Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I Love My Mommy and Daddy

I am a lucky, lucky girl.

When I first moved back home after finishing university it was akin to dragging Britney Spears off to rehab. "Don't make me go back to that boring little town!" I wailed so loud it probably still echoes through the hills.

That was almost 15 years ago (aaaaack!), and my perspective has changed dramatically. Now that I am married and have two little kids I can't really imagine being anywhere else at the moment. It's home. It's groom-boy's home. We know the place and the people. More than that, though, our families are here.

I wouldn't be able to do what I do without having our parents nearby. Mom watches the kids a couple of mornings a week so I can work from home and groom-boy's folks usually contribute another half-day. Besides all that, Boychild and Girlchild have great relationships with their grandparents, and that is important to us.

Here is a special example of why it is so nice to have family nearby. I talk to Mom almost every morning on the phone. Today I was lamenting that with Boychild home sick again (poor guy - it has been five days) Isobel and I were starting to feel a little cooped up. I was also mentioning how many other people are sharing my sentiments about having irreconcilable differences with the
month of January. In fact, many conversations I have had and many blog postings I have read by other mommies tread upon this theme or on the need to unplug, get some perspective or get some counselling. It's a bit uncanny.

Anyway, after I spoke to her I glanced at the newspaper and was about to get motivated to start laundry and shovel through last night's supper dishes (yuck) when who should show up at the door unexpectedly but my Mommy!

"You take Girlchild and go out and do something for a while," she said. I protested, citing my dirty kitchen, but she insisted.

And so we did because, for a change, the sun was shining. We toddled downtown to a gift store and got some cards we needed. Then we shovelled the driveway. By the time we got back inside (about 45 minutes later), Mom had cleaned up my horrid kitchen - even though I told her not to. She's cute that way.

What a nice treat! It is something that wouldn't have happened if I lived hours away.

A little bit later I wandered over to the computer because I am currently obsessed with checking e-mail and blogs (another symptom of this January thing I think) and found a lovely message from my Dad saying he is enjoying my blog. Since I am uncontrollably vain and thrive on praise, his e-mail made me extraordinarily happy. (Read: Leave comments! I love 'em!)


These happy things combined with sunshine and fresh air (and I'm sure that extra Vitamin D tablet didn't hurt) have made the blehs subside for today. How many more days until spring?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Cute Steph, I figured this out although I have no desire to start a blog.

Love Dad