When All Else Fails ...

... I can write about R. There just isn't too much else going on right now. Well, I'm extremely busy at work, but that would be unbelievably boring to write about. Plus, I refuse to let work permeate my entire life.

So, I'll share just how proud of R I am these days. I love watching his personality and social skills and sense of humor develop before my very eyes. Somehow he has managed to draw upon the very best of me and A, without picking up our negative habits and attitudes (except maybe a touch of both of our perfectionism). He is such a kind and fun friend. I love dropping him off at school and seeing all the little ones yell his name and come running when he arrives. When we run into his classmates on the weekends, he and the other kids run toward each other and throw their arms around each other in a huge hug. I just love that. He seems to be friends with anyone and everyone.

In just the last few weeks, R has become super, super affectionate. He's constantly kissing us all over, giving hugs, and telling us repeatedly, "You are best mommy/daddy/woman/man in the whole world!" Sometimes he says that when he wants something (the little dickens), but most of the time it seems completely genuine, just his spontaneous outbursts of love. Heavenly.

R is amazingly gentle and loving with our cat Harley, who is TERRIFIED of children. Harley pretty much stays upstairs in my bedroom while R is awake and really doesn't come downstairs until R is safely in bed. The cat is so stupid. If he were smart, he'd follow R around constantly and sleep with him - he would get so much more attention and love. R loves to climb up on our bed to visit Harley. He crawls over to him slowly, talks to him in a sweetly quiet voice, leaves little toys for Harley to play with, and gently pats him. I think Harley is finally figuring it out, though. He's started coming into R's room to give him a head butt or rub up against him, and we even coaxed him onto R's bed twice. (I admit that I have an ulterior motive there. R told me that when Harley starts to sleep with him at night, he won't need me to sleep with him anymore...)


R has a great sense of humor. He's such a ham, always making crazy facial expressions and doing crazy dances. He's picked up our sarcasm and joking tone of voice. On Friday night we went out to dinner at a local ice cream/greasy spoon joint. R picked out something for dinner that was completely unlike him - and that I'm sure he would never eat. When I looked at him in surprise, he smiled wickedly and said, "Are you KIDDING me?!!" the exact way that I do to him all the time. Another night at the dinner table, we were just sitting and eating when R suddenly put down his fork, opened the drawer under the table that holds a bunch of little junky toys, whipped out a noisemaker, and blew into it. It was like eating with the Marx Brothers. A and I are still laughing about it.


R has been saying some incredible things lately, using fairly big words in context. On Wednesday, he said to me, "I had a very surprising dream last night!" I wish I could remember the other things he's said recently. I need to keep a notepad with me at all times.


In this week of giving thanks, I'm obviously so thankful for this little boy who is the joy of my life. I feel like all I do is stare at him lately because I'm so fascinated with everything he says and does, and I just can't believe that this gorgeous child came from ME. This afternoon, we took a little nap together and I woke up first and just watched him sleep. It's still just as amazing as when he was first born. I wonder if I'll still be doing that when he's 18. :-)

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We're trying a new thing this Thanksgiving. We're going out to a restaurant for dinner. It's weird for us because we both love to cook, but it's just too depressing for A this year. We don't have any family coming, and most of our friends are going out of town or have other plans. For years, A cooked for tons of people for "orphan" Thanksgivings, where he and his roommates would make a fabulous meal for all of their friends who had nowhere to go for the day. We even kept up the tradition once A and I were together and his friends had families of their own because it was so relaxed and fun and special. But, eventually everyone wanted to do their own meals, understandably. So just cooking for me and R is a little sad for A, a little too everyday for him. So we're going to try the huge family-style spread at Maggiano's in Boston. We figure that even if it's not terribly special, given the portions at Maggiano's, we'll definitely have leftovers at least (you have to pick TWO main dishes - turkey and/or ham and/or salmon, two pastas, two potato-ey dishes, two vegetables, two salads, two appetizers, two desserts!) - plus we won't have to do the dishes!

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I have to end this post with this video clip someone posted from the concert I went to last week. This is Phil Wickham singing "Cannons," the title song from his new album. It still gives me chills. The video ends abruptly, but should give you the gist.


This one's not from the night I saw him, but had to share it, too. I love Phil's voice and lyrics. He's only 23!!!


God bless and happy, happy Thanksgiving to everyone!