Reagan

We arrived in Charleston (South Carolina) on Saturday afternoon. My mother lives here. My great aunt and cousins live here. It's where I grew up... well, sorta... I'm still growing (when I left Charleston I was 4'11.5" and now I'm almost 5'1")! 

Adeline has never been to Charleston and I was excited for her to meet my Southern family. She was obsessed with seeing Mickey (Babu's dog). Tom keeps trying to tell her that Mickey is a doggie. She gets annoyed, "He's a Mickey."

Irv (our kids 3 year old cousin) and his parents (Uncle David and Aunt Sandy) greeted us. The kids headed straight for the bikes (or fire engines or motor vehicles... Babu has it all). The three boys got busy putting on their Spiderman elbow and knee pads and purposely rolling off the bikes onto the grass.

We put Adeline down for her nap. She was quiet for a few minutes and then began to scream. Tom ran in. Adeline was standing up in her crib screaming her head off and staring at a mask of Ronald Reagan which Mom had placed on the bed as a prank.  (Can't say I blame her really.) Not consoled by anything but the site of Mickey, Adeline was removed from the crib.  Reagan was hidden away in the corner.  (Though Cole found him later and insisted that he was a "daddy" and then finally, "Superman".)

I should explain. My step-father, who more-or-less built our house in Charleston and passed away in it a few years ago, was a huge Reagan buff. The room we are staying in used to be the master bedroom when I was growing up (mine, which used to have yellow and orange racing stripes circling the room, had been expanded into a new and improved, and huge, master suite). It seemed appropriate that the mask was in the room. I had hardly noticed it as I dropped off our bags.

The afternoon turned into pool play for wild boys. Mickey got fat from the many doggie-treat "cookies" that Adeline insisted on giving him.

As has become the tradition in our family, late night talks turned to politics. Tom went to bed. Mom went to the kids. Sandy tended to Irv and Uncle David and I were still speaking to each other the next day! My political talks began around our dining room table with my step-father and I happily felt his presence.

Comments

[Nicki]

I hate that I wasn't able to be there. Enjoy your stay and pass my love along to all!