I've had this trip planned for quite a while. I haven't been to D.C. since I flew there with Caitlin in January and got her settled in her new abode for the spring semester. I chose this week to visit in advance for a couple of reasons: First, I knew that the Cherry Blossoms would be in bloom and I wanted to capture some great pictures of those and Second, I was in hopes that the weather would not be as brutally cold in April as it had been in January.
April is FINALLY here and THIS is the month that I have been anticipating arriving since I dropped Caitlin off in the nation's capitol. I'm not going to lie...her being that far away for this long has NOT been easy and that is also a reason that we have been planning and looking forward to these few days with such eagerness. April 20th will mark the last day of her semester and between her Easter weekend visit planned home and this little trip, she will be "Back in da Boot" before we know it! As the time neared for the trip and Caitlin began planning some surprises and FUN things for us to do in her new city, I began to think of a little surprise of my own.
Caitlin is JUST like her dad...they both LOVE surprises; both giving and receiving them, however, actually surprising them is VERY difficult. You see, they can't keep a secret very well because they get go excited that they want to tell the person what the surprise is AND if you are trying to surprise them, they are constantly guessing and attempting to hang on your every word to see if they can figure out what you are planning. SO...in saying all of that, "I Have A Surprise"!!! AND she does NOT know what it is!
Since she has been in D.C., I have sent a couple of "care packages" and we have also exchanged "snail mail". Yep!...how long has it been since you have actually sat down and written a letter by hand and stuck it in the mail?! But these are the little things that make a difference when someone is so far away from home. Some days (or weeks...) have been rough and her homesickness has been evident at times and I knew that it was time to plan another little "care package"; in fact, I sent the last one only a couple of weeks ago. What sort of things does one put in a "care package"??? Well, I have sent things like cute stationery, whimsical t-shirts, a backpack, clothes I bought her in Miami (since she couldn't go this year, she could still enjoy some of the shopping benefits...), belated birthday presents...you get the idea. So, when I got ready to send the last package, she told me to just bring it when I came. I said, "No, I want you to be able to go ahead and wear your new clothes (that always puts a smile on her face...) and besides...I am bringing a little surprise with me and I need to make room for IT!"
Although I could not SEE her reaction, I could FEEL (her little ears perk up! "SURPRISE?!?...," she casually asked. I then told her that it was pretty BIG and if I brought her other stuff with me, I would most likely be overweight. NOW I had her attention AND her curiosity piqued. She hasn't mentioned it too much to me (a testament to how busy she truly is), but I KNOW that her little wheels have been turning when she lays her head on her pillow at night (OK...and her boyfriend told me she was wondering what it was too...) Tomorrow I leave...just me and my "surprise". Of course, I can't tell you what it is today because she will be reading this (perhaps even searching for a clue), but make a guess, yourself. What do YOU think I am taking her??? I suppose you will just have to wait along with her to hear what the surprise is and catch a few glimpses of the cherry blossoms that are currently putting on a show in D.C.!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments