Gonna Have One Hot Time In The City Tonight

Yikes! Talk about global warming.

Boy, my sunscreen must be amazing!

Photo: Athens, GA (Lexington Road)

"The key to a good breakfast"

This must be an amazing trick! Wonder what else they can make keys into? Wow! Those Crawford, GA folks are incredible!

Age Is Just A Number

Charlie has been quite interested in numbers lately.

As a kindergartner, he is learning something new each day and with that comes beginning the basics of mathematics; 1+1, 2+2, etc. He likes to count how many cars he has or how many times he has watched Spiderman (which is always never enough with him) and how many times he has had to stop Lewie from getting into his Legos. "No, Lewie, I have told you a majillion times to get out of my blocks!" He is also very aware that the days are growing closer to the 100th day of school in which special things will happen in his class in celebration of it. He counts them down to me every morning. "Mom, didcha know dis is the ninety-furd day?" (I don't have the heart to tell him yet that there will be 80 more days after that one and that his mornings of getting up early for school will not be over on day 101.)

In his enthusiasm over numbers, he has also expressed interest in ages. Ages like: how old will he be when he will go to high school, or be able to watch "The Dark Knight" or not have to do his chores or not have to live in my house. (Poor miserable kid!) He's asked me how old he was when Ross was born ("You weren't born yet, Charlie. You were still in heaven.") and how old he was when Lewie was born ("Four."). "How old is Daddy, Mom?" "47." "And how old are you?" "37." "So, you are older than Dad?" "No, Charlie. I just look it." (groan)

So, last night we are eating dinner at the table, chewing and talking as we usually do during this "quality family time" and I remembered that this is my month to plan mine and Eric's date night. Now, just for the record, I gotta say here that this is really a new thing; the monthly trade off of planning, I mean. For years we have put aside a little money each month for the two of us to go out and kinda get reacquainted with each other; the "Eric and Cher" before the details of almost 19 years of wedded home ownership and the busy schedules of four kids took over our youthful impulses. It just seemed though that despite the allowance toward a nice evening away from the kiddos, at the end of each month we would realize that we did not take that time for ourselves. So, trying to remedy that, Eric and I decided to take turns planning the dates through 2009 in hopes that neither one of us will fail to make it happen. So...

We are at the table and I say "Hey, Schmitty, you wanna go out with me this weekend?" As soon as I said it, I noticed Charlie out of the corner of my eye. In mid bite he kinda gets this little half smile on his face. Eric's positive answer leads Charlie to coyly ask him, "Are you goin' out like on a... date?" Grinning, Eric says, "Yep!" "You're too old", Charlie says "Old people don't go out, not like that." "What? Charlie, they are not old", Erica interjects. (Interesting, coming from the all knowing 14 year old who usually thinks every word from her father's mouth was originally found written on cave walls.) "Well, I mean, they are kinda old. I'm very new and they are very not." Charlie explains. "Well, if you are very new then what is Lewie?", Erica snaps. "He's very, very new and he is more fragile den me". "But I'm more fragile den you". Charlie says.

After a chuckle, we all go on about our business eating and talking. Later, Charlie says to me, "Can I come on your date with Dad?" "No Buddy, this is a grown-up thing that just moms and dads do." Frowning a bit, Charlie says "Well, when I'm a grown-up, I'll take my kids on my date 'cause they will be sad if they aren't having fun with me." "That's very nice, Charlie, but sometimes we just need to do some things without our kids with us." "OK", Charlie shrugged. "I just hope you and Dad can find some fun without me there."

As he walked out of the room, I smiled to myself and thought about how much fun I do have with that little man and with all my kids. We are truly blessed to have such a house full of love and happy times. Thinking ahead to those kids of Charlie's, well all I can say about that is, my grandchildren are going to be loved immensely and are destined to have the most interesting and fun life with him as their dad. That is something I can definitely count on.