First full day in Madras and I am relaxing on a hotel bed while my daughter and youngest granddaughter sleep on the bed next to me. After about an hour of giggling and silliness in the next room for the other three who were refusing to nap, Ama took charge and “napped” with them until they all fell asleep. We must nap. Tonight is going to be crazy chaos, I do believe.

i am grateful for the opportunity to visit Parker at her school this morning and have lunch and recess with her. I am grateful for the opportunity to return to the same school shortly after and share lunch with my daughter and see where she works. I am grateful to be so privileged to watch these two families of little ones squealing and giggling and loving each other. It was so touching to stand on the playground and watch Parker and Anissa playing together and see Parker “show” her friends her little sister, Reilly,  Anissa, and her Ama.

I am grateful for time this morning to take three littles downstairs for breakfast and enjoy being an Ama while they ate waffles, eggs, cereal, and fruit and gave high fives to the breakfast guy.

i am grateful that this bed was big enough last night for two little girls and an Ama, since they just couldn’t sleep in their own room. I am grateful for the clarity to lie in silence and listen to my family breathing in their sleep in the middle of the night. I may not have such a clear head tonight when all six share this room with my daughter and I after trick-or-treating and candy and silliness.

And I am grateful for two of them who just woke up from their Ama-forced nap and are eating a snack of chips beside me while we watch Spider-Man and wait for the other three to wake up for costume time. Life is short. Enjoy every single moment. Okay, I will.