This week my mom was here from Sunday through Wednesday - the same days Jim was in St. Louis for work (the last of his extended trips until the Fall).
When she got here on Sunday afternoon, we spent a ton of time outside, ate strawberries, pitched tennis balls to Jake, and inhaled enough pollen to deserve a special trip to CVS just to buy Zyrtec. That night we all played in Parker's room and watched him take his first steps. He's been making tracks behind his learning walker for weeks, pulling up, cruising around furniture, and even letting go to come to me. But when he'd let go, he would just dive - never move his feet. So we each took turns letting him hold just one finger, got him in a good swift walking motion, then let go. He took two steps towards my mom all on his own and then three to me, and I'd have to say after that our night was spent just...celebrating.
On Monday, I took the day off, and we made shopping a day of it - just my mom and I. We left the boys in the hands of their teachers and went to Birmingham. Buy Buy Baby and two malls later, we rescued Parker and took our turn in the carpool line for Jake. Before the night was over, we wondered if the new navy blue beanbag in Parker's room was worth it because he. was. miserable. Not enough rest? The bite mark (his first) on his right hand? The rash he had all over his belly? I guess we could take our pick really because it was most likely a combination of all three.
Tuesday - Parker was brand new and chicken and dumplings were on our plates at dinner. I love, love, love my momma's cooking; not just because it tastes so good, but because I never do. One day? Absolutely. When my babies aren't babies anymore and are old enough to play outside and I have to call them home and food is a motivator for them to obey me. And when they're beyond the ages where they are now where one cries at my feet with his arms in the air and the other one would rather me "...jus' come play basketball with me.", I choose to use the time I'm given with them to do what's most important in their eyes. This will all pass. Our days won't always be the same, and neither will their immediate needs. And when it all changes, I'll whip up some homemade mashed potatoes just like my momma does, and I'll watch them come running to our table.
On Wednesday, Jim took his last flight home, and my mom left with Jake in tow. She tells me he's visited my dad while he's worked on building a house with Habitat for Humanity, had lunch at McDonald's, jumped, jumped, jumped on his cousin, Emily's trampoline, practiced writing all of his letters, ridden his bike, caught two caterpillars, told her, "I miss my mommy.", and this morning they went as a family to Egg-Citement (a huge Easter festival at my mom and dad's church). My sister has sent me oh eight text messages with pictures of him playing plinko, sliding down a huge blow-up slide, petting a goat, and finding the golden egg in a baby pool full of them. I texted back, "What did he win?" She said, "He got a free ice cream from Chick-fil-A." How cool is that?
So Parker has had our undivided attention while his Bubba has been away, and he knows it. He has owned us big time, and we love it. He has yet to walk independently since he last showed his moves to me and his Grandma last Sunday; but his daddy totally believes me because his big brother did the same thing (took his first steps then waited several weeks before he never crawled again). He's practicing, though, all the time. We took him to see the Easter Bunny yesterday, and he just assumed that we didn't. He never cried, but he would look back, then reach for me...look back then reach for me. The picture isn't a smiling one, but I love it because it's him - cautious with just enough courage. After we got home and said goodnight to Parker, I took it upon myself to take Jake's closet from Winter to Summer. I sorted through all of his winter clothes, kept the ones worth saving for Parker, and unpacked the shorts and short sleeves that I bought at the end of the season last year and the ones he hasn't outgrown. Sooo much easier without him here. Yeah, he's getting waaaay attached to certain things in his closet. Right now his favorites are his Smurfs t-shirt, his Hawaii t-shirt (it just says Hawaii and has a surf board on it), and his Guy Harvey swordfish t-shirt.
And now, I can't help but be excited for tomorrow. It's Easter, and I can't wait!
