The girls love it when I make arrangements. They love helping me pick out the flowers, they hover as I cut them and drop them in buckets, they anxiously watch as I use the flowers up. They choose "their" flowers long before the belong to them. They watch me use up all these beautiful flowers and worry that there will be none left over for them. But somehow there always seems to be a little bit left.
It's a miracle.
The Elia has been honing her flower skills for quite some time now. We lived in Chicago when she was born and I was still working at my favorite flower shop. When she was a few weeks old I went back to work three days a week. We would get up early, I would pack her in the
maya, fold up her little portable swing, gather enough diapers and an outfit change or two, and hop on the red line all the way down to the store. At the time I didn't work at the main store, but managed our smaller south loop location. It was just me, Elia, Joana and Richie, hanging out all day.
She would spend her days in the
maya, in her swing, being held by my co-workers and sleeping in empty flower boxes. She was so sweet and easy. Yes, there were moments of uncontrollable crying, but those were pretty rare, and thankfully she chose our off-peak hours for fussing. And if she started fussing and I couldn't get to her, my co-workers were always happy to hold a baby.
Man, I had the best boss ever.
I stopped working even part time, especially after moving to Indiana and popping out a couple more kids, but still managed to make it into the shop for holidays and occasional work. I have quite a few pictures of Elia and then Josie sleeping in little make shift toddler bed/boxes in the back room of
LaSalle, or tucked under a counter. They were happy to play with scraps of flowers, watch shows on the computer in the office, and generally charm the pants off anyone they came
across.
Again, best boss ever.
All that playing and sleeping in boxes is paying off. Elia made her very own arrangement this Easter. She cut the foam, found a dish, taped it in and arranged it all herself. We carried this lovely piece of work all the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house where it graced a table for Easter dinner. It even survived a little stomping by the Deli's feet in the car. She's just that good.
She's been bugging for a pocket knife like mine so she can carry it with her and make arrangements should the mood strike. I am not
procuring said knife quickly enough for her liking. As soon as I go to the wholesaler, my dear, it will be yours. And then watch out, Northwest Indiana! Grand flower arrangements are coming your way!
Grandma made a pinafore/tutu for the girlie, it's been worn to the library, the store and just for fun.
