Dear Mimi

I want us both to remember today.  It's not your birthday, it's not Christmas, it's just a regular day.

You had a rough night and woke up with a fever.  I made an appointment and we went to see our favorite nurse practitioner, Alicia.  While we waited for your prescription to be filled, we grocery shopped at Albertson's.  We took the blue car cart because you didn't feel good and it had two steering wheels.  You and Eva drove us around and we talked about what we wanted for dinner.  We decided on chilli and cornbread.  You begged for a lunchable, so I bought 3.  You and your sisters always look forward to something different in your school lunches.  You said you wanted a little bag of chips - we never buy chips- but today we did.  When we got home, you took your antibiotic and some tylenol and asked if you could watch Lion King and eat lunch in the playroom.  You wanted "noodle soup, chips and yogurt".  We pretended the playroom was a restaurant and I showed you to your table.  When your ramen noodles were ready, I said, "number 4, order up!".  You liked that.  You didn't eat much and after we laid Eva down, you asked if I would take a nap with you.  We snuggled in your bed while I checked into my classes.  When you woke up, you curled up on the sofa with a huge blanket and watched Olivia.  I baked you Grandma's chocolate drop cookies.  You sipped on apple cider.  Ali came home from school and joined you on the sofa.  We lit a fire in the fireplace.  Before dinner we put away the clothes in your room and you asked if you were big enough to sleep in the top bunk.  You knocked on Daddy's office door and said, "I was wondering if... see... just can I sleep on the top bunk because I am big enough, like James... and I can't play with my toys because of two beds... and can you make bunkbeds again?"  So Daddy and I put the beds up again.  We had dinner and you took a bath with Eva.  Then Eva sat on my lap, you snuggled on the right and Ali on the left and we watched Ratatouille until bedtime.  You went to right to sleep in the top bunk.  Eva joined  you in the room in her pack n' play.  I remember when it was you in the pack n' play.  And then I remembered when it was Ali in the pack n' play.  And all that's passed since then are a bunch of normal, precious days like today.  And I just wanted to write one of them down.