Dinner Alone

Today's new adventure was unplanned.

It was a fairly typical summer day.  The kids and I woke up on the back porch.  We don't have AC for the same reason we don't have a snowplow attachment on our pickup--the weather here requires such things so rarely that when we do get extreme heat or snow, it's exciting and new, and we just enjoy it.  I made breakfast.  I supervised some chores.  I told my dozing husband that I was taking the kids to therapy.  While one kid worked on their crap with our therapist, I took the other across the street to the French bakery for a treat and some summer workbook time.  When I switched kids, we got so caught up in the treat and workbook that we suddenly had the other kid and our therapist standing next to our table.  "Ack!" I sputtered, glancing at the clock behind me.  Yep, we were late.

"It's okay!" she assured me.  "Linden knew you guys would be here, and she wanted to come on her own, but I told her I'd come with her."

I took them to the mall--a first in itself, now that I think of it--where we picked up some supplies at the teacher/homeschool store and window shopped at the Lego Store and Build-a-Bear.  We talked about saving up our allowances for Legos (Oak), a stuffed pony (Linden) and yard darts (me--they're not as deadly as the yard darts of my youth, but I still want them).  We ran another errand, then headed home, where I made everyone lunch.  We got out the new watercolor pencils and started drawing.  After nearly two blissful hours of near-harmony, I sent them out to wash the car.  I knew this wouldn't be the most environmental or economical carwash ever, much less the most thorough, but our car couldn't possibly look worse, and the kids love anything that blends water play and work--have fun AND feel virtuous?  What's not to love?

While they were occupied, I got to work on a long-neglected pile of dishes.

Those done, I headed upstairs and settled into the comfy chair in my bedroom with my laptop and the book I'm reading.  Before I'd quite figured out which I'd focus on, the Winemaker entered.  World Cup matches done for the day, he was ready to get to work on power washing the deck.  "Can you help me move the patio furniture?" he asked.  I did the not-actually-inaudible sigh and shoulder droop that one uses to signify I really don't want to, but I'm too polite to whine.   He said, "Are you busy?"

"I'm not busy," I said, resignedly.  "It's just that I've been busy all day."

"Okay," he replied.  "Let's just do it later."

Suspecting the passive agressiveness with which I would be capable of saying such a thing, I started to go into a no it's okay, really spiel, but he was already walking down the stairs, cheerful as you please.

So I went back to the comfy chair.

About 10 minutes later he was back, and I prepared myself to get up and help out.

"I'm taking the kids to Taco Bell and then Tae Kwon Do," he said.  "See you in a couple of hours."

Oh.
My.
God.
I think I'm in love.  (With the same guy as always, which is both convenient and miraculous.)

And that's how I wound up on the deck, in the fresh evening air, having half a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream before dinner (!), and then having stir fried kale & carrots, mozzarella with fresh picked basil, and a glass of wine, all by myself.