We were were psyched that they saw fit to make the journey east to meet our new Weblets and visit. We keep in touch by phone and email (and blog), but too many
Kt and i were proud that 3 weeks post c-section and 3 weeks into the unpredictable schedule and sleep patterns of motherhood and breastfeeding, we were able to coordinate a "bed and breakfast" type environment where 6 adults and 5 children under the age of 8 were able to comfortably eat, sleep, play, visit, catch up, co-exist, and create vital, extended-family "memories." We were able to pull off a picnic-type dinner party for 20... and by "we," I mean all of us working together. We could not have done it with or for different guests.
Our cousins have amazing children: They are smart, cute, loving, playful, inventive, and well-behaved. Our cousins are good parents: They are lo-key and laid back, yet organized. Our cousins are good guests: They are gracious, easy to please, not picky, and share our priorities (The highest priority it to have fun and make the most of our brief time together.)
They did a lot of the cooking and cleaning up; and they straightened this house within an inch of all of our lives before leaving our estate. The weather in-and-of-itself was a gift- adding to the feeling that reunions are always calming, worthwhile endeavors. With the warm temps, sunny days, cool breezes, colorful leaves- we had 2 picture perfect autumn days which allowed us to lounge around outside for almost all the time we were together.
Watching them drive away, raising my sleeping son's floppy arm in a pantomimed "Goodbye" wave, filled me with a little more than a little regret (that we live thousands of miles from each other) and a lot of gratitude (that they are out there in another part of the world, loving and taking care of us; and somehow benefiting from the long-distance love and care we offer them.)
I walked back into my house. 14 hours earlier, observing all of the toys and clothes and personal item strewn about every room of the house, i made a silent, mental note: There will be a "leave-behind*"... there will be the need to ship some body's blanket, book, or base guitar back to CA. It would be nearly impossible for there not to be something that was overlooked or left under a couch, etc. But it's been 4 days and though we found some of our refrigerator magnets under the couch, we are not aware of any belongings left behind.
Of course, we are down a purple toothbrush- some overzealous, underage 'Nort, sent by a 'Rent to pack up bathroom supplies, no doubt!
Interesting sidebar: The purple toothbrush was the third one in our holder. (I can see why someone swiped it. It didn't match our two others and we are only a 2 person (adult) household, after all.) The purple one, though, is the womb whisperer's. She left the hospital the night JB was born after attending to us for 26 or 28 sleepless hours. She went to our home, unwrapped little purple out of our "new toothbrush" drawer, slept in our bed and woke up early to drive down the east coast to get back to her grad school work. We left it, undisturbed in the holder for her when she returns to hold the little dude... Actually, at some point, kt started using the purple one instead of her pink one. I think she thought that level of intimacy (swapping spit via used toothbrush) would bring the w.w. back to us sooner...
Anyway, I think it is funny that the west coast cousins managed a reverse leave-behind* ... I guess it's our turn to get out there soon!
*The "Leave-behind" made famous by George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld in The Chicken Roaster episode :
Jerry: How do you make sure your gonna get to the third date?
George: If there's any doubt, I do a leave-behind keys, glove, scarf, I go
back to her place to pick it up...date number three.
Jerry: That's so old. Why don't you show up at her door in a wood horse?
3 comments:
I realize that my life has reached a strange level of not-enough-fun that this entry had me smiling and laughing out loud a number of times...grinning at the thought of your packed happy home...a "hee hee hee" as I wondered if that was the toothbrush I used...to a full belly laugh learning that it was. I'm glad someone is using it and that it's in good hands/mouths. Perhaps it's not not-enough-fun and more seriously easily amused.
W.W.
What a nice entry.
We enjoyed every moment of our time together and our only regret was not having more time together.
Jacob (and Cameron) are beautiful, good-natured babies that could not be more perfect additions to our growing family.
You guys did more than create a B&B type atmosphere. It was a Bed & Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Cocktail...(B&B,L,D,C)! What gracious hosts!!!
We had to have a reverse leave behind, aka the "take-away". Actually, believe it or not we have the exact same toothbrush and did not discover it until we had returned back to my parents house and realized we had two of them.
We will happily send it back to the womb-whisperer as long as she doesn't mind the fact that it has now been used by no less than 4 people :).
Hope you guys will be out soon to CA. so we can return the favor!
Love you,
Greg
I think "little purple" should be "left behind" and shuttled around the world as a messsenger of love, hope, and the building up of immunities against toxic germs!!!
Love you all!
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