Fun/Less Fun

Last Monday, I picked up Nels from school and found his hair twice as curly as it had been when I dropped him off. This indicated to me that his hair had gotten wet. Could it be? Yes! Nels had deigned to get in the "big pool" for swim lessons, which he had been afraid to do the previous week. He was so proud. Fun!

On Tuesday we went to Music and Movement at the library. Finally both boys are old enough to love it. Fun!

Afterward we walked up the street and ate lunch at Chef Lou's, where I had what was one of my top five favorite dishes since I moved to Boise. It was the special of the day; a fried green tomato sandwich with bacon, served open-faced on French bread with chili mayo. Fun!

As we ate, a woman sitting near us got up to leave and spoke to me on her way out. "I just had to say that it's so nice that your boys are so well-behaved. It's such a pleasure to see you enjoying a meal together." Fun!

She then reached into her pocket and handed me her business card, averting her eyes from the mountain of french fries on our table. A brief glance at the card revealed a photograph of brightly colored fruits and vegetables and the words NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS. "We're having a free seminar on nutrition this week, " she continued. "Maybe you'd like to come." "Well, thank you," I said. "We do know what we SHOULD eat, we just don't always do it." Hmm...less fun.

On Wednesday, I temporarily took leave of my senses and took both the boys grocery shopping. In the evening. As we walked down the rice and bean aisle, Willem suddenly shouted "High five!" and lunged for a box of Hamburger Helper with his palm raised. Fun!

On Thursday we watched The Office and enjoyed a shepherd's pie featuring Kobe beef and decadent rosemary mashed potatoes prepared in our very own home by our oh so epicurean Hamilton friends. Fun!

On Friday I took the boys to the Boise Art Museum. They were completely enthralled. Willem kept yelling, "Look, Mommy! Look! Look! Look!" Nels kept asking, "What is that, Mommy? What is it? What is it?" We ventured into a photography exhibit of HUGE, beautiful, detailed prints, and what should we see but a nearly life-size photo of a quartered elk. "What's THAT, Mommy? Read me what it says next to it!" demanded Nels. "Uh oh, " said Willem. After about an hour of being pushed around in the stroller, the boys were let out in the children's room to draw on the chalkboard and build with the blocks. I was really proud of how nicely they comported themselves and how interested they were in the art. And not just the elk guts. Fun!

At some point during all of this, both of the boys got colds. And the night wakings began. Which was less fun. Far less fun. On Sunday, Shaun had to take Nels to a walk-in clinic to be treated for an ear infection that had rendered Nels a quivering, feverish mess. Even less fun.

Once again the Hamiltons came to the rescue, this time making pizzas with home-grown Japanese eggplant and home-made pesto from home-grown basil. Fun!

The wee hours of last night were as unpleasant as any I've had in a long time. Between the two boys, we were up six times in the night. It was like taking a time-machine back to when we had a new baby. By today, after three nights of interrupted sleep, I was crabby, weepy, and in a mental fog. Ah, the good old days. Don't hold your breath for a new sibling, boys.

High five!