Spreading Her Wings...

Rayna's Uncle Eric called today to say he was about to pass through Bolivar and since RAYNA had TOLD him to visit her on JULY 17th (about a week ago she named THIS specific date!), he felt he must stop in, if even for only a minute or two, to tell us "Hello!" as he passed through on his way to Kansas City. The kids and I were at Jasmine's (Chinese Buffet) when he called. We had just gotten back from spending all day swimming and hadn't even gotten home yet to see whether or not Grant had returned from Springfield (where he had had his pre-operative visit earlier in the day--we HAD called him, before leaving the lake, to ask if he wanted to meet with us for supper, but, he confessed he had already eaten Chinese food for lunch in Springfield and wasn't interested in eating it again for supper!).

Anyway, Eric stopped in at Jasmine's to get his commanded visit in with Rayna...and to return ROSE (the bear/raccoon thingy) that she and her uncle have traditionally passed back and forth! (Every time she sees her Uncle Eric, she either GIVES him Rose to take to the office with him, or gets Rose back to take back to her house. She dearly loves Rose...and it delights her thoroughly that her Uncle Eric actually takes Rose to the office with him when it is his turn to take care of her!)

Somehow or the other, within minutes of Eric's arrival to Jasmine's, RAYNA and Darcy were dashing back to our house with him to pack a quick suitcase for Rayna. And, in a blink of an eye, she was packed and stowed away in her uncle's car, en route, SOLO, to Kansas City to help him pick her Aunt Jan up from Grandma and Grandpa Cochran's, where she has been staying for the past week. Rayna has had two sleep-overs at friends' homes in the past, but this is her first SOLO TRIP away from home! She will be coming home Sunday afternoon.

Rayna was pretty funny...when Eric first asked her, "Would you like to come to Kansas City with me?" She looked loyally at me and replied resolutely, "No. I would miss Mom!" I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You have to spread your wings sometime." She replied instantly, "OKAY!!! I'll go with Unkie!!!" And she didn't look back once!