I tell him that there's a form to fill out, so I might need to know, at which point he tells me, "I'm going to run around in a circle. With my hands on the ground. Jerrod can do it, too."
Whether this entertaining feat of daring do will be done to music or not remains to be seen.
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I've done it. Hired a babysitter for the first time ever. She's coming to keep the boy (notice he's not so much being called Ziggy anymore? He's really The Boy now) this weekend, the morning of the my and the Mister's first day back at school this semester. She was recommended to me by the sitter of a good friend, and she'll be taking the boy to a friend's house that afternoon where the mama of that household will take her son and mine and another pal from their kindergarten class to the Build a Bear Workshop in celebration of her son's sixth birthday. There will be pizza and maybe ice cream after. My boy is thrilled. A babysitter of his very own, and a party at Build a Bear with two of his best friends all in one day!!
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The boy and I returned fr0m Diggy and Papa's two afternoons ago. We'd spent Christmas there with the Mister, come home a few days, then returned without the Mister for New Year's in order to visit with my brother and his wife, and their beautiful baby girl. All was well. Then home. And I got the tummy bug. Knocking me out of starting my job yesterday (as science lab teacher at the boy's school.)
The good news? I am down three pounds as of the beginning of the year. With many more to go; a subject I'm sure to address more publicly (here) at some point. Suffice to say that I am keeping up with it all privately, and am deriving inspiration from far and yon.
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Seriously. I have the best friends ever. At church, in my neighborhood, from jobs, at school, from previous lives.
To wit: the gift card that arrived here in the nick of time, from "St. Nick" -- did I mention that previous? Some dear lovely friend (I have guesses as to who!) has done this on a few occasions when things have been particularly tight. Actually, this type of kindness has been offered up to our family on a handful of occasions. Amazing!
Having stated my health goals to a small clatch of folks in a very naked way, I've received a remarkable rush of encouragement, 'atta girl's and offers to meet up at the Y and for dinners and elsewhere. I've received emails and photographs and recipes and tips and workout routines. And such love and support that I am bolstered and emboldened.
I also came home from Diggy and Papa's to find a box of wonderful hats and a scarf, all from my dear friend Annie, who I've not seen since we became friends in Seattle a decade ago. We're both married now, and older. She's done a very impressive job of keeping us in contact, and this latest delivery of hats in support of my hair loss is completely typical of her loving kindness and thoughtful behavior.
I do, in fact, find myself surrounded by such thoughtful folks. How fortunate is that?!
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Big Time Rush plays in the car often, and prompts the response from the backseat, "Don't look at me, Mama. I'm practicing my secret moves."
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Home sick for a couple days, I've not bathed today, as is ordinarily true. After bathing the boy earlier this evening, post school pick up and our walk around the neighborhood with the dog before daylight's end, I really yearned for my own bath.
Drying him off, he smelled so fresh like Buzz Lightyear shampoo and Dr. Bronner's Eucalyptus. So I asked, "Do I stink?"
And the boy crawled up in my lap and got close to my neck and took in a big whiff, then announced quite seriously, "You smell kind of in the middle. That means sort of bad, but also sort of good."
Like life itself. Right smack dab in the middle.
What a characta, that growing boy of yours. Between the hair and the "moves," how can you keep from laughing?
ReplyDeleteOur daughter had her first babysitter ever too a couple of months back when we went to a school event. It was weird: I actually had to ask other moms what the going rate was for sitting, I had no clue.
I wish you quite well in the health quest, Ms P. It's hard, gets harder with time, as you know. Sounds like your job will keep you on your feet and that always helps :)
And that's so wonderful about all your friends! So nice to consider in the dark days...and of course you give what you get so it's all a big loop.
Oh, I am laughing plenty. He slays me daily, multiple times.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this babysitter thing is something. I'm actually accustomed to *being* the babysitter, so I know what sitters make. (more than we do, per hour, from our work a day jobs.)
thanks for the well wishes. and yeah, a loop. we're all so beautifully interconnected. like a great quote I read earlier this AM:
"Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things." - Thomas Merton
Merton is one of my favorites. What a life he led. Of course there's no enthusiasm like that of the converted, there's still much to like (even for godless folks like me) in his writing, mainly because of the responsibility he thinks we should take for each other, final-reward-payoff or no.
ReplyDeleteI guess what's hardest in life is asking for help. (Like getting a sitter even.) I suck at that, truly. But lending a hand? no problem.
I also like the idea of school uniforms, but then again, I had them for 8 years in catholic school! not quite the same thing!