leftovers

Last night we had a date night.  Just me and him.  Since moving closer to family we have had a lot more of these.  It is so much easier to steal away for the evening when parents are minutes away instead of over an hour.  We tried a new spot and it was a good pick.

Today, I had leftover dessert and coffee for breakfast.  The pie was even better after sleeping in.  To sat in the quiet house and think about how yummy the food was last night and how great it was to be out and about with my husband.  It was wonderful just to talk, to sit and chat without any interruptions or any place to be.  It is even more amazing to me that we still have so much to say, after all these years.  

In the day-to-day we really get so little conversation that isn't interrupted.  We are shoulder deep in the season of "mama, dada, hold me, down please!!!!" (Theo still has up and down backwards.) Dinner is a constant chorus of chaos and interruptions.  Refills, manner reminders, half started sentences that never get finished and even more that never get started.

And it is so good, really.  Because after 19 years of having conversations with Michael, everyone of them is important.  We still have a lot to say.  Even if on most nights we get the leftovers of the words to share and piece together.  The leftovers are really good too.

a sneak up on me good day

We have been having a good day.

Theo is napping and Eva is pretending to be a magician and painting at the same time.

I spent the morning filling some jars with good stuff for later.

My parents just left and had good news from the doc on my moms ticker.

It is stronger, healthier and she is doing well.

Some major answered prayers there.

Michael sent me flowers.

Or depending on who you ask, daddy may have sent Eva flowers.

Just because he loves us.

I started today not wanting to start it.

Head cold or allergies.

Rough night of sleep.

Facing all day and night with out Michael because he is on-call.

Nutty kiddos that seem to have found the never ending source of energy...

and are grumpy about it at the same time.

But sitting here watching my daughter paint her nails with watercolor...

I can't wipe the smile off my face.

My better half...

Michael is my better half...

He is calm and relaxed.

Spontaneous and carefree.

Always ready to make someone smile or laugh.

He balances out my keyed up nature.

My planning and list-making.

My seriousness and worry.

Michael really is my better half...

usually.

The other night I wanted to throw something at his head.

And not a pillow, something large and heavy.

The fact that we were in bed and I had nothing near me...
saved him.

You see, he is not always himself when tired.

And in the middle of the night, when Eva-monster was yelling for an hour straight...

I though he had lost his mind.

He rushed out of bed as soon as she started crying.

At first I thought he was coming to sit-up with me...

Wrong.

He headed straight for the bedroom door.

When I asked him what he was doing - reminded him of our plan.

He stopped and rubbed his head.

Then he it looked like he was pouting.

Then he snapped - I am thirsty, okay?!

I swear he stopped his foot.

He huffed and puffed back into bed...

grabbed his cell phone, put it on white noise...

and put it on his head.

Yep - he laid there with his cell phone on his head.

Grumbling and pouting...

Big sighs.

I had been sitting up, crying a little.

Pregnancy emotions combined with your baby girl screaming that she wants you...

Okay, so I was crying quite a bit.

It had been about 30 minutes and she was still crying.

Again he sits up, growls and says...

She isn't even crying... she is just whining. Jeeze!

Then he stomped back out of bed.

I stopped him again.

It has been over an hour - come on!

More foot stomping.

Then he turns on our big floor fan.

I am too hot!!

Stomp stomp stomp.

Back into bed and phone back on top of his head.

I tried to push him out of the bed.

I might have called him a two-year old and a jerk - a few times.

And then, just like that he was asleep.

I was furious.

How could he sleep!?!?

I might have kept pushing him.

My foot may have had a spasm...

 and kicked his comfy curled-up feet a few times.

I stole his pillow and threw it on the floor.

He still slept.

Finally, Eva did too.

And then I did, finally, around 4 a.m.

The only good thing...
I was so mad at him - it took my mind off being so upset about Eva crying.

The next morning, I told him about how he acted.

He thought I was kidding.

Then he apologized....

And laughed at how ridiculous he was...

apologized again and said I needed to write it down.

So here it is...

My better half being a sleep walking, foot stomping, two-year old.
And very lucky to not have a big bruise somewhere.

Today

I worked today.

