weekend report

Ben flew out to Utah early Friday morning to get some dental work done, so the boys and I were on our own for the weekend. We didn't misbehave too much. :-)
It's weird to be in the stage of parenting in which it's not too much of a physical burden to have Ben gone. The boys mostly put themselves to bed, and are very self-sufficient. Now we're in the moral support stage, I guess, not so much the physical support. About 4 years ago the thought of 3 days of being a solo mom would have been enough to send shivers up my spine.
Joseph felt Ben's absence, though. A few minutes after the boys went upstairs to bed on Friday night, I heard some stifled sobs from upstairs. Joseph was sitting on the landing crying. I told him to come down and tell me what was wrong. He said he couldn't sleep. Ben often goes upstairs and either lays on the couch in the boys' room, or lays down on the landing working on his computer while the boys go to sleep, so Joseph is used to him being around. I asked him he wanted to sleep in my bed, and he nodded and happily crawled under the covers. So I got a little bit of Joseph-snuggle-time which is rare these days.
Friday morning we all went to a birthday party for Luke, the little brother of one of Mosey's preschool friends. Mosey and Jack (the older brother) actually have the exact same birthday, and shared their 5th birthday party. April, their mom, knows how to put on a good birthday party! April and I have a lot in common, as she also has a life-altering chronic disease (it's very rare and I can't remember the name). She's had numerous surgeries including several brain surgeries, and we both share a hearty dislike of hospitals. Actually, "hearty dislike" should read, "extreme abhorrence." It's good to have someone in my life who "gets it." We both live with a lot of fear, and are trying to balance living every day life, raising little boys, having a happy family, with chronic medical needs and an uncertain future. I don't think anyone really can understand except someone who is also there (or who has been there). I'm not one to really feel like I need to go to support groups or whatever, but it is nice to have someone who understands where I am.
Anyway, the party was fun, and it was especially fun watching Mosey watch Luke open his present. Mosey bought him a Star Wars light saber (no surprise there-- we only have about eight of them by now), and Mosey was jumping with anticipation watching him open it, and was supremely anxious to show him all about how it works.
The rest of Saturday the boys spent playing with each other (really nicely!), building giant kapla block siege towers, and watching Wall-E for the umpteenth time, and I organized my sewing shelves and sewing table. I didn't intend to do that--- I was really wanting to work on a sewing project, but I decided I couldn't abide working in there with the shelves and table in such a shameful condition. So they got organized and the project remains undone... And I got to talk to my little sister Rachel and hear itty-bitty-baby-sounds on her end of the phone. Baby girl has a name now-- Rosalia (rhymes with Azalea) Grace Jardine. I hope all my sisters are OK with the fact that I claim a small part of each of their baby girls. It's only fair since I've got all boys! What are sisters for if not to share, anyhow? :-)
Last night we ordered pizza and watched the first half of "The Karate Kid" (the original). It's so interesting to watch old movies and T.V. shows from my childhood, and see the differences between those made 25 years ago, and those made now. And I was chagrined to see how dependent my boys are on action! "The Karate Kid" has a lot of plot development, and actually very little karate action, and I kept having to tell Joseph and Mosey to sit down and pay attention, or they wouldn't understand the rest of the movie! What would they ever do if I made them sit through a Jane Austen production?! :-) I'm going to make them do that when they're teenagers, it will be good for them!
Today we went to church and Ben was sustained (in absentia) as our new ward organist. I'm excited about this calling because it means we will early for church! I hate being late for church, really and truly. So Ben once again has a double calling, but he can handle it.
I made broccoli chicken divan casserole for dinner (feeling a bit guilty about the pizza from last night), and then the boys and I drove down to the airport to pick up Ben. He has Invisalign braces now, which are awesome! You can't even see them. Of course, at dinner tonight one of the little brackets holding them into place already broke off. That's going to be one disadvantage of having his orthodontist be 5 states away... It's still working though, so no harm done, we think.
We watched the end of "The Karate Kid" tonight, and it was fun remembering how that was my favorite movie for a long, long time. I remember we went and watched it on the 4th of July one summer when we lived at our old house. I still remember vividly how much I loved it. I even remember that my wrist was bandaged up from burning it on my mom's electric frying pan. It's funny the memories that remain crystal clear while so much of the rest of my childhood is a blur. I hope my boys remember their childhood better than I remember mine! At least they'll have this scintillating blog and about 842,957 pictures to bring it all back... :-)
When I sent the boys upstairs to bed, I grabbed Joseph on my lap and told him I wouldn't let him go until he either gave me a kiss or told me he loved me. Brigham and Mosey are really, really affectionate (Mosey has to make sure even Arctie, his stuffed arctic fox, blows me a kiss before bed), and I think Joseph's just trying to balance them out. Or something. I held him wriggling and protesting, "I have philiaphobia, mom!" Ahh, his Greek and Latin roots memorization is paying off! Finally, I asked him, "I just want to know why my boy doesn't love me?" And he said, "But I do!" And that was what I was waiting for. It's probably terribly wrong of me to guilt him into admitting he loves me, but I'll just have to add that to the ever-lengthening list of my maternal failings. I'm just happy to know he loves me.
Now it's just about bedtime. Ben washed all the dishes that have been accumulating since he left. He washes almost all the dishes around here. I couldn't let him think we're *too* self-sufficient without him around here! Whatta guy! The last 3 days of June are upon us. Where-oh-where does the time go. Wherever the socks end up after they disappear from the dryer I guess. Someday I am going to find about 47 mismatched socks and several years in time hiding in some dusty corner.
Good night!