We are on the eve of the fiftieth day of the 50 days of the Summer of Uncertainty. Nothing will be any less certain on the fiftieth day or the day after that, and it will definitely still be summer. I do not remember the past summers being as hot. Maybe I am just outside more because there is really no place to go other than for a walk around the neighborhood.
I have adapted to the way that life is now. I no longer miss going places. To the contrary, I now have a hard time getting myself together to go anywhere. I will eat the last can of just about anything to avoid having to leave the house to go to the grocery store. This is not a healthy state of being, but I feel content, or maybe it is that I feel complacent.
When I do finally go somewhere, I find that I do not want to go home. I went out to eat with my friends Kristen and Ian the other night, and we spent more than 3 hours at dinner. I could have stayed longer, but I had so much work to get back to.
Little Chirp is up for going anywhere. He used to not want to “ride along” with me to run errands or go grocery shopping. Now, he wants to go anywhere that he can. He even rode with Brainy Bird to pick Potatoe up from the groomer the other day. You cannot actually walk to Potatoe’s groomer because it is on a busy road, but the distance is walkable. Not much of an outing, but Little Chirp still wanted to go.
Today, I am meeting K and Em for dinner for the first time in a long time. It feels good to be dressed up to go somewhere. I skipped lunch, and I am hungry for cooking that is not my own! The boys are staying home together and making their own pizzas. Little Chirp convinced me earlier today that they needed a trip to the grocery store, and the ingredients to make their own pizzas is what they came back with.
I am slowly winding down from a tremendously stressful work week, and as I begin to reflect on the week, there are so many little things that brought me happiness:
On Sunday, all the furs snuggled up with me on the couch for a movie. They wrestled with each other for a spot closest to me. In the end, I had Storme and Pumpkine on my lap, and Trooper and Potatoe on each side of me.
On Monday, the boys came back from their dad’s house, and they were visibly happy to be home. We cooked dinner together, and we played Mario Party. Of course, Brainy Bird won.
On Tuesday, I woke up to find that little Pumpkine had snuggled up next to me. Little Chirp must have let her inside. Potatoe needed a triple snuggle to get his day started as he was pretty jealous. Everyone should have a dog like Potatoe to give a cuddle to first thing in the morning. Brainy Bird and I shared the work room. I did work, and Brainy Bird worked on his college applications. Little Chirp played basketball, did chores, and actually read a book. That evening Brainy Bird went to watch the meteor shower with some friends, and Little Chirp and I binged watched the Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Sci Fi is normally Brainy Bird and I’s thing. I love that Little Chirp is into this one.
On Wednesday, the boys and I went out to lunch. We talked about colleges, names, and games that they play at Slumber Falls Camp. I found it hilarious that there is one game in particular the Little Chirp hated as a camper, yet Brainy Bird loved it as a counselor. Apparently, the game is mass chaos, and it is fun to watch the confusion, but less fun to be in the midst of the confusion. That night was the night that I met Kristen and Ian for dinner. I had a blast with the two of them.
On Thursday, I woke as usual to find all three kitties waiting by the door. I guess their nights of hunting mice and moles works up their appetites. They have the same routine every morning. They come barreling in the door. Then Pumpkine stands patiently where the food bowls go, and she looks up at me sweetly and just waits. Trooper sort of paces around her and cries for his breakfast. Storme comes to me for a snuggle. He does a figure eight around my legs, and then when I lean down to scoop the food from the food bin, he hops up on the table above the food bins and snuggles his head against mine. Everyday starts this way. How could a day start any better?
Today, the boys returned home after spending Wednesday and Thursday night with their dad. They spent the whole day together while I worked. They went to the grocery store. They made their own lunch, and they did a few chores afterward. Shortly after lunch, I heard voices in the backyard. I am still not used to Brainy Bird’s grown up voice. I looked out to see they were swimming. I could not make out much of what they were saying, but I could see they were laughing together. When I left to find a quiet spot to write before meeting Em and K for dinner, they were in Brainy Bird’s garage apartment watching the same episodes of the Umbrella Academy that Little Chirp and I had watched without Brainy Bird. Little Chirp was excited that big brother was getting into it. Funny, Little Chirp talks the entire time he is watching TV. Brainy Bird did not seem to mind.
It is the little things in life…