Puppy Blues

 Monty is asleep for 18-20 hours a day.  The four hours he is up are rough. Especially the one that happens at 4AM.  Friday arrived with me truly ready to throw in the towel.  It wad 3 weeks of disrupted sleep. I was unfocused, ruminating and teetering on depression.  Thankfully the weekend plans were good ones that distracted me from my impending malaise. 

Matt arrived home Friday night, I was in full zombie mode by then and only looking forward to sleep as Steve agreed to be on dog duty for the weekend. Saturday was Justine's baby shower which was great, so good to see all of the people from Steve's side that we have not seen in so long.  Sunday was a small BBQ with my brother, sister and their spouses as well as Chris and Mark. The food was great of course because well Steve. It was a really good day. 

Sunday night was my first good night sleep.  I woke up feeling like myself for the first time in weeks. I really hope that Monty sleeps all night soon.  School starts tomorrow I am both dreading it and looking forward to it! 

Pie

 I was thinking about my last blog post.  I would like, if you would bare with me, to expand on my feeling of nostalgia with a pie metaphor.  

When everyone was young they did not have their own pie.  I provided pie for them.  I could bake endless amounts of pie and give them as much as i felt they needed.  I gave them bigger slices of pie at different times. But  now they have indeed collected much of the ingredients they needed to bake their own pies.  Sometimes they don't share any of that pie with me, me the original baker of the pie! But more often it is a small slice of the pie and other times it is a big juicy chunk of their pie. 

 I am so glad that they have their own pie now. an so happy that they are willing to share  I can go back to my own pie now and it is good but it will never taste as sweet as all of the pie I baked to give away to my children. 

The whirlwind has Left

Three weeks ago Michael arrived home from DC, two weeks ago Cara returned from NYC and 10 days ago, Sam ,Cara's boyfriend arrived.  Today they all left. Its like a vacuum in the space they once all occupied. 

They got off to a late start because the Durango had not yet returned from the gas station. I should have taken a picture of the living room.  The amount of things that were put into the Durango defied logic. There was even space left over which quickly got filled with items they had wanted to bring but didn't dare try.

Though it hurts to say goodbye and I do indeed miss them sorely it helps to think of all of the fun we had not just the highlights but the relaxed conversations and honestly just their presence.

In this short time we squeezed in so much;

North South Lake 
Wayne county fair

 Dinner party with Caitlin and Caroline,
Long Beach boardwalk
enjoying the sun and sand while watching Sam and Cara attempt to catch a wave. 

And of course  the introduction of Monty!🐶🐶🐶

But my enduring favorite is dinner.  Dinner is the Bo thing and apparently a relic from the olden days, because it seems to not be a thing anymore. I am not sure why our family dinners didn't fade with time, because certainly my privacy was given away for funny reels and not having to get my credit card from 5 feet away and entering it myself, meaning I am not immune to shortcuts. 

Dinner seems normal enough to us, sit down say prayers, eat carrots or fennel at the end. Well now that I write it out I can see how we do seem just a bit cultish, but I wouldn't change it for a free dinner at NOBU (if anyone is thinking of offering me that please reach out, I am easily sold) 

 

Sure I'll bake a cake or 8

I have to bake a cake, or let me clarify I have to bake 8 cakes and then assemble them into a diamond shape, with each square of the diamond representing a different Cub Scout den. I have to do this you see, because I volunteered to. Yes I raised my hand to that call out, oh no not even a call out, they were going to get a sheet cake from Costco. I derailed their plans because at the time baking sounded like fun, unlike today when baking sounds like torture. Ok well not the first 2 or three cakes, fine but 8, who besides the cake boss has any interest in baking 8 cakes?
I wondered out loud what we would bake when our boys were the featured "moving up" boys, perhaps we could make one of those ones that a lady pops out of, maybe Delila would be willing to pop out? It would be interesting, if not a bit disconcerting.

Besides the cake, I will also be in charge of entertainment and games. This has turned into the Bo show. It may be because I feel badly that we will be leaving the den, that despite it all I have become attached to. My over enthusiastic volunteerism is my way to apologize? Or perhaps to point out how much they will really miss me when I am gone, I don't like to be forgotten.

I will post a picture of the cake better or worse whenever it is done.