Normally when I drop Eva off, she runs happily away.

By Bye Mommy.

Not today.

No No Mommy, please no.

It wasn't the first time she fussed, but it was the first time she begged me not to leave.

My heart broke a little.

Then, as I got in the car, it broke some more.

I thought about it all on the rest of my drive.

How things were now...
and how they were supposed to be.

Me, just working a day here and there, for a little bonus money...

instead of 50 plus hours a week as the main earner in our home.

I was feeling really thankful by the time I made it to work.

work bathroom belly shot

Being reminded of our old plan.

Everyday, I would have been dropping her off and rushing off to work.

I know so many people do it, and they do it so well, with such grace.
i had wanted to keep my career... thought it would have been just fine.

But today was a great big reminder on how hard it would have been.

We left the house at 6:45 am this morning...
and we were running late.

I got to work at 8:30...
I should have been there 45 minutes before that.

I left close to 4:30...
Eva and I were home by 6:00.

A normal day I wouldn't leave until 5:30... 

home by 7:00.

Eva in bed at 8:00.

Just one hour with her...

the hospital basement

I sent Michael a message...

thanking him for making our lives the way they are now.

Supporting us, supporting me and our decision.

Giving up our old plan for this new one.

Taking it all in stride and making it work.

Working more hours and sacrificing more of his time so there is more time for us.

The three of us thank you so much.


    

Eight

Dear Michael,

Happy Anniversary.

Eight years of being Mr. and Mrs.

And it is only beginning.

I have been thinking a lot...

our first apartment.

our first house.

Then I go back even further...

our first high school dance.

our first kiss.

It is funny the things you almost forget...

until you think about them again.

Picking out our first green couch.

Packing the last box and standing in our empty apartment.

Looking out over the deck after we were first married.

Looking out from the the hotel roof in Florence 5 years later.

I think about how afraid we were...

to go from two happy married people...

to a family.

Worried it would make things hard.

Promising that we wouldn't let it change us.

It did change us - and we broke our promise.

But in the most amazing and wonderful ways.

How a little person could make two other people so much closer?

Maybe, it is that half of me and half of you, are forever forged...

made into one - right before our eyes.

And here we are...
adding on to our family, again.

Not afraid this time.
Just excited.

Because we know how awesome it is.
Even when it is hard.

We know that the happy days out number the ones that aren't.
That arguments just mean that we care.
And the best is still on its way.



So to my husband...
all my love, my whole heart, and all my tomorrows are yours.

Happy Anniversary.

Week 13 of 52

Styleberry 

Firecracker Mama • Wicked Kate • What We're Saying
Love & Life • Finding Joy

Joining: Communal Global and Sweet Shot

Two Spoons

Two spoons...

to share an apple brown betty

with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Too full from dinner to really need dessert...

but you have to anyway.

Coffee for him

Sips for me.

A really dark restaurant...

and a great date night.

And we were home by nine.
It was dreamy.



Joining: Project52 : I dreamed a dream

Seven Years Ago

We said "I do."

I knew it meant a lot then...

but I really didn't know.

It is more than those two words.

More than that day.

It is this amazing life that we have made together.

It has had some really amazing moments.

Graduations, trips, and moves.

A monster being born.

What I have learned the most in these seven years...

is that it is more than this...

more than these amazing moments.

It is in the days at home.

The nights of no sleep.

When we are in a fight.

In the looks that say more than words.

Holding hands in the grocery.

Sharing a cookie.

It is those quiet moments in between that make up a life.

Our life.

Our family.

Our love.

Thank you Michael.

Happy Anniversary.

Twice as Nice

It was date night.

Just us this time. 

We dressed up.

I love that... dressing up.

It had been a long time since I had wore heels.

It was wobbly at first.

We went to a show.  

Les Miserables... and it was fabulous.  

We went to dinner.

A new spot - we liked it.

It was a step back to a different era.

There was a piano player.

The bartender wore a bow tie.

We ate way too much.

So we shared dessert... creme brulee.

Michael never eats the sugar crust... and I was too full to help.

I like sharing dessert.

Two spoons are nice.

Dates are different now...

We went to the afternoon show.

I found a paci in my pocket instead of lipgloss.

