It’s not every day that I have a this-is-my-life kind of moment. But I thought I would catch up for a few of the very many missed opportunities I’ve had to write about how this life if going.
1. Going to the bathroom is a group activity now. Avery notices me walking toward that corner of the room, removing a piece of the barrier than encompasses her baby-friendly perimeter, and makes a b-line for the open bathroom door. She pops her happy head around the corner and smiles that amazingly famous I’m-so-happy-smile to be finding my way to follow mama. Yes- into the bathroom. A few dozen open and closings of the cabinet door follow 5 or 6 master crawls in and out of the stand-up shower- each of which require a certain skill for avoiding bruised little baby knees and pinched little baby fingers. She is a master. And just when I think I have amply enjoyed the entertainment, our kitty cat (aka The Boogs) panders on in as well. He finds a safe little 6-inch spot on the left side of the magazine rack to hover, just out of the way of cabinet doors flying open, and teeny fingers grabbing for kitty’s pretty necklace. As I flush the toilet, Avery and The Boogs stop what they are doing, look up at me and smile-- or err meow. It’s been yet another successful venture to the bathroom. Let’s go get everyone a treat.
2. I can’t really remember the last movie that I went to in a movie theatre. Jonathan and I used to attend the theatre at least once a week. Now, we are loyal Netflix card-carrying members with a somewhat-eclectic queue filled with anything from foreign film classics to cheesy romance flicks to national geographic studies to comedy club specials to newly nominated best pictures. It takes all kinds to broaden our horizon when we usually watch at least 5 movies a week. And, it has to be Pop Secret’s Homestyle popping corn to accompany. Really, nothing else will do. And, it has to be the blue pillow to stuff on my right side for Jonathan’s shoulder to lie on. And, it has to be the tan blanket (not the white one) to throw over the both of us. And, all of the lights need to be turned off except for the two dimly lit ones in the living room. And, Jonathan needs to make sure he shuts the kitchen cabinet doors before joining me on the couch. That way, all is perfect in the world.
3. The house is officially a home when:
a)The Boogs has sufficiently scratched up at least two corners of my favorite furniture pieces.
b)The lamp on the left side of the room has to been moved to higher ground every morning before Avery finds her way over to it, pulls on the light string, and it crashes to the floor- denting the shade just a little bit more.
c)I can heat up a bottle of milk in the middle of the night, and in the pitch dark, know exactly which numbers I’ve pushed on the microwave.
d)I know the species of animal The Boogs is looking at downstairs out the window from the type of chatter sounds I hear up in my bed.
e)When I find Cherrios in the cracks of my laptop, in the toe of my boot, and stuck to the side of the remote.
4. Only when I’m halfway done with grocery shopping do I realize what song I have been humming for 20 minutes now: the theme song to Avery’s Cat In The Hat morning cartoon. “Here we GO GO GO GO on an adventure, the thing-a-ma-jigger is up and away-ay-ay.” And, I don’t feel as silly when I return home to hear Jonathan humming the very same thing.
Life is really great. I'm just trying to take one day at a time, and remember all of the tiny pieces of goodness.
