TheMommyBlog

Thursday, January 10, 2008 Family, QOTD

I drove over to my ex’s tonight to drop off a two-inch by three-inch piece of paper with the definition of a river on it that absolutely had to be turned into class in the morning. If you’ve ever seen my house, you’ll join me in amazement that I ever found the thing in the first place. I’d seen it briefly the night before while I confirmed that the San Joaquin River did, in fact, empty into the Bay, and then spelled Mr. Phoenix’s name for him.

Anyway, dinner was mid-prep and the kids swarmed me as if they hadn’t seen me just that morning, telling me about their days: Daphne had arranged a play date with a neighbor and said that the mom would send an email confirming said play date (that just slayed me), Dylan got to share his new Super Mario game with his best friend at after school care, and Logan caught the most improbable interception, ever. When I told Dylan that he didn’t even know how much I wanted to borrow his Nintendo DS to play Brain Age, he looked at me, then at his game, and at me again, well and truly torn. I sighed, “I may just get my own DS, then!”

Logan was aghast. “Dad! Mom’s getting a DS! If SHE gets one, how come I don’t get one? I don’t even get an allowance! I can’t even do chores!”

I wanted to kick him. “You don’t get an allowance because there hasn’t been a week in which you’ve done chores in recent memory. I have a list and a chart right there on the fridge. Dive in, and we’ll talk.”

All that time, Daphne was sitting on my foot, hugging my leg as I stood in the doorway to the garage. After the last replay of the interception, I asked my ex if he wouldn’t mind peeling his daughter off my leg so I could go home.

Dylan shouted, “I’ll do it!” and proceeded to remove her shoulder from the socket. Daphne wailed, I begged Dad to pick her up and do something, Dylan stared at the floor while I explained that not only was I not talking to him when I asked for help, but he’d pulled on her sore hand, showing him the cracked, dry, bleeding patch we’ve been nursing along with eczema cream.

After 45369812687 more goodbyes and feverish hugs, I made it to the car while the boys directed me out of the driveway by standing right behind the trunk, waving for me to back up. Jesus wept.

And then Dylan came running alongside the passenger window, waving for me to open it. “I just wanted one more hug.”

I opened my door and pulled him halfway into my lap.

“You’re the best mom a boy could ever have,” he mumbled into my shoulder.

“You’re the best son, baby, and soon you’re be the best brother. You just need to learn to be gentle with your sister.”

“Okay.”

Logan sauntered up as we smiled and rubbed noses and asked brightly, “So, are you having fun making out?”