Ding-Dong

My husband returned home yesterday afternoon. He'd flown to Houston for his 25th high school class reunion and during the week he was gone, he also visited with his Texan relatives. His entire family--four brothers, two sisters, three sets of parents (don't ask) all live around Houston or Corsicana. He ate at restaurants, drove a lot, talked a lot, and shopped a little with his mother.

That explains the gift he brought home for me. Normally, he doesn't bring me gifts and I don't expect them. As I've mentioned before, I'm a very Low-Maintenance Wife. He thrust a small bag into my hands, which contained a jewelry box. Inside the box sat a silver pair of thick hoop earrings, which are quite lovely. And on the card holding the earrings was the price tag: $50.00.

He knows me so well. He was in the next room as I was opening this gift and as I stared at the price tag, he said, "You should be proud of me. My mom wanted me to buy these earrings that cost $399.00. And I told her, 'Mom, you don't understand.'". When they walked in the store, he looked at earrings beginning at $19.99, but his mom tried to talk him into opening an account and spending a whole lot more.

Just so you know, I don't wear jewelry, other than the thin gold hoop earrings I bought in memory of my dad after someone gave me $100.00 when he died and told me to buy something in his memory.

So fifty dollars on a pair of earrings is a lot. This is the most expensive jewelry I own now, other than my wedding rings and my normal gold hoops.

I slept really great last night and only woke up once at 3:00 a.m. I wake up so often during the nights any more. I can't decide it that's because I am getting old or if it's because I have young children and I've lost the knack of sleeping all night.

My husband left the house at 6:30 a.m. and I heard nothing. I was submerged deeply in a dream when I heard "ding-dong." Time? 6:59 a.m.

I fumbled for my glasses, threw on my tattered lavender bathrobe and ran downstairs, hoping that it was my husband who'd somehow locked himself out of the house. No such luck.

I opened the door to find DaycareKid and his grandfather--a nice man, an ex-Navy seal, a strong, silent type--staring at me in horror. The look on Grandfather's face was one of shock and confusion. Raising one hand, I mumbled, "I know, I know. My husband left early and he didn't set the alarm and . . . I know." DaycareKid's mom told me specifically that Grandfather would definitely not be at my house before 7:15 a.m. and that it might even bit later than usual. So, I wasn't really planning to open the door in my sloppy bathroom and just-woke-up face.

I took DaycareKid out of his arms and waited for him to get DaycareKid's backpack.

That dumbfounded look on Grandfather's face will remain with me for some time. I look pretty scary in the mornings with my crazy hair and my glasses and my old-as-the-earth robe. Bet he won't be looking at his pastor's wife in quite the same way on Sunday mornings. Shoot!

YoungestBoy acted so weird this morning. Normally, he prefers hanging out all day in his pajamas. He plays in the backyard in pajamas and occasionally, if he's really lucky, he'll spend his whole day without putting on clothes. Yesterday, he was wearing long, zip-up, footed pajamas, the winter kind, and after I told him six times, he finally got dressed at about noon. In a yellow turtleneck and gray sweatpants.

Yes, it's still summertime here in Washington state. Yesterday, we had warm, sunny weather, probably 85 degrees.

So today, I was surprised to see him totally dressed (short-sleeved shirt, sweatpants) before 8:00 a.m. Puzzled, I said, "Are you dressed? Or did you sleep in that last night?"

He said, "I'm dressed."

I said, "Why?"

He said, "Because I want to be ready for the Yu-Gi-Oh movie when we go."

For at least a week, maybe two, he's been asking me the date. Turns out he's been privately counting down the days until this movie opens and he simply assumed that we would take him. So, he was ready. Because he planned to go to the movie. With or without us, I suppose.

Fortunately, his dad is back in town and when I told him about YoungestBoy's plans, he said he could leave work and take him to the movie and then go back to work. Because that's the kind of guy he is.

Superfluous earrings and mid-day movies. I'm a lucky girl.