(Grand)Mom Well Met

I have a rough cut of my article done, but still have to do the word sculpting before I can send it out. I need to chill out for a little while before I can do that.

Just met with my mom for dinner, and boy, have we come a long way. It was a nice meal, and the kids were well behaved, let my mom and I talk, and I don't even think she noticed that they didn't interrupt either of us once. They responded nicely when she asked them questions, and much to my surprise, Nic asked to sample my rice pudding at dessert.

The kid is full of surprises.

He is doing all right with ESY and summer playground, too. I explained to mom that it was almost like everything was arranged for me to go back to work, it's been almost scary how easily all the pieces have fallen into place.

The scariest bit is the fact that we are doing Nic's program without a net. But he seems to be holding his own.

G is doing just fine in his, and having a great time. The kids and the counselors seem to like him a lot.

I was just reading back to my earliest blogs this evening, and I am amazed at how far both boys have come in three years. We continue to chase normal, but we are gaining on it. Unbelievably, we are all gaining on it.

While some things remain challenging for us, friends, and having company over, for two examples, other things, such as meeting up to fish, or to take train rides to the city, or going out for other adventures--all of these things have become almost effortless. It's taken years, a lot of hard work, a couple b*tchslaps from people who think they can parent my kids better than me, but we're making it.

We really have come a long way, baby.

My mom said to me as we parted company, "You know what, you look great--better than you have in a long time. I like your hair like that (long, tied back in a pony tail) and you just look beautiful."

I laughed and told her one of my coworkers told me I looked like I was 18 today. "It's working," I said. "It's having a part of my life where I feel like I have some control. And it's having my kids becoming more independent, too. It's a lot of good things lining up, finally, in the right order. God looks after me."

"Me too," mom said, and gave me and the boys a hug and a kiss, and said goodbye.