Nothing you or you or you haven’t done, but you in the back…

We lost a good friend last week. Craig’s quick and easy and genuine smile leaves a void that will not be filled. As Aidan’s godfather and an all-around adorer of my family, I know we are all watched over from another loving angel. Every punny joke my kids get a belly laugh from will make those angel’s eyes twinkle.

As is with the stuff of life, we could not manage to get the boys a few of days of support here and the quick trip, coupled with no child care in New England made it necessary for Scott to go alone. Do the math. I’m here with the seksi job of single parenting. I also was traveling last week, which is a rarity for me, and got back middle of the day on Saturday. Bottom line is that my laundry was not ALL dirty, drawers were certainly not full and groceries, well, no one is starving, yet.

And this was how this morning went:

Up at 5:30, shower, prep me, strategically skipping the hair washing grace a the head lice notice from school (can’t be too careful), make pancakes from scratch (because I can roll them up to go in case I cannot drag sleepy boys out of bed) but Noah got up with no fuss early and elected to have a spelling test from his homework, which I had to proctor (good thing I have the pancake recipe memorized), match socks out of the laundry basket, wake other boys, who need to finish homework b/c choir runs late on Tuesday, when I hear the garbage truck. Sam volunteers to run the garbage out and meets the “quarantined” cat at the door (make mental note to determine if in his desperation, the cat has sprouted opposable thumbs). I chase him back to the basement and change the wash when I’m down there (after noticing that there were very few, if any sponge bob boxers left in the clean laundry basket). Wrap breakfasts b/c the boys wanted to take them over to Gramma’s when Aidan asks why Noah gets to wear sweatpants to school. Noah never got dressed but was suited up in his supercape and Easter bonnet (newsboy cap) with his full backpack strapped on…in his jammies. Incidentally the homework he put so much effort into doing well and on time…..left on the dining room table.

That was just before school. To say nothing of Sam getting bit at school by a classmate and having loads to report from the “hygiene” video they watched, after which he announced the he wants to start wearing deodorant.

I digress because when I get to work, the admin has made the big pot of the dark coffee, and happily I settle into my desk. The first person of the day in my office, is the cute 30ish interior designer who tells me that her husband **made** her wake up at 6:30 because he needed her to choose her outfit so that he could iron it for her. I laugh knowing that at 6:30 my 4lb 1oz preemie was spelling “habitat” and relating it to the hot news in the first grade on howler monkeys.

Nothing any other parent didn’t do this morning or won’t do tomorrow morning. Today was one of those days when I am so grateful to have people in my life like Craig who show me that rather than driving me to despair, I must see the silly, laughable, precious, fleeting gift that it all is. Thank you, Uncle Craig.