Laryngitis

Our friends, who we last visited in Iowa (though I suppose they were here over Christmas break), are in town while they're transitioning from being full-time medical students to being interns. Jodie will be staying at her parents' house in Idaho all year while Steve flits around the country doing rotations here and there. They stopped by to visit today, but only with their youngest. When I asked where their older kids were Jodie said they were swimming at their grandparents' (who happen to live a couple of doors down from us) with their cousins Emily and Ammon (who my girls play with on a fairly regular basis).

The girls immediately wanted to strip down and hop in their swimsuits so that we could join them. So we did.

All the kids splashed around in the (freezing cold) kiddie pool while the adults sat around around watched from the sidelines. All too soon it was time to go.

Jodie called her kids inside for dinner.

Michelle called her kids inside for dinner.

"Hey, my kids," I croaked. "Come get your shoes on."

They didn't hear me. And it's no wonder. I seem to have added laryngitis to my list of ailments.

"Hey! My kids!" I tried again. And failed again. Because of laryngitis.

"Just do whatever you want," Sister Gillespie filled in for me with a smile. "Because your mom can't talk."

She also told her grandchildren that they could have cookies and candy and soda pop for dinner.

She also gloated about never having to take children to swimming lessons ever again.

I think she was having one of those days when she's really happy that she's a grandparent because that title involves less responsibility than the title of parent.