May 28, 2004 - Friday
When I got to Harry's school at pick-up time he was just starting to build a puzzle with another boy, Evan. For a moment when he saw me he forgot where I told him we might go this afternoon and said he needed to finish working.

"Harry, we need to leave soon so we don't miss grandpa at the airport," I reminded him. There was actually no real reason for us to go to the airport. Grandpa John and Grandma Judy would be renting a car and they would make their way to our house anyway. They weren't expecting anyone to meet them, so if we were late getting there they'd never know. Still, the timing of afternoon pick-up and their arrival seemed like it would work pretty well.

Right away Harry's demeanor changed. He turned to Evan and said in a frenetic, yet mature way, "Evan, I can't play with you now. I have to go to the airport to get grandpa or I'll miss him." And with that surprising nod to courtesy for a 4-year-old, he was off his chair and headed for the door. We got to the airport early enough to see grandpa's plane land and taxi to the gate from the second floor observation area and the boys were there to surprise him as he came away from the gate area.

Interestingly, on the way there Harry had processed things enough to ask how we would all get home if grandpa was renting another car. I said we'd be in two cars, so he asked whether he and Jeremy could ride in the rented minivan. I didn't answer straightforwardly, thinking it better see if grandpa and grandma Judy were ready to be thrust into the world of "two boys" right away. They agreed and I drove home by myself it relative silence. No doubt grandma and grandpa were getting a running commentary the whole way.


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