Dear Hubbs

Dear Hubbs,
At our wedding Frances read this:

"The folks have been here today, but have gone to their homes.  The clatter of racing feet, the laughter and babble of tongues have ceased.  We are alone, we two.  We two whom destiny has made one.  Long ago, it has been sixty years since we met under the June trees.  I kissed you first.  How shy and afraid was your girlhood.  Not any woman on earth or in heaven could be to me what you are.  I would rather you were here, woman, with your gray hair, than any fresh blossom of youth.  Where you are is home.  Where you are not is homesickness.  As I look at you I realize that there is something greater than love, although love is the greatest thing on earth.  It is loyalty.  For were I driven away in shame, you would follow.  If I were burning with fever, your cool hand would soothe me.  With your hand in mine, may I pass and take my place among the saved of heaven.   --Josh Haslem Clark"

I repeat it today and say that I love you and your loyalty.  Where you are, is home.  Where you are not is homesickness.

Loves,
S

PS. I am sorry that tonight will not be very romantic and that you will find Claire and I laid out on the couch watching TV when you come home.  I didn't even know that the dentist could cauterize your gums.  Turns out he can.  And it's outrageously painful.

You Gotta Know When to Fold 'em

We've talked before about how much Claire loves her dad.  And I mean LOVES her dad.  One of my friends who is a social worker assured me that Claire loves me and her feeling so confident in my love is what allows her to feel comfortable enough to prefer her dad.  And she does--prefer her dad that is. 

Let's be thankful that the hubbs and I are not in a custody battle for Claire which would be decided by us standing on opposite sides of the room, placing her in between us and calling for her to come to see who should have her a la Henry and Ribsy (all you people between the ages of 30 and 40 don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about). I would lose.  She would walk right over to her dad and sit down in his lap.


On Saturday night Claire woke up crying at 3:30 am.  Usually this is just because she has lost her pass or she is startled but after one experience where it was actually a poopy diaper and we left her crying until morning (with a serious diaper rash consequence) we always go in and check on her.  I slowly opened the door to her room and right when she saw me she yelled, "No. Daddy." 

I  turned around and called out, "Honey, Claire is calling."  The hubbs then got up and comforted her and put her back down and I went right back to sleep.  Should I be offended that my staying home with her has caused her to believe that her dad is the superior parent or should I just be thankful that I don't even remember the hubbs coming back to bed because I was already fast asleep?

I just found your new favorite workout song

Yesterday at a new weightlifting class my short, totally ripped, gay instructor who was wearing patterned converse played this song.  Twice.

I can't get it to embed here but here is a link to go and listen.

Dear Beyonce, Thank you for being so awesome.

I have been playing it ever since.

I played it this morning while I was doing the dishes and Claire was eating her breakfast (Cheese and cheerios.  We eat cheese at every meal these days) and right when it came on she started bopping her little head around and laughing. 

It reminded me of an important point in my relationships with the hubbs.  We had been dating for a while and were talking about getting married but neither one of us was sure.  The hubbs and I are really different and I think we worried that neither one of us was what the other had anticipated.

We had gone to visit his family in Oregon. I had been praying about us getting married and trying to make a good decision.  One night we were doing the dishes after dinner (the hubbs didn't grow up with a dishwasher so when I say we were doing the dishes we were really doing the dishes).  The hubbs started singing and dancing around as he was drying the dishes and the thought came to me, "This could be a happy life."

I am so glad that I listed to that voice and let it grow in me. 

It has indeed been a very happy life.