Today was day 1 of George’s recovery. By nature, he has always been a bit…dramatic. I was just waiting for him to start saying he was too sick to walk or scream (breaking his scabs) because McKenna looked at him. This was the part I was dreading the most. I just knew I was going to have the iPad permanently at the ready with a never ending supply of apple sauce to be spoon fed to him.

Today was also the day that Aaron had scheduled to get our taxes done WAY before surgery was scheduled. Finding a Saturday appointment with our preferred financial professional that also fit into the strangely booked dance card of 93 year old Great Grandpa was sure to be impossible. We didn’t even discuss it.

Luckily, George is some sort of miracle kid who doesn’t seem to be phased by having body parts cut from his throat. Sure, he still wanted me to pay 110% attention to him and was irritated by McKenna, but that’s just him. So when Aaron mentioned bringing Great Grandpa back for a visit with George, I was not nearly as panicked as I would have been. I had already been planning to make one of his favorite meals to bring a few portions to him tomorrow so I just moved it up to lunch.

Theo sleeps in like a teenager these days and the Bigs are easily entertained by anything with a screen. I was able to throw together my best rendition of Great Grandma’s chicken curry after touching base with Aunt Jill to make sure I had all his favorites in it. It’s nothing special and very simple but he loves it. I even made sure to have sliced hard boiled eggs with it because it’s the way Great Grandma always served it.

Don’t ask me why. It just is. And I’m not crazy enough to go changing something like that on a 93 year old man very set in his ways.

Aaron and Great Grandpa arrived home shortly before lunchtime as I was prepping something to eat for the kiddos.

Why am I making something different for them? I’m glad you asked (said in my best Elyse Meyers). It’s because I offered an alternate meal 6 years ago and now I am stuck being a short order cook.

The kids all greet Great Grandpa with enthusiasm. Although it’s only been a week since our last visit with him, they don’t remember the last time he was at our house. They all cuddled up with him and watched TV as I added the finishing touches to our meals.

And…Oh. My. Goodness.

My heart exploded when I saw them surrounding him. Between the oldest and youngest in these photos is 92 years and yet they are all basically BFFs. No forced poses. No begging to get just one good picture. Just a bunch of buddies hanging out and singing along to Encanto. He seemed to be enjoying it as much as they were. It was almost a shame calling them over to lunch.

Knowing the kiddos wouldn’t even look at the curry, they had mac and cheese with a hard boiled egg and sliced apple. But then Theo decided he wanted to eat whatever was in my bowl. And man, did he love it. It was a pleasant yet unexpected and messy surprise. We’ve decided that he will be the kid who will continue to eat anything we put in front of him into post toddlerhood. We are looking forward to it.

The afternoon ended with a trip to Dairy Queen before Aaron drove Great Grandpa back home with a bag full of curry, rice, hard boiled eggs, naan and a few other soups I had stashed in the freezer for him. A day I had been dreading turned out lovely. There was very little screaming, lots of giggles and laughs, a post surgical kid, a too tired toddler, a know-it-all nearly 7 year old and a 93 year old Great Grandpa who ate his weight in chicken curry because it’s been years since he last had it. Plans were made for a possible visit tomorrow and a trip to the zoo over spring break. Now I just need to get all the kids to bed so I can relax myself for a little while before doing it it all again.

They say food is a way of conjuring up memories of days gone by. I happen to think it is also the way to make new memories to share for years to come.