Countdown to Alastair’s 2nd birthday party has begun. The children’s teepee bags, both boy and girl versions, are ready to be stuffed with the supply of goodies laid in by the birthday boy’s parents. The Happy Birthday table covers are folded, awaiting the folding tables, the balloons have been ordered and the ingredients for the Cupcake Choo Choo are lined up on the kitchen counter.
The dishtowels are still a work in progress, but the night is young. A few are finished for Alastair’s other grandmother and aunties to take home as a useful souvenir of the occasion.  The microfiber white towels have been embroidered with the same train as the one used on the teepee bags. This design is from A Bit of Stitch’s Baby Petite Borders collection. The steam cloud is filled with the party theme, Two-toot, the engine bears his initials and the boxcar is embroidered with the party date.
Black middy braid has been stitched in place for the track and a border of bandana fabric adds some needed color to the little project. The next batch of towels will have the steam cloud stitched in gray. Another improvement will be to stitch the initials in a brighter color.Â
Aunt Rheeta and I had a long day in Aunt Aileen’s apartment, sorting through her things and making arrangements for their disposal. Before we left, I prepared a pot roast and vegetables, ready for my dear husband to pop it  into the oven late afternoon. Once we returned, it took just a short while to get dinner on the table, but Rheeta and I were both exhausted. After cleaning up, I headed straight to the sewing room to work on the teepee bags and dishtowels.
My husband suggested that I just skip the dishtowels and call it a night. I tried to explain to him that after waiting so long for grandchildren, I do not want to miss out on any opportunity to participate in their lives.
Before our first grandchild was born, I often daydreamed about birthday parties and overnights and tea parties and tree house lunches and more. After Laurel was born, the urge to do more for and with her was even greater.
The train party bags and dishtowels will not make my relationship with Alastair any greater, but years from now, he might remember that his Nana did this for him. And you can be sure I will have plenty of pictures to remind him! But whether or not he remembers or is reminded, I will have had the satisfaction of contributing something special to his second birthday.
