This MAN present at the party is my nephew. He's patiently helping my little kids and my grandson with their video game. Back when he was real small, he used to get so excited at video games he'd jump up and down in front of the TV until John and Dan would urge him to sit down, "Sit down Buddy! Please sit down! You're blocking the game."
Tim jumped up and down in front of the TV, completely immersed, and my nephew looked at me and laughed. Yep. Young squirrels. They don't change.
This young squirrel had his first communion. He's a child on the other side of the family--Jay's little brother's boy. He's a sweet kid. I hear he has a temper, but I've never seen it, not even once. But I do believe them.
Jay's brother was older than the rest of us when he married, but life brought him this GIRL, or he was brought to her, or whatever, but I adore her. She's nice to me, all the time, for fifteen damned years, she's been nothing but nice. One time, when I hugged him and thanked him for marrying her, he laughed. Oh yeah. You hit the jackpot, and you know it.
She'd do anything for my kids, and that's not a lie. He would too. And they openly, generously share their kids with us.
When that first communion kid was born, we went to see them and meet the child. She handed him to me, little bundle, and I perched on the side of her bed, cradled him against my knees, and his FACE. He had the most incredibly beautiful newborn face... his warm little body on my forearms, his tiny head in the palm of my hands... I cried. I don't know why. She put her arm around my shoulders and said, "I knew you'd like him." Oh gawd. Honey, I LOVE him. He's absolutely exquisite.
He was born the week of 9/11. What a monumentally weird week THAT was. (Anyone remember that? Ugh.) But here was this guy. Later she told me when I wept over him she knew I'd have another baby shortly. I did not know this at the time. I was trying to finish my degree, and we'd barely started our business.
But she was right. A few months later I realized I was pregnant again. AGAIN? Are you kidding me? (It was Tim. I knew later it was totally meant to be.)
Tonight as we drove home from their house, we passed the townhouses where last summer, I was driving by and saw children's bodies pressed against screens two and a half floors up.
!!!
For a second I couldn't breathe. Oh Lord have mercy. I turned the car around, thinking if anyone drove by MY house and saw child bodies against a screen up high, I hope to hell they'd come tell me...
I pulled the car over, blocking a lane of traffic so people had to drive around, but honestly, I didn't care. I pounded on the door at the same time I yelled up to those kids, "Quit leaning on the screen! You're going to fall out the window!"
Hunh?
"Is your mother home? I gotta talk to your mom!"
No she wasn't, but they'd get their babysitter. They did get off the (*%##^) screen. In a few seconds a kid appeared, maybe like 14? I called up my worries: "The screens are going to pop out and they're going to fall right out!" He shooed them away from the window and said he'd take care of it.
GAWD. GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK.
Where was I anyway? I didn't even remember. I still don't. Good night. love, Val
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