Time it was, and what a time it was

It's hard to imagine a week with more transitions or changes than the past seven days. Looking back, I'd have to say we're just not the same people we were a week ago. For starters, we don't have a kindergartner in our house any more. Luke had a great last day and a great last-day party (here he is signing autographs for his friends), and now all that's left of his kindergarten year is an enormous paper bag filled with projects and workbooks sitting in our front hallway.

This time last year we were filled with uncertainty about what the year ahead in a new school would be like for Luke; almost all of his preschool buddies were headed to a different elementary school. Now he is surrounded by great new pals (at least four different boys have announced in recent weeks that Luke is their best friend) and is bolstered by that confidence for a great year ahead in first grade.

Dave went from being an online mystery to a local sensation. We were kind of bracing ourselves for a certain amount of animosity when he unmasked himself, but mostly it's just been fun, hearing from various friends and acquaintances who want to give Dave recognition for all the hard work he's done anonymously over the past three years. Last night we got invited (through one of Dave's real estate connections) to an amazing dinner party that somehow managed to combine delicious food, thoughtful adult conversation, and plenty of things to keep the kids entertained and happy. And Dave has plenty more offers in the hopper from appreciative readers: Can we take you out to dinner? Drinks? Pancakes?


The boys and their Florida cousins have gone from being practical strangers to best buddies in a matter of days (well, hours, really). Luke and Samson are, of course, off in their own little Star Wars world. But even Zach, who most emphatically does not like to share his toys with anyone, has opened up a little place in his heart for Eli. And of course Eli wormed his way into my heart the minute he called me "Uncle Jeanne" and gave me one of his trademark enormous smiles.

On Thursday we all went to Special Other Legoland together, which is always a treat for Zach but I wasn't sure how it was going to go for Luke. Turns out the slow and easy rides were just his speed and he and Samson had a field day riding the planes, driving the police cars, and cracking each other up with jokes from the day. Luke's favorite ride was the plane ride, and he went around and around, over and over, as an ace pilot who rules the skies.


There's another big change afoot and I don't know quite how to characterize it, but it's something like 'boys being generally more grown up.' (Here are all the cousins at their own table at In 'n Out Burger.) I'm enjoying summer vacation because the boys are almost getting to the point where their interests are matched up enough for us to do stuff together. We're enjoying lazy mornings where we curl up and read books (as opposed to Luke being uninterested in the book because it's too little-kid, or Zach running away to create mischief). We sold our double stroller because Zach didn't fit in the little seat in the front anymore, and now we just walk places. And I can do things like take both boys on a paddle boat with me (OK, that's still a little dicey) because they're both old enough to understand the simple concept that you have to stay ON the boat. My point is, it's good - and I can see clear to a time when we'll have even more fun together.

The last part is not about us, it's about a dog on the other side of the country. For most of my adult life, Satchmo has been a part of everything I know about Joe. He is the exuberant yin to Joe's stoic yang; he is the happy black shadow that follows him from place to place and curls up with him at night. Come to think of it, he's witnessed just about every family event that we've shared with Joe and Sara, from holidays and christenings, to Dave's proposal to me one cold Christmas morning. The boys have a picture in their room of me and Dave sitting with little puppy Satchmo. It was taken not too long after Dave and I first got together, and not too long after Satchmo came into Joe and Sara's life. In my eyes you see a look of hopeful expectation; in Dave's eyes you see a bemused what-am-I-getting-myself-into look, and in Satchmo's eyes you just see, "Wahoooo! People with warm laps who are about to give me food!"

Satchmo passed away quietly earlier this month, and my heart has been heavy since then thinking about Joe without his shadow. But in a curious little twist of fate, a beautiful Mastiff puppy named Agent Buttersteve was born earlier this month and announced almost immediately that he needed to see a guy named Joe about a place to stay. Of course there will never be another Satchmo. But it's comforting to know that we can honor Satchmo's memory by giving some of that leftover love to a new little guy. Rest in peace, Satch. You were the best of the best.

Whole lotta lovin'

There's all kinds of lovin' going on around here, starting with some good old-fashioned Dad-lovin'. Sure, we made cards and all that for Dave, but what better way to say "Happy Father's Day" than getting identical hand tattoos with hearts and gelato spoons on them? Am I right?

Next we've had a lot of cousin lovin'. Now that's the kind of lovin' that's fun to watch in progress. The Florida cousins are here, and even though it's been two years, it's like they haven't missed a beat. Luke and Samson are off in their own little Lego/Star Wars/DS world, and they don't really seem to notice if we're around or not. (Last night at the restaurant Dave had the idea to let them sit at their own table, which thrilled both of them, and they spent the dinner fully engaged in conversation and oblivious to everyone else around them.)

Zach and Eli are completely wrapped up in cars and trucks together, and even if they are only just starting to know each other, Zach is sure happy to have Eli around. On Saturday Zach inflated a balloon (who knew he had the lung power?) that he declared was for Eli, which is about as big an act of love as he will grant to anyone, and Luke helped him decorate it with an "I [heart] Eli" illustration.

On top of all that, we've had a lot of family lovin'. Bobbie and Jerry turned 75 this week, and we had the whole family together yesterday to celebrate along with the dads. Now I ask you: Who is lucky enough to have the whole family together to celebrate not one but two 75-year birthdays? And Father's Day? And with four happy, healthy kids running around underfoot? And with beautiful weather all weekend long? Someone must have done something right, that's for sure.

