Excelsior: Over the rainbow, with unicorns

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Over the rainbow, with unicorns

What a difference a year makes in the life of a child: last year my granddaughter's fifth birthday party brought her a pile of colorful plastic toys, but now that she's six, she was delighted to receive stacks and stacks of chapter books and art projects. She was the perfect little hostess at her party, making sure all her little friends had plenty of fun, whether they were tie-dying T-shirts, decorating goody bags, or marching around the house playing every musical instrument they could get their hands on. At one point one of her friends was trying to create giant bubbles outside but being thwarted by strong wind, but my granddaughter spread her arms and vowed to keep the wind away. And she tried!

Last year's party followed a volcano theme, but this year brought together a colorful conglomeration of rainbows, unicorns, and mermaids. My talented daughter baked a rainbow cake as beautiful as it was delicious, and the party progressed with no tears or tantrums until the one-year-old loudly objected to the presence of so many unexpected people and activities on her turf. Good thing there were grandparents around to lend a hand!

When not partying (or preparing to party or cleaning up after partying), we enjoyed some outdoor adventures--trimming trees and planting flowers around the house or hiking in some local parks, where the almost-three-year-old grandson correctly identified cardinals in the trees and jack-in-the-pulpit alongside the path. We looked at ducks and had a peanut-butter picnic and climbed on rocks and by the end of the day we went back home exhausted and slept like babies.

Now the party's over and I'm back in my quiet house sorting through the photos, which capture the color but not the raucous music, the blustery wind, or the frequent joyous laughter. But if I quiet my mind and listen closely, I can almost hear the echoes ringing in my ears--a sound that puts a song in my heart and a spring in my step as I march through a colorless, quiet week.