This past week was a really long one. I’ve been feeling out of sorts pretty much all month, just kind of generally grumpy about a bunch of little things (I even feel like I’ve been “off” here, which just adds to my grumpiness), but an already stressful situation at work got a little worse this week and, for the first time in the almost 4 years I’ve been working there, I’m starting to seriously wonder about the future of my company. Add sporadic insomnia to the mix, and, well . . . this past week was a really long one.
But a few hours ago I picked up my best friends from the airport; they’d been in Michigan all week, with their 3.5-year-old son, Nick (who has been the love of my life since they day they brought him home). I met them at baggage claim, and when Nick saw me I got the “movie” treatment: he squealed “Aunt Jenny!” and ran across the airport, arms wide open, and nearly knocked me down when he jumped into my arms to give me a hug. I’d knelt on the floor to be at his level while he ran to me, but when he was in my arms I stood back up, and he stayed wrapped around me, with his head on my shoulder, for several minutes.
And, for a little while, all was right with the world.
I was leaving for work on their last day of visiting us. I told them I’m going to work. No response. Then I told them I won’t see them again until next time they visit or I visit them. At this the oldest two darted over and I got a hug and a ‘love you’ from both of them. The youngest (4) didn’t, but that’s ok, she’s too young to cotton on to the logic of ‘I won’t see you for a while so I want some affection from you, and to give you some’
A few days later I heard my nieces were missing me to the point of tears. Assuming this to be true I felt bad. I shouldn’t have told them I wouldn’t see them until next time.
I’m close to them because I lived with them for a few years.
Lobsang: It’s cool that you have such a bond with your nieces! I’ll never have nieces or nephews, so friends’ kids calling me “Aunt Jenny” is as close to that as I’ll get. I have aunts and uncles, though, and sometimes I think that my relationship with my Nick is better than the relationship I had with most of them!
That head-on-the-shoulder thing is great, isn’t it? Whenever I lift my daughter (2.9yrs) up, she’ll do the head on the shoulder and pat me on the back. It just kills me, every time.
I know what you mean.
I was sitting here at the computer, and opened ‘favorites’…there was a link that read, ‘Suicide? Read This First.’
I asked my 17 year old daughter why the hell she put it in ‘favorites’ and if there was a problem with her life in any way.
She just looked at me, quite shocked, and said, “Oh Gawd NO, mom! I LOVE my life! I love you, dad, my friends…I have no reason to even think about suicide! I put that in favorites so I could use it for a report! Gawd no, it’s NOTHING I would ever consider!”
Last night, I sent our GrizzCub into the bathroom to brush his teeth before bedtime. He’s nearly five and does a pretty good job of brushing unsupervised. Sometimes, he doesn’t brush as long as he should but a gentle reminder from me or Mom fixes that.
Anyway, he spends a much longer time brushing than normal. I call to him and ask if he’s okay, and he responds with a loud “MMM-HMM!”; so all’s good.
Off to bed with him and, after a story and goodnight hugs and kisses, back downstairs goes I.
…and into the bathroom…
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.
.
…where I find my and GrizzWife’s toothbrush lying on the front edge of the sink.
…dollop of toothpaste on both.
…and the water-cup is already full.
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Awwwww…
My little boy is 10 months old, and is such a joy. Sometimes when you hold him, he wraps his hand around the back of your hair and runs his fingers thru it. Great cure for those “rotten work day blues”
Or the way his arms and legs starting swinging and clapping when we walk in the door from work.
