My Mami, like so many of your moms, I am sure, is Unique... She has the spirit of a teenager, full of energy, love, laughter, questions, ideas and craziness.. I always thought that there was something not quite right in her head... and that's what makes her so special.. She is a dreamer... I can be out walking with her and if she sees a beautiful tree she will hug and stroke it and then carry on walking like nothing has happened... I look all around to see if anyone has seen her do this whilst she looks at me and says " What? You don't love trees?" "Yes Mami I do but...." She loves the sun, the singing of the birds... She walks in our garden every morning without shoes to pick a plant that she found and uses it to make a special water for us because " "it is very good for the body". I might also find her in the middle of the afternoon with a very shiny face.. "Mami... what have you GOT on your face??? "Ah, just honey, it is so good for the skin" ... Secretly I love all of this and many other things about her, she is what she is....she is my Mom!
Sofia & Emma adore her... "She is the best.. So crazy" Together they explore and find places that I would never even imagine were there, they dance, do Yoga, walk, adopt cats, save insects, put eucalyptus leaves in their hats when it is a hot day (apparently this is very refreshing...) and she also taught Sofia how to read when she was 4! She has so many abilities and such a fun way of sharing them – it really is quite impressive!
So Jules and I planned a trip To Mendoza - The glorious Argentine land for Malbec and others beauties that we LOVE... Wine!!!
In our roles as family, parents, husband and wife & professionals we arrived to the conclusion that some of these cannot and are not meant to be mixed ... So when we have a trip like the one we have just had, we knew that this was the type of trip that our gorgeous girls didn’t fit in.. We were going to Mendoza for wine tasting, travelling to different vineyards in the same day, looooong lunches and dinners without having to rush.. but instead to enjoy and squeeze this great opportunity... Our girls are fantastic when we travel but they are kids and how much can you ask of a kid...? There are moments for everything and this was a moment for Jules and I !!!
But I would have to leave my girls in Buenos Aires with the maid for four days? I love my maid but... No way! So I arrived to the agreement with Jules that we would only travel if my mother could come from Bogota and stay with Sofia & Emma.
So this was my challenge... Convince my mom to come for a few weeks... I had everything in my favour to win: Granddaughters, us, holidays, good weather (in my home country, where my mother lives, it is raining like never before)... and all she had to do was to stop working for a few weeks... ?
Too easy... she said YES!!!
So grandma Pato arrived in Buenos Aires on a beautiful sunny day, and after we had left the airport she said "Buenos Aires knew I was coming look at the sun, it is shining!" What can I say...
Even if Buenos Aires knew she was coming Sofia and Emma did not have clue; they had just started their Easter holidays and we thought what could be a better surprise for their holiday than Abuela Pato!
Jules called them into the kitchen, sat them down and closed the door... and minutes later Abuela Pato walked in... SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There were tears of happiness and to see that was priceless... And she is right here in front of me whilst I am writing this, drinking one of her (aguas aromaticas from the garden) ... Sweetie..
She was supposed to leave last Monday but we managed to persuade her to stay an extra week... We went to a local restaurant where there is a small pond and you can feed the ducks with the bread that they put on the table .. Joy for Emma.. Sofia gave Abuela Pato an envelope with a piece of paper inside that asked the question: Abuela, do you want to stay for another week? Si o no... So she had to mark the answer yes or no with an X... We all closed our eyes and when we opened them the answer was there.... YES... again!
Thanks Mami for being the Grandma that you are, your ongoing presence in our daughter's lives leaves them forever with the best of memories! We love YOU! ❀ Liana
