ten years later

The thirty-eighth birthday was spent in bed in the sun with beautiful newborn Kari. Lori came with buns and sandwich meat, and we all had a picnic in the bedroom. The kids took silly video, bouncy, seasick video. Kari slept.

The forty-eighth? Babysitting b.g. and dropping off our LAST tuition check at preschool. (The school Lori suggested back in the beginning.)

While slipping the check into the box, I teased the school's director, "Carol, do you know what this is?" She's been there since John started in 1982,and said she may have to retire now. She said it's sad. I know what she means. I'll miss them too, feel a little wistful, but it's okay. It's time.


Later t.c. called on the phone to sing Happy Birthday. I perched on the stool near the phone to listen and when he got to the words, "Dear Gramma," his scratchy little voice finally got to me. I had to dry my eyes on my sleeve. "That was a great song, Buddy. Will you sing me 'Going to the Cabin, All Night Long?'" (That's one he made up on a long car ride in the dark.) He said no. He can't sing that without Julia. It is a pretty loud song, true.

Oh and this: Tim and Julia were playing Rock, Paper, Scissor to decide who had to take a bath first. They had the right idea. One, two, three... but then didn't know what to do with the results. Tim: "A scissor can't cut a rock, Julia. Rock makes paper fly in the air." Aww, man. Kirsten and I just put our heads back on the couch and listened.

And he wanted to engage Joe in some wrestling. This is some form of Tim affection, tease and harass and then tussle around. Joe was being dignified until Tim coughed at him...big, loud coughing, very near him. The third noisy coughing attack, Joe jumped off the arm of the couch and chased after him, said he can't stand coughing, "Cover up your mouth!" Who knew? Well, apparently Tim did.

Happy Friday. love, Val