Absence makes the heart grow fonder…
Our family was reunited yesterday after spending most of
a week in separate states. Last Thursday I, insanely, drove 6 hours to my
parents’ house, dropped the boys off, drove another 90 minutes to the airport,
and caught two flights to Charlotte, NC. Roy stayed in NY until Monday morning,
when he caught two flights to Charlotte, even as I was on the opposite flights
back to pick up the boys. From all accounts it sounds as if they had a
marvelous time with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Tim in Pennsylvania. And they
had welcome-back-Mommy gifts.
Gift 1: A beaded necklace from James. Bright, fluorescent
beads strung haphazardly on a fat green cord. He proudly presented it to me,
assuring me he had made it himself and it was for me to “wear to Hochstein.” I’m
not sure I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful in my whole life.
Gift 2: A foam door sign that hooks on the knob. James
also made this with Grandma, informing her that it needed to have my age as a
part of the sign. Grandma asked him how old he thought I was. “Well…I don’t
know for sure, but she’s really old.”
Great.
Gift 3: Owen greeted me with hugs and snuggles, refusing
to be set down for an hour or so after my arrival. Due to my 5AM wakeup that
morning we ended up on the couch watching a Curious George together. I got up a
couple of times and each time I returned Owen would look up at me, grin, and
pat the couch next to him emphatically, “H’re Mahmmy. Sit h’re.”
Gift 4: Both boys, after hugs and happiness, seemed to
let the exhaustion of the new routine and environment wash over them in relief
and melted down for the rest of
Monday, even as I was attempting to get some photos taken with our favorite PA
photographer. Owen ended up doing OK, but was in a different outfit than
planned because the jeans would NOT do. “All DONE Mahmmy! All DOOOONNNNE!!!!!”
And James just never stopped crying. He ended up falling asleep at 6PM and
slept for 13 hours straight.
So that was kind of a bust.
But the next morning we headed back to NY, where their
preferred activity is to snuggle with me on the couch and read books. Roy rejoined
us last night in time for supper, and our joy is complete.
