Good, Goody, Ugly

The dishes are stinking in my sink and I’m trying not to care. No matter how much I love the sight and smell of a clean sink, I love recalling the goodies, the not so goodies and the uglies of my day much, much more.

Many good things happened today. We bought new umbrellas at the “big grocery store.” Atrain has been dragging a broken one through the rain storms and puddles of late. We needed something large and sturdy—something that can wear through whatever weather a spring college football game may throw toward the husband and Atrain. When they went last weekend, all they had was a polka-dot pocket-sized contractible one to shield them from an onslaught of rain and snow. When the husband returned I asked how the umbrella worked and he said that it was broken. Either he was lying, or just too ashamed to say that his pride prevented him from opening a polka-dot umbrella at a football game. Because when I fished the little thing out of the washing machine it was still in fine working condition. Whatever the case, new umbrellas were a definite high point in our agenda today. I choose a large, blue and white golf umbrella for the big boy. And, for the slightly smaller big boy, I surprised him with his very own McQueen umbrella. His uncontained joy at the sight of his surprise is still making me smile.

Goodie #2: I was so very proud of Atrain when I told him we couldn’t buy the swimming flippers he was crying over. I stuck my ground and after a quick fit, he put them back on the shelf by himself and said, “I will ask my swimming teacher if I need them.” Even though we don’t technically have a swimming teacher, I liked his logic and went with it. “Yes, Atrain, when we go to swim lessons soon we will ask your teacher if you need flippers or not.” Guess I need to sign him up soon.

Goodie #3: While cuddling with Jdog I got to listen and watch the husband play football and hide-n-seek with Atrain. They are hilarious. The husband enjoys the games as much or more than Atrain. He is so much more fun that I am. It’s sad how we’ve already assigned the parental roles in our home. I’m definitely the disciplinarian, but I can hide-n-seek with the best of them when I get my turn.

Goodie #4: listening to Jdog blabber “mamamammma.” Technically, it has no meaning associated with me for at least a few more months, but his mimicking mumblings make my heart turn to mush. I love him more every minute. This little boy holds such a peaceful presence in our home and in my heart. It’s hard to explain. He is my calm before, during and after the storm. Sometimes I feel somewhat sorry for him—all of the loving abuse he receives from Atrain (even though he’s pretty a pretty sturdy 18.3 lbs and 28 inches long)—not to mention having to deal with my attention being split in two for most of the day. But, he doesn’t seem to mind. Baby J is happy as long as he is fed, changed and cuddled regularly. He is a great cuddler.

Which leads me to my not-so-good list today: I missed Jdog’s back-to-front roll over again. When it happened the first time I was in the bathroom wiping Atrain’s bottom. I returned to little J’s spot on the floor and he had flipped all by himself and was playing there on his belly, happy as a hippo. I was so angry that I missed it. Today, my anger doubled when he flipped while I was flipping grilled-cheese sandwiches. I just wish I could somehow do everything and see everything all at once. But I find restitution when I remember that I too am a second child. I grew up being beat upon by my big sister Bambie and it made me stronger. My mom might have missed my first few roll-overs and I still turned out alright.

And, then we come to the ugly. While preparing to urinate, the husband tipped over my basket of hair accessories into the toilet. Atrain was the first to hear the crash. He ran into the bathroom and exclaimed, “Wow Dada, what happened?” I quickly followed to find that all of my headbands, elastics, clips and bobby-pins were submerged in the toilet water. Yucky. At least they were tipped over before the husband did his business in the potty. He was kind enough to fish all of them out for me, wearing my cute pink cleaning gloves. “Sorry,” he said as he pulled my headbands from the water snickering, “guess you’ll just have to be a poop head.” Atrain thought that one was pretty funny. Now that is ugly.