Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A Day


That's Owen scowling at me for taking his picture. 
"I hate those pictures!" he said but I am his grandmother and I took the picture anyway and there it is, scowl and all. He is feeling better but has circles under his pretty brown eyes and Gibson was a little fussy too although when he woke up from his nap and found me instead of his mother, he only fussed for a minute and then allowed me to hold him close to me and show him pictures on my phone of his grandfather which is what he always asks for. He points to the phone and says, "Boppa!"
I show him all the pictures. "Who's that?" I ask him. And he tells me. Owen, Gibson, Mama, Daddy, MerMer, Boppy, Hank, May, Jessie, Vergil. He smiles and nods with his whole body. I never want to forget that, how he nods with his whole body. It starts at his head but it travels all the way down, a sort of dance of agreement or of recognition or of happiness. 
I kiss his neck and he says, "Guga," and offers me the other side to get sugar from. Lily reminded me yesterday that Owen was his age when she got pregnant with Gibson. "We thought he was so grown up," she said. 
And we did, but of course we had no one to compare him with but his younger, even more of a baby self. 
Owen today told me that his mother might have another baby someday. A sister! And wouldn't that be awesome? 
"What if she has another baby someday and it's a boy? Another brother?"
"Two brothers!" he said. "What would we name him?"
Lily and I waited to see what he would come up with.
"Maybe Dragor," he finally said. "Because he would like dragons."

Note to self: Do not let Owen name any of his future possible siblings. 

I hate this time change. Yes. Still. I was waiting for Jason to get home, knowing that I had to get to the grocery store, that I had left the back door open for my dogs, that the heat was off and it was getting cold and that it was getting quite dark. Owen wanted to watch Power Rangers but Gibson wanted to watch something else which I could not determine. It was a miracle that I could operate the TV's remote and find anything they wanted to watch at all. Owen is convinced that the inability of his grandparents to operate the remote at his house is because we are old. He reminds me of this frequently. But today I was operating it skillfully. 
"B!" Gibson kept saying, grabbing for the remote. I had no idea what "B" was. It wasn't Barney and it wasn't Elmo and it wasn't Mickey Mouse and the Beanstalk and Owen kept insisting that his brother really wanted to watch Power Rangers, despite the sad proof that he did not in that every time I put on the Power Rangers, Gibson cried. 
"I wish Gibson was asleep," Owen said. "Then I could just watch Power Rangers."

When Jason got home Owen was watching Power Rangers and I had given up all responsibility and was letting Gibson watch Yo Gabba Gabba on Youtube on my phone. 

Lord, Lord. What a world and I have no shame. 
(I will say that that Gabba Gabba guy is a good dancer, though. I will admit that.)

I handed over the children to their sweet, tired papa and went to the store. I bought completely random things including organic carrots and butternut squash-filled pasta and a huge container of spinach and dark chocolate and tangerines and some sort of black rice and a lobster tail (on sale for $3.99!) and humus and BOGO coffee (again! already!) and finally and at last, dog shampoo. I  came home and shut up the chickens and fed the cat and turned on the heat and the lights and moved laundry from washer to dryer and I've made up the bed with clean sheets and I've wrapped the most tender of my plants against the possible freeze and I've talked to all of my children except Jessie and I have leftovers heating up because I'm just too tired to cook. 
I still haven't called the Dish people so my TV is probably still fucked up but hell's bells- I haven't turned it on in two days. 
The book I'm reading in my cozy bed requires no technical ability other than turning pages so it hasn't been a problem but I will call them tomorrow. 

I hear that the deer are moving. The wind has quit blowing. My house is quite cozy. My plants are as protected as I can provide. My grandsons are in the very capable hands of their daddy while their mama is at work. 

We abide, as the Dude says. 

I have nothing more to add to that. 

Amen. 












16 comments:

  1. Jeff Bridges, sigh.

    Why do your posts relax me so much? This one did. I loved every inch of it. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. I was waiting for your post tonight, MM. I don't know why, but I feel like my night's not right without it. Night, and sleep good.

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  3. Nicol- How ARE you, girl? I miss you.

    SJ- You sleep good too. We all deserve sweet rest.

    Angella- It's as good as scripture, isn't it?

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  4. The "B!" reminds me of a funny story. When my very passive and agreeable son was about 2 he wanted to watch Barney but I wouldn't let him. He got so mad! "B!!!!" he shouted. He took the VCR tape and started banging it on the coffee table. I scolded him but he was MAD. I let him have his little angry tantrum. He then took the tape and banged the glass door of the entertainment centre. He put a huge crack in it and it scared him so much he started to cry. I think I gave him a swat on the bottom but my heart was not in it. I swear to god, he has never had another tantrum like that since!

    Poor Owen. It isn't much fun being sick. I am glad he has you for some MerMer love.

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  5. That is one heck of a busy day. Yes, yes, it is and I am nodding with my whole body--but I am not nearly as cute as Gibson.

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  6. I think Dragor is a TERRIFIC name. Maybe I will call myself Dragor today at work. It sounds like a somewhat threatening persona and would probably be useful in dealing with teenagers.

    I love these accounts of your days. I feel like I'm right there with you. BOGO coffee! Woo hoo!

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  7. Owen is beautiful even when scowling... I just had a flit of an image of him as a girl chased teen. Just for a moment. And Gibson. I think we need to package that boy's spirit. If you could bottle a bit and send me some I think my soul would feel some healing. Rest well gorgeous lady in certain lights. Yeah. Sweet Jo

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  8. "Abide" is one of my favorite words -- both the word and what it means. Do you know, though, that I have never seen that movie? Oy.

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  9. That scowling face is adorable.

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  10. I feel like the coyote chasing after the roadrunner, trying to keep up with your (awesome) posts!
    Don't feel bad about missing Hank's call. Life happens.
    I'm glad to see that boy having a scowly face, I was starting to think those little boys were never cranky! :) some of my favorite pictures of my kids and Grandies are when they are making scowly faces.
    The wind blew here a few days ago and brought warmer temps, instead of snow, we got rain. Frozen rain now. I hope I don't have a slip and fall.

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  11. Birdie- I keep thinking about that story. Bless your little boy's heart. He really DID want to watch Barney, didn't he?

    Denise- Aw. I bet you're pretty darn cute.

    Steve Reed- And I feel as if you allow me to come along with you as you go about your days all that way across the pond. So thank you!

    Sweet Jo- I, too, can see Owen as a girl-chased teenager. I think he is going to be, well, beautiful.

    Elizabeth- Girl! You've seen ALL the movies. You should watch it. Just so that you can say you have.

    Jill- I thought so too.

    heartinhand- Oh, even Gibson can be cranky. Trust me. Be careful out there!

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  12. I think Dragor is cool.

    Or Dragorina.

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  13. Ms. Moon- I am really busy. I MISS my blog. I miss you too! I long for simplicity.

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  14. I agree with Jill-that scowling face is too cute for words. :-)

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  15. So hard to believe that Gibson is watching TV because it seems like he was just born.
    Another sibling? Wow--time to open a kindergarten. I was thinking about the Game of Thrones Dragon Queen Khaleesi after reading about Owen naming a sibling. Sounds a bit too exotic though.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.