I, Hypocrite

Go ahead, mock me. I write a blog about kids' nutrition when my first kid won't eat any protein besides hot dogs and bacon, and my second kid essentially had potato chips for dinner tonight. My lofty ideals are so very, very far from reality. I'm like the armchair travel writer, or perhaps the child psychiatrist whose kids are messed up. So, yeah, I'm writing about vegan spirulina/cacao cookies, but we're not actually making - or eating - them.

Today Dave took Luke to a baseball game, which left me and Zach alone with a lot of time on our hands. But Zach announced that he wanted to go to "Special Other Legoland," his favorite little kiddie amusement park, and that wasn't a bad idea, really. So we hopped in the car and sped down to our destination.

Here's the thing about me: If you're looking for someone with whom to, say, make chocolate fondue or shop for new shoes, I'm your parent. But if you want to have barrels of fun at an amusement park, Dave is the one you really want. Maybe Zach was in a weird mood, maybe it was too hot and crowded - who knows, really - but he didn't seem to want to go on any rides with me. Dave has that magical power of persuasion to turn any mood around, but I didn't have the special touch. All Zach wanted to do was go to the gift store.

So we browsed and browsed, and I said "no" multiple times to items like the $29.99 "breathing" stuffed puppy. But then Zach lit on a crazy laser gun that was only $5, so I said yes. It required four batteries, which weren't included, but we were excited to see how it would work. The top of the package promised mysteriously, "A Dead Shot: Deluxe Music Gun," while the inside of the package described it as "Deluxe Flash Gun." Inside, the instructions left us even more baffled: "Press down the switch gun head turns to move and become the floral shape and 32 kinds of different light flickers. Will send out the light and voices. Imitate to fight the scene voice really." Uh...yeah. OK.

Zach wanted to leave shortly after the gun purchase, in part because I told him that Suzi and Bill might have batteries at their house. So we headed over to their house, caught them just before they were leaving for an evening out, and bummed some batteries off them. Then, to my dismay, I heard the sound that it actually makes. While the pink flower tip opens up, the lights spin around, and a voice shouts at top volume: "DON'T MOVE! DROP THE GUN! FIRE! FIRE! BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!" It's loud. And horrifying. And this is my nice little non-violent household now.

Luke, meanwhile, seems to have had a banner weekend. He took the lead for our family at our neighbor's garage sale, and deftly managed numerous transactions, ultimately netting about $60. He spent the day with Dave at the baseball game, and then watched the Laker game on TV at home. He got a new Lego Indiana Jones game to play on his DS. And wouldn't you know it, as he was getting ready to go to sleep tonight, he asked me if he could go to "Special Other Legoland." Because he wants one of those guns too.

Reunited

Remember how there was a time when we'd see our college friends every six months or so when someone was getting married? A group of guys I went to college with realized they hadn't seen each other in years - since the last wedding, in fact. So they did the next logical thing. Three of them, one of whom was unmarried, cooked up a plan to create a fake wedding for the last single guy in the group. They wrote up a whole dossier on the fictional bride-to-be so they'd have their facts straight. They talked her up for months. Then then had invitations printed out to invite the whole gang to the "wedding" at a local "tavern" (read: dive bar). Everyone fell for it, and everyone showed up. They had a great time, and a few laughs, and, well, a few of the wives were a little peeved, but they got over it. And then they all got together again four years later when the single guy got married for real.

My point is, why do we need a fake wedding, or a real wedding, or a landmark reunion to see some of our best and oldest friends? I had my 20-year college reunion this weekend, which was amazing, wonderful, and just a total whirlwind of fun. And it's been way too long.



The best part about old friends is that you can pick up right where you left off and it's as easy and wonderful as it always was. We met up at 1:00 in the afternoon, and we didn't stop walking around and talking and laughing until 3:00 in the morning. That's 14 straight hours of fun and laughs, if you're keeping tabs, which I wasn't. *Sigh* It's not even possible to sum it all up without countless stories of friends and lives intertwined.

Among my discoveries: There are a whole bunch of new buildings I've never seen before on campus. The dorm room that my sister and I both had during our respective senior years is now an office. Eighty-six degrees is fine for a hot summer day, but bad for a temperature inside a non-air-conditioned dorm room when you're trying to get to sleep. The big grassy front lawn of our college was great for sitting out and drinking beers with friends 20 years ago, and it still is now.

Between me and my three closest buddies, we've had four weddings, nine kids, and thousands of miles between us, but it's still good. Regrets? Only maybe that we didn't quite appreciate what we had while we had it, and that we've gone so long without seeing each other.

The other remarkable thing about the weekend was that it was my first without the boys. The first night I had a little lingering sadness, despite Joe and Sara's best efforts to cheer me with margaritas, good company, a fantastic event to celebrate (Lily's preschool graduation) and a whole mess of jumbo shrimp. But by the second night, I (oops) didn't even call home to say goodnight to the boys. (Hey, I was having a good time! Whaddya want?)

Dave did such an amazing job with the boys all weekend I can't even begin to sum it all up. They went places, did things, and had great "dad" time without appearing to miss me much at all. (And Dave didn't even have to open the "emergency present drawer" that I alerted him to just before I left.) I think Luke was most vocal about missing me, and was most enthusiastic about welcoming me home. Zach was a little shy around me when I got home, but we had a great day together, and by last night he was completely wrapped around me. (He had a little 4 am wakeup where Dave tried to intercept him but he made a beeline straight for "Mommmmmyyyyy!!!!") It was a little bit hard to peel him off when it was time to go to school this morning, but Dave managed to do it, skillfully, the way he always does. If I've learned anything in these past 20 years, it's that you should surround yourself with good, good people.