Friday, July 4, 2008

Parenting Furlough

Matt took the kids up to Signal Mountain this morning to spend the weekend at his mom's. They'll play on the slip n' slide and walk to the fireworks at the golf course tonight. Signal Mountain is really a pretty idyllic place, and they'll have a great time. It gives me a chance to have some concentrated work time, but I wish I could be both there and here. A weekend of quiet time is too good to pass up, though, even if it is the Fourth of July, and memories are being made, childish hearts are being gladdened, etc.

And because my husband is such a mensch, he did not leave me with a wreck of a house, either. Last night he cleaned the kitchen and breakfast area while I did the nightly toy roundup. Then he got the kids up, clothed, fed, and out the door this morning. For me it's hard to sit and read, think, and write if my surroundings are messy. The place doesn't have to be sterile, but topsy turvy won't work. Now everything is clean and I'm ignoring the laundry I could be washing/drying/folding/putting away.

So it's just me and a snoring dog. If I get a lot done today, I might even get a movie on pay-per-view tonight. Or watch the episode of House I have tivoed. I am one of those Women Who Run With The Wolves.

Enjoy the weekend, y'all!

Edited to add: Matt called me after they got back from the fireworks. He said Hank watched about half of the show before hiding his face and saying, "Makes me nervous! Makes me nervous!" Poor little guy! Matt put Hank on the phone with me, and I could hear him say, "Saw fireworks. . .it's loud. . .don't worry!"

That's what we call an executive summary.

5 comments:

Hootie said...

Hank's a beast with the lexicon, no? Ike's still mostly non-verbal, but he's really coming along in the "jumping off high places" department. Based on bruise frequency and placement, we think he might be gifted.

Becky said...

We should get these boys together, 'cause I was about to spend $50/hr for a jumping tutor for Hank. Sounds like Ike could mentor him.

David said...

That *is* an impressive lexicon! I'm in my thirties, and I have a hard time knowing when I'm "nervous" rather than one of the lower-order affective complexes like "scared." Soon he'll be be theorizing about what we lit folks mean when we say "anxious." Please have him call me when he figures it out.

Becky said...

Yeah, his use of "anxious," like his use of "hysterical," is all over the map. And I don't think he knows what a real neurosis is either.

Amy said...

Nate's been saying "Mama scare me!" when I fuss at him. This said with an extremely protuding bottom lip. He is really working it. But you're right...I think rather than "scare" he means something like "frustrates" or "annoys".