Regular Life

Maybe I’ve been writing too much lately. Although I’m a fairly avid blogger, we really are social, I swear. We had friends over Friday night, I went out with a buddy Saturday afternoon, and then we went out with another set of friends Saturday night. Now, Sunday, on the other hand. Well, that was the day for “you nap, then I nap, then the boy naps, then we finish up by watching some TV.” We haven’t had a day like that in a long time.

As I’m wont to do, I opened Saturday evening with a real winner.

We went out with some folks we met on Super Bowl Sunday. They were cool and we had a good time, our boy along with us and their little baby by their side.

I don’t remember the topic, but somehow I finished a sentence with, “but not the ancillary streets.”

Ancillary? Who the hell says that in normal conversation? I wasn’t sure, so after everybody else had moved on, I blurted out, “Did I just say ancillary?”

“Yes, honey, you did,” my wife said. Our friends politely chuckled as they worked to strap their baby into his carrier.

Let it die, Mark. Let it die.

“That sounds like something somebody would write.” Nice work, idiot. “Let’s say ’side street’.” You sicken me.

It was my only flub of the evening, except when I pulled out one of the chairs at Chili’s and it smacked our son in the mouth. He cried very loudly (all who have heard him are nodding their heads) just long enough for everybody in the vicinity to look. At first I thought I had split his lip, but he told me I had hit him in the teeth. I took a look and didn’t see anything crooked or bleeding. He didn’t want to be lowered into his highchair, so the other dad at the table suggested we try a booster seat instead. That placated him and all went great after that.

Placated? Who the… nevermind.

If you haven’t tried it, ask a toddler what’s wrong to distract attention from crying. It doesn’t always work, but it can’t hurt to give it a shot. Of course, do this while you’re giving a reasonable amount of comfort, however much that is.

The boy delighted and thrilled our new friends back at our house. He loves to talk, but I’ve never seen him interact with people that well. He described his toys, answered their questions about colors and shapes. I think they enjoyed a preview of how their baby boy would be in a couple years. I remember a time when I thought I would never hear him say, “Hi, Daddy!” when I got home from work. Now, he runs up to me saying, “Hi, Daddy! You’re home!” and often throws in “glad to see you.”

I’m enjoying these times while they last.

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