Mommy and James Time

This weekend it is Mommy and James time.  The Joel's went off to Maine without us.  Mommy and Daddy have a wedding on Sunday night, in York, Maine - and since Mommy cannot take