She Likes Them Best Anyway

Not only did Sabrina's school celebrate Veterans Day yesterday, it was also Grandparents Day.  Kids invite their grandparents to come to lunch with them, the school rolls up a burger truck (for which you'd better pony up in advance or your outta luck), and the book fair throws open its doors.  (It's a sweet idea and I try very hard to push down the cynic in me that would like to point out that family can come to lunch any Friday.)

My parents would never deny one of their grandchildren, especially the one with giant dimples, so we all went back to the school (after the Veterans Day festivities that took place in the morning, but concluded leaving us a couple hours to kill) to eat burgers and chips in the gym and then brave the book fair in the library.  Holy cow did this thing look like a Disneyworld souvenir shop 5 minutes before closing.  How could any grandparent say no to cherubic grandchild asking for a book?  To read!  It's for learning!  (Ignore the giant erasers, posters, light up pens, and other assorted tchotchkes, Grandparents.  These are not the droids you're looking for.)  The line gets longer every year, and this year, I never could find the end.  They probably should have set up switchbacks.  Since this years fair started on Grandparents Day instead of ending as in years past, I convinced Sabrina, much to the relief of my dad who did not relish standing in a line for an hour, that we could come back next week and buy the book she had chosen.  Whew!  All the joy of book fair without the frustration (at least until next week when I have to make good).

This is the penultimate Grandparents Day for us, being an elementary activity and all (ohgoodheavens I don't want to think about that right now), and I think we all enjoyed being together (they let me tag along even though I am neither grandparent or grandchild) and seeing other families doing the same.  I even made sure to make the traditional recording for memory and prosperity.

(My heart goes out to the kids whose grandparents or special friends (we open up the family concept as much as possible around here) weren't able to be there for whatever reason, and I hope they feel the love I telegraph to them.  I'd take on that whole school as my special friends.)