Memories of Us

Random Thoughts

• I put things on the stairs that need to go upstairs.  I assume that to be a common practice.  In the history of mankind, no man has EVER just grabbed something on the way up because he SAW it there.  Until last week.  Until my son.  My awesome amazing fantastic son who, completely unsolicited and to my utter delight, grabbed his dirty PJs as we climbed the stairs and dropped them in the hamper in our bedroom.  It was, to date, my proudest moment as a mother.  I was not even aware that he understood either the concept of dirty clothes or the hamper.  You know, because he's TWO.  And yet, at two years old, he has managed to do what most grown men claim to be impossible.  He SAW housework that needed to be done and just DID it.  It brings tears to my eyes just remembering it.  I couldn't even really believe it happened.  I thought maybe it was some incredibly awesome fluke or something.  Until today, when he took the bathroom garbage can (which I had brought downstairs to empty and left sitting on the steps) back upstairs and put it where it belongs in the bathroom.  ALL BY HIMSELF.  He's going to make some woman a very fine husband some day. 

• There was an earthquake today.  Everybody is acting like it was the end of the world.  Not a single building fell over.  I haven't heard about anybody being hurt.  There was brief talk about the Washington Monument LEANING, but it turns out the news anchors were just BRINGING THE DRAMA.  I think Californians are probably laughing at us East coasters.  Well, not at us.  Not at me anyway.  I didn't even freaking NOTICE the earth quake.  Leave it to me to be in the middle of something remotely interesting and STILL somehow manage to miss it.  I think I took obliviousness to a whole new level today.

• There's this show on TV where they have two people hide a briefcase filled with $100,000 and then those people are arrested and interrogated and if the detectives don't find it and neither person breaks down and tells them where it is within 48 hours the people get to keep it.  I have watched it twice.  Both times somebody breaks from the pressure of being interrogated and locked in a cell.  A big roomy cell with a bathroom and a mattress.  Interrogated by pushy but seemingly nice people.  The first time I watched this show Jamie was with me.  Jamie went through SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape) training, as all aircrew in the Air Force must.  Essentially, this training involves pretending to be captured and interrogated, except, you know, the getting hit and getting locked in boxes and stuff was real.  He just watched the show incredulous the whole time at how WIMPY these people were.  And honestly, even I, who have never been hit or imprisoned, could not understand why these big dudes were freaking out and breaking down.  Nobody was HURTING them.  They KNEW there was a time limit to their incarceration.  There was a freaking HUGE payoff for toughing it out.  They were letting people down and embarrassing themselves by spilling the beans.  I just don't get it.  I'm betting they screen contestants for military histories though.  A military dude would OWN that competition.  No contest.

Playing with the big boys

Tonight I took the boys to a moving away party for one of my parents' neighbors. There were some big boys there, ranging from about 6-12 years old. Will thought they were like, the most awesome people he'd ever seen. He saw them running around playing tag and HAD to join in. I walked over with him, thinking he'd get close enough see and then stop to watch them play. Because Will has displayed some extreme shyness/fear of other kids of late. To the point that he won't play on the neighborhood playground if we are not there alone. Anyway, so you can imagine my surprise when instead of keeping his distance, he marched right on up to those boys and started running around with them, laughing and shouting with joy. He was fearless! I was beyond proud of him. He obviously did not understand the game, nor was he actually participating. I'd have been pissed if one of them had really tagged him. But man, did he LOVE "playing" with them. The smile didn't leave his face once. I followed behind him at a distance as he ran up and down hills and ducked through the trees. I know I was hovering. But seriously, he's two. It's ok to hover when they're two. I was worried he'd wander too far, or fall, or get knocked over. Or worst of all, that they would be mean to him. I was scared the whole time that these big boys, who were generously ignoring the toddler disrupting their game, would get annoyed and that my sweet little boy would have his spirit broken. I had to continually tell myself to back off, so tempted was I to sweep him up and carry him off, ruining his fun but protecting his heart. To their credit, those big boys tolerated Will's puppy like adoration for quite some time. Even when he invited himself to their table and crawled up into a chair, laughing happily at whatever they said and contributing his own indecipherable chatter, those boys just listened. Though I'm certain that they were aware of my watchful eye and were perhaps more tolerant because of it. I wouldn't really say they embraced the toddler in their midst. But they weren't mean to him, which is probably the most I could have hoped for. And in the end, I think maybe Will liked that they weren't patronizing him or treating him like a baby. You know, because he really truly thought he was one of the big boys tonight. And while he wasn't REALLY one of the big boys, it turns out he's a much bigger boy than I gave him credit for.

Sunday Pictures

When did my boys get so big?!?