We went to dinner at 5:30.

We were home in time to tuck the monster in bed...

that was twice as nice.

Bonus

On many mornings, Michael is out the door before I get downstairs.

I wake up with him...

but I am slow to get up, if you know what I mean.

We have a nice rhythm.

I get the coffee ready the night before.

All he needs to do is hit start.

He gets coffee fast...

and I wake up coffee ready and waiting.

This morning there also was a little note.

It made my day.

Just a little post-it can do so much.

When I went to dump the photos from my camera...

I found this picture he took...

He knows I would want to put it on here.

And as a bonus...

I would be surprised twice.

What's better than a husband who leaves you nice notes to brighten your day?

A husband who knows you well enough to take a picture.

One night in Rome

We were celebrating our 5 year anniversary.  There was a lot to celebrate.  

It had been 5 years of hard work, late nights, travel (rarely together), studying, distance, disagreements, make-ups, changes, graduations, stress, new jobs, promotions, realtors, open houses, apartment hunting, moving.

March 22, 2009 - Italy

That night in Rome...

after an amazing dinner

walking back to our hotel

being lost and happy about it

feeling that you were the only two people on the ancient streets

after a day of wandering through an amazing city 

with many more days ahead to explore... 

I thought "This is the happiest night of my life."

That wasn't true, but it will go down as one of the greats.

Weekend

So, on Saturday we put Eva down for a nap...

I start cleaning the bathroom.

Michael said he was going to work on some computer/music something ... he headed downstairs.

I was removing the hairspray bottle from the toilet... Eva likes stashing all the things she throws from under the sink there for safe keeping

when I hear "KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND" reverberating through the duct work and vibrating the floors and the walls.

"HELLO... what the H-E-double hockeysticks is he doing?!?!" I scream silently in my head...

You scream silently when there is a baby sleeping.
Anyone could tell you that making extremely loud, house-shaking noises could change that!

It is quiet...

then a mutter and whine from the baby's room.  Crap.

I am now standing perfectly still... fingers crossed... not breathing.

Wet hairspray bottle in hand, dripping on the floor and getting my toes wet.

We are quiet again...

I exhale.

KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND

KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRINDKERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND

Then...

waahhh, waahh, WAHHH WAHHH

KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND

WAHHH WAHHH WAHHH WAHHHWAHHH WAHHH

KERTUNKA GRIND WAHHHWAHHH KERTUNKA GRIND WAHHHWAHHH

Monster awake... arrrgghhh

I wash my hands...
(you know I didn't wash my toes... gross)

Get the monster from her crib.
She is smiling.

KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND KERTUNKA GRIND

I head down the stairs to see what my smart, incredible educated husband is doing.

We meet at the bottom of the stairs.

We speak at the same time:

Me: "What are you DOING?"

Him: "She is awake?"

Again... in unison:

Me: "Well yeah!"

Him: "I'm drilling."

Me: "What are you drilling?"
Him: "Was it that loud?"

Him: "A hole in the floor."

What?!?!

Eva-monster is laughing at us.

*Later that day*

Monster and daddy played peek-a-boo through the cat door.
 He was repairing the TV cable line he drilled through during nap time.
He also had to re-drilling a larger hole - the first one was too small.
The bathroom is still a wreck.

Happy Birthday

Today is your birthday...

your 30th...

and I am so glad to be a part of it.

These last few years have been big for us...

graduation, moving, and moving again...

oh yeah, and there was this...

you becoming a dad.

This has been the coolest...

you are the best.

Being a dad has made you even better.

I love how you take care of us...

how you worry about what could go wrong...

and make a plan to stop it.

I love how happy being a dad makes you...

how the joys are in the smaller things...

how she looks for you when every she hears you.

I love how her word lights up at the sight of you...

how she calls for you when she gets mad.

I love how you love us...

everyday, in every way.

I love everything about today and that I have know you for so many birthdays before.

And I get to look forward to all the birthdays yet to come.

Happy Birthday Michael, my love.

"Happy Birthday Daddy!" says Eva

Oohh... this is from way back... 

When I see this picture in our files... it always cracks me up.

It is really hilarious now!