And, I’m back. With back-to-back grandparent visits squarely behind us I am delighted to say that my children have not required stays at the post-grandparent-visit rehab center. You know, the one where children are de-programmed of the delusions that life exists for no other reason than to serve their every whim.

Each grandparent visit took on a slightly different strategic plan. My mother’s decision was to divide and conquer, taking on one kid each day she was here, and letting the other go to their respective care facility while I was at work. The grandparents Walston approach (being that there were 2 of them) opted to go full monty, taking on both Walstonlings for the duration of their visit – even throwing in an all-nighter. The word glutton springs immediately to mind. The sum total of each visit however, had the same outcome: a granddaughter who has started to realize the gravity of good-bye.

During each visit, there was a moment wherein Stella calmly, yet with the power of an emotional wrecking ball, asked each grandparent to stay. With my mom, it was the morning they were playing together in the yard, and out of nowhere Stella asked, “Grandma, will you stay?” To which, my mother could only respond, “I’m not going anywhere. We can play all day.” “No, Grandma. I want you to stay.” With the grandparents Walston, it came right as they were saying their good-byes on Sunday night to head back to their trailer. No matter how delicately and logically they tried explaining their departure, Stella could only reply with one response, “Don’t go.”

I swear, there are moments when I’m absolutely certain that her honesty and innocence is going to make my heart explode within my chest and ooze out of my ears. I just wish I could conjure these feelings right about the moment I am ready to dangle her by her feet for refusing to sleep past 5:00am.

Alas, even with all of these heartwrenching moments, it took her about 32 seconds to settle right back into her old routines, like insisting on working some form of the word poop into every sentence that leaves her mouth.