Saturday

Tomorrow Ashby's parents sail up the Chesapeake and drop anchor at the port.  They are spending their last childless night and hopefully having fun, even though they are waiting impatiently for chubby fingers and crazy head conversations.  It is hard for me to believe it has been a week.  He and I are just settling in to a routine and I will miss the way he greets the morning with total abandon and finds way to make just riding his bike a game of imagination. 

I need to give credit to everyone who made this week happen.  John and Karen started the ball rolling with the gift of the cruise.  After much coordination a week was chosen far enough in advance I could clear my calendar to be the babysitter.  That was the easy part.  Meagan spent time writing down everything I needed to know - from food preferences to schedule.  She included letters of authorization and membership cards to all of his favorite places.  She stocked the freezer with meals and the fridge with parts.  She hired a dog walker, which at first I poo-poo'd but am eternally grateful for Liz who came for the morning and late afternoon poop duty.  And my sister - "who lives in the next block" for your Balmoreans' cleared her calendar to be the afternoon magic.  Every morning Ashby would ask - "Is Mary Jean coming today?"  By Thursday he answered his own question - with when she finishes teaching school she will come.  Three mornings were filled with pre-school and gym class,  MJ filled Friday with a trip to a little known park that included a 'walk in the forest', and Grandpa Merrithew and Mimi whisked him off to the train museum and lunch on Saturday.  MJ was here to either help with or do bath and stories before bed.

MJ and I had fun teaching Ashby some new skills, and he is pretty proud of himself for getting his muscles working.  He has climbed to the top of the dragon, run across the hanging bridge, climbed the coiled ladder and pulled himself up the rock wall.  Today he rode his bike a million miles at top speed around the park and here at home.  He was chased by lions and was the emergency man who raced to the rescue ringing his bell.  He rode through puddles, including one that ended up being a little deeper than anticipated.  I have washed his shoes twice this week from puddle stomping.

I relearned patience while he has been learning to dress himself.  Reminding myself that the daily 'joke' of putting two legs in the same leg hole of the underwear, pjs or pants is immensely funny to a pre-schooler and tried to stifle my desire to say just get on with it.  I had forgotten that repitition is the way we all learn and been excited when he got up this morning and knew that he should take off his pj's and go potty first thing while I brushed my teeth.  He was pretty proud of himself and was preparing to get his pjs back on by laying them on the floor to wiggle in - of course he had to put to legs in the right leg first and asked if this looked right! 

I am sure it will take his parents a week to put the house back in order and find where I may have misplaced things.  His menu has probably been askew but I have done my best to keep the balance of protein, carbs, fruits, vege's and dairy.  We have eaten together as either the two of us or all three every night beginning with grace and ending with I'm all done.

I have tried to pick my battles and find ways to keep him busy and active.  When he was feeling very lazy because his MJ was not coming that day right after nap, I told him he could wear his pj's to the gas station while I filled the tank and took the car through the car wash.  Spending several minutes in the soapy car wash prompted him to want to wash his cars so we filled up a bowl with bubble bath bubbles and he tracked down a spray bottle and spent an hour by the garage washing his cars and a few trucks.  He carefully pre-sprayed them, before rubbing them clean with bubbles and then moving them to the hair dryer area.  He was very impressed with the big blowers at the end of the car wash.  I admit I let him stay in pjs.  We had already gone through two sets of play clothes and one pair of shoes in the morning at the park and everything was in the wash. 

This afternoon he was in high energy mode.  MJ and I took him to the park, he rode his bike all the way, climbed on a few toys and then raced around the perimeter of the play area on his bike.  After dinner he and I went out with his bike down the alley and around the neighborhood first looking for fires, then transitioning to finding food for the lion following us before heading across the field in search of a good rock to take home to Grandpa Bruce.  Tonight he was wearing down but determined to get his two shows in - I will not miss the Octonauts even though I have learned alot about deep sea creatures.  We had a quick bath and then two stories.  I will miss his crazy head jumping on my lap and his help reading the stories.  There is something heart breaking about his little mischevious grin when he hides bunny.  I will miss camping out in his room with the stars on the ceiling and the 'pretend' firepit with marshmallows, hot dogs and stinky cheese. 

Tomorrow I will get dressed, pack up my suitcase and like Mary Poppins disappear.  It is time for Mommy and Daddy to come home.