"All better"

A favorite, commonly used phrase in this house. Benjamin's way of making things right in his head..."closure" for a three year old. He seems to need this with everything...one of the many things I adore about him and his highly sensitive self.

When I was getting ready to leave last Friday for Lake Geneva and my Aunt Renee's funeral, I wasn't sure how to explain where I was going. I wasn't even going to broach the whole "death" thing, but wanted to somehow explain where I was going, and why. So I told him that I needed to go give Uncle Jim (my uncle, Renee's husband) a big hug and kiss...because he wasn't feeling well.

This resonated immediately with the little guy. Nothing raises concern more quickly with Benjamin than the thought of someone or something else being sad, or needing comfort.

"You're going to give Uncle Jim a hug, Mommy? And then he'll feel all better?" he said, as I knelt down in front of him before walking out the door.

"Yes, Bud...and then, when he's all better, I'm going to come home!" I said.

"Oh, that will be good, Mommy...and Uncle Jim will not be sad anymore, and Mommy will feel allll happy. And Benjamin will be happy, too."

PLG.

So yes, I feel alll happy from my trip to Lake Geneva last weekend. Can't say that Uncle Jim is "not sad anymore"...I rather expect it will take a long time before he feels at total peace with the loss. But he does seem to be surrounded by wonderful friends, and of course, family. So time will tell the story there...

On the positive side, last weekend was--as it goes with funerals and weddings--a wonderful chance to reconnect with family. Though, I dare say my favorite moments and bits of quality time were spent primarily with folks I see on a lot more of a regular basis--Chris and Ann.
What fun times. Hilarious, ridiculous...and at times out of hand. But for what it's worth (and my hangover Sunday morning was quite a high price to pay...though no fault but my own), having time away from our kids and able to connect is hard to come by.
I loved it.

As of this morning, I finally feel myself again.
Yes, all better.
Drunken pictures to come...

Brian's in Chicago--left last night, and will be home tomorrow evening.
A crappy turnaround after my being gone...I feel like we hardly saw eachother. And yesterday was his birthday.
PLG.
We're celebrating this Thursday night with dinner out...and then attending East's graduation. So we'll continue our celebration at Friday night I imagine, too.
And then we're off to Chris and Ann's this weekend. Can't wait.

Today and yesterday have been the best...reuniting with my boys. As much as I love being away, there comes a point when I start to feel a huge void in my gut...and being with them totally puts me back on track.

Here are a few faves from the past 48hours:

*Seconds after I throw myself on my back onto the couch after getting home Sunday night...totally worn out and hungover...both boys are crawling on me and giggling. They take turns standing at my waist and doing belly flops onto my tummy. Then one jumps down onto the ground while the other one positions himself for the drop...and crawls back up at my feet, huge, butt-happy smiles on their faces. Benjamin actually knocks heads with me a few times, but it's all good...and we're each in total fits of laughter.

*Jonathan throwing his arms up at Brian when he walks into the room, and proclaiming "Dadd-eee! Dadd-eee!!!"

*Bright Beginnings Monday morning---Benjamin jumps to his feet in the middle of the pack of kids, right smack-dab in the middle of Ms. JoAnn's reading of a story (about seasons)...and announces the following:
"Hey, hey, hey...you know what? Yesterday the snow was all in my face, and it was cold...and it made Jonny laugh. Huh, huh...yeah...and that was so verrry funny."
PLG that all the moms and kids (and Ms. JoAnn, of course) all stared at Benjamin with rapt attention during this announcement. And when he was done, he just sat back down and resumed eating goldfish out of his dixie cup...prompting them all to look at me, on the other side of the room, where I was pulling Jonny out of a sandbox.
"Um, yeah...it was totally snowing yesterday, didn't you know that?" I say. A few moms laugh, Ms. JoAnn just flashes a vacant smile and continues reading.

Seriously? Sometimes I'm not totally sure she's there. Not a whole lot of "affect" goin on...but I digress.

*Benjamin doing SO well in the nursery yesterday morning at The MAC. When I get the happy report, he says: "Hey laydeez...do you know what? I get a DOT!"
(ask me sometime about our new behavior mod. plan...it's actually working, folks)

*Getting Jonny out of his crib this morning and marveling at how he immediately goes into Tazmanian Devil mode and hurls himself out into the hallway, shouting "bush teef! bush teef!" (imagine "brush" without the "r"...adorable)

*Borrowing Sarah's double jogger (ours is in the mail and will be here any day!!!) and cruising around the lake this morning...heaven.

That's about all for now...looking forward to Yoga tonight, and relaxing at home.