reader, honed his soccer and basketball skills, learned to play the clarinet, is not even remotely interested in girls yet and is slightly mortified that some are interested in him, is such a sensitive compassionate friend who really is starting to understand how other people feel, is in the Math Champs afterschool class, the Best Book Club reading competition, and is an ASB rep for his class.  He understands all kind of grown up jokes and concepts (eek), reads 10 books a week, at least, and is whizzing through 5th grade. She would really be so proud of him this year.

Looking through all our pictures of NuNu, I am really proud of myself that I managed to take so many.  But the pictures that stand out are not the posed ones where she's smiling into the camera.  It's the pictures where she's NOT looking at the camera that I love the most, because she's looking at one of the grandkids or great-grandkids.  You really see the love in her eyes, especially in the ones where the kids are looking back at her.  I know there are hundreds more photos like these, maybe some that we even threw away or deleted because it wasn't the group photo where everyone is looking.  These are some of my favorites, starting with the one of me as a baby.  It's blurry but you can still see her smile and where she's looking.

But just because I was the first grandchild, doesn't mean I was the only one who got that look.  I remember several of the cousins wrote in her 90th birthday book something like, "She always made you feel like you were the most important person in the world."
 Keeping some sort of secrets from Mommy.

 Some financial discussions about allowance

 Becky's pre-wedding chat that was definitely not G-rated!  

 First meeting Audrey
 She must have been giving ice cream past bedtime, look at how pleased with herself she is!

 I have no idea, something serious, probably financial literacy

 Becky getting some early advice

 Adoring Seba fans via Skype to Chile

Florida sunporch chats with Lance at 1.  
Right before my mom dropped him on his head on the tile kitchen floor.

Happy 95th, NuNu.  We love you and we will spend the rest of our lives trying to be the people you wanted us to be, and trying to make you proud.  And we'll keep taking pictures.
March 9, 2014