Great weekend with Jess and my parents.

I had two days with Jess and my parents.
It started Saturday at 5 am and a 100 mile drive to the wilds of Surrey.
My kid recently moved to a big pile in the countryside complete with paddock and new school. She was in sparkling form and we managed to dash back and forth to the airport, pick up my parents, decamp to the Heathrow "Premiere Travel Inn" and have our traditional weekend jam tarts in Wimbledon. There was also a clothes shopping excursion (THANK GOD for my mother) and the inevitable pizza and "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?" guessing games in the car.
Laughter was the common denominator.
Giggles from Jess and "out loud" delighted guffaws from Dad and I.
My mum realising that Dad and I were engaging in some gentle mocking, took it in her stride, and found a fierce defender in my kid.
"Girls against the boys" as Jess put it
Fun. All that was missing was my sister and nieces.
One of these day's we'll all hang out again.
The fickle British climate came through with midsummer weather in October.
We also hatched a plan for my folks to visit HK, Beijing and Japan in a few months time.
Weekends like this are as as good as it gets.There's not much to add about my daughter that I haven't already said countless times.
She's simply a delight.
Devilish at times but a delight none the less. I may have my differences with her mum, but she's doing something right. How in heavens name did I have a hand in creating such a lovely, soft little soul?
I love it when the nagging details and debris in life fade into the background .
You enjoy the here and now.
It doesn't happen often but when it comes together, things feel delightful.
There will never be another mid October weekend in 2008 with these three . We made the most of this one.What is that I'm feeling...?
I'm content.
Kind of like the pair above.
What could be better?
I'm off to the annual ordeal of the Frankfurt Book fair this week then need to really bear down on the whole flat-shutdown thing. I hope all is well with you wherever you are and you're happy and healthy.
Love
T