Love is… 20 minutes alone
Mike’s a stay-home dad during the summer, running errands and doing laundry and cleaning and keeping up with the kids. He’s also become the neighborhood mom. This one little boy has all but moved in with us, and so some days, Mike’s here with three kids. Unless this boy’s brother comes over, too, and then the number climbs to four.
It’s been a horribly rough week at work for me (but it was encouraging that I spent a lot of my time helping someone else… hopefully, that says I’m getting better), and as soon as I got home from work tonight, we took Griff and his friend to the movies (save ‘Get Smart’ for your Netflix list). By the time we got home, I was worn out.
Mike was going to run out to get take-out for a late dinner, and I asked him to take both kids with him on the ride. And he did. And it’s just me here in the house. I am NEVER alone in the house. It’s kinda nice to sit here listening to the air pump in the fish tank and just enjoy the soft noises around me.
It’s easily going to be the best 20 minutes of my day. I’m going to go read a quick chapter in my Bible and then, after they burst back into the house with all of that little kid noise and energy, I’m going to make them leave Mike alone while he watches the Astros game.
Geaux Stros.
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HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY… GRIFFIN!!!
Here it is… our Griffin’s 10th birthday. It really is hard to believe that it’s been 10 years that he’s been with us. They have been interesting and challenging and exciting years.
When he was little (and we thought he was our only child), I always told him he was my favorite boy. He is, without a doubt, still my favorite boy.
He requested that Eliza be able to skip school today and stay home with him and Mike, so the three of them hung out all day. I met them for lunch, and Mike smoked a pork roast for dinner. It’s been a laid-back day, exactly what Griff would have planned, which, I guess, he did.
Saturday, we’re having Chuck, Stacy and the kids over for birthday fun. We’ll all go see “Kung Fu Panda” and have Griff’s Cold Stone cake.
And I’ll give him his 10 Box. I’ve been collecting 10 of various things for his special 10 Box.
- 10 Dr. Peppers
- 10 packs of gum
- 10 Kit Kat bars
- 10 scratch off tickets (now, don’t tell me about how it’s wrong… if I convinced Mike to let Griff have them, we’re good)
- 10 balloons
- $10 Target card
- $10 gift certificate to the Italian Ice place
- Lists of 10 favorite Griff things from family and friends (I’ll post some of these later).
I do love birthdays. I do love Griffin Robert.
Griff’s friend, Will, and Griff when we were in Louisiana in May. Will is going to turn 10 in 10 more days. They’ve been friends pretty much forever.
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Home, Again
Griff and I had a wonderful trip. After having spent seven hours in the car and four hours on two planes with him within three days, I can honestly say he was a delightful traveling companion. I was very impressed.
Griff had lunch with me, Mandy, Josh, and Olivia on Saturday. He looks a little stoned in this picture, but it’s the best one I got of him and Olivia at the restaurant.
After lunch, Griff went to Will’s and spent the entire rest of the weekend. One of the things we miss about Louisiana is knowing the parents of Griff’s friends well. Mike went to high school with Will’s mom, Deanna, and I worked with her when she and I were pregnant with the boys. Will is 10 days younger than Griff.
The boys played and went to see the Narnia movie and went swimming and played games and stayed up late. Griff was exhausted but very happy.
While he was gone, I ate yummy foods… and played with Olivia… and shopped with Aleece (who convinced me to stop buying my fat pants quite so fat… apparently, they were way too big on me despite what I thought)… had dinner with Aleece and Linda… shopped with Mandy and Olivia… delivered a graduation present and got to hold a friend’s granddaughter. In general, I had a happy time myself.
Here’s a quick photo tour of my time…
My favorite pizza ever… and when I picked it up, the owner/manager/whatever guy remembered Mike coming to pick up pizza all the time.
Olivia, Zadie, and G, the hippest granma in town.
Tiny spicy chicken. YumO. After having dinner with me and Linda, Aleece called in a take-out order of TSC to take home to her husband. It’s that good.
Linda and Aleece… women for whom I will always be grateful
Crawfish bread. Not as good as my favorite appetizer, but they were out of it for NO good reason, and this was pretty darned good.
Catfish Acadiana. Grilled. Fabulous. God bless Copeland’s.
Olivia can say Chel, Mike, Griff, and Eliza, but I’m pretty sure she prefers Chel.
Josh, Mandy, Olivia, and Griff. Olivia threw a fit until she was allowed to sit with Griffin. I miss the three of them already.
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Leaving on a Jet Plane
Tomorrow morning, Griff and I will fly out of Tampa and into New Orelans, rent a car and drive to the little town we moved from almost two years ago. Eliza & Mike will stay here. Eliza’s sad. Griff’s excited.
Last summer, Mike took Griff back for a whole week so Griff and his best friend, Will, could hang out. We’re afraid Griff won’t be able to do that this year after his surgery, so he and I are going for a quick weekend. He’ll stay with Will’s family, and I’ll stay with Mandy, Josh, and Olivia.
I’ll get to see them, Linda, and Aleece. I’ll deliver a graduation present to the son of some friends of ours, and I’m going to visit my favorite bead store. I think that between me and Griff, we’re looking to eat our way through the weekend. We’ll bring a dozen of the yummiest donuts home for Mike on Monday.
We’re packed and ready. Griff’s sitting between us watching the Astros and being too excited to sleep. We’ve got cell phones and iPods and books. To be honest, aside from the mama worries, I’m pretty excited myself.
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