Every summer since Mia was about four years old, my mom has taken her and her cousin for three days of good old fashioned spoiling. Mia is not usually brave enough to stay with my mom on her own, but when her big cousin is there she has the courage of a lion. I usually end up staying a few days, just in case Mia needed me.

Both big girls had been looking forward to spending time with my mom and their younger cousin Liviana. Their oldest cousin was not able to attend this year. My mom said she would not be cooking and would order out instead. It is too hot to cook she claimed and it will be easier to order dinner. She had about four different meals already prepared. Yaya is always prepared with food and mangoes.

On Monday, I took the girls for a walk to the park in our neighborhood. The new equipment has brought new life to the old park but the tennis courts where I learned to play were turned into basketball courts and the swimming pool where my sisters and I took lessons had been filled in. The soccer and softball fields nearby had not seen a game in years.

By the end of the day my mom is needing a bit of a break and the girls are needing to let some energy out. The girls loved visiting this park and did not want to leave.

The next day was Tuesday and I had made plans to visit my dear friend’s farm. I put the baby down for a nap and stole away with my biggest girl to Blackwell’s Barn. I was excited to get some Holy Basil tea. Lynn ended up giving us pickles, jelly, pizza sauce, a zucchini, her homemade fruit leather, her homemade seasonings, two trees and a book on earthing. Mia got to hold a pretty bunny that we chased around the chicken pen.

It rained hard while we were visiting. So we stayed inside and poked around her studio where she dried herbs for seasonings and teas. I brought my mom a tree native to the Philippines whose leaves and fruit have healing properties. Moringa is a super fruit.

The next day, I went to run some errands for my mom and decided to have a mommy and Madelyn day. We stopped by the local library and picked up some craft kits to go. We waited in a very long line at the pharmacy drive thru and played a fun game of twenty questions, more like forty questions. I decided we should have a little lunch date ato our favorite place.

They give littles their very own teapot of water. This little red pot may very well be the same Madelyn used when she was first old enough to drink out of a tea cup. We ate our lunch and ordered some food to go for Yaya and Mia. Madelyn and I shared their famous coconut ice cream pie.

Wednesday afternoon I took the girls swimming at my friend Allison’s and later that night we got to go on a mommy date at my brother in laws family restaurant. We had calamari, wine and pasta and Manhattan fine dining. It was a fun night and I forgot how much I needed to laugh with a friend. I did not have a mask with me so I made due with a pair of Madelyn’s leggings that was in my purse.

Thursday morning I took the girls downtown and grab an iced coffee. I let the girls explore and walk around on our way to pick up treats at Standpipe Coffee.

We returned home that evening for a week just to set off on the road again for our Arkansas vacation on the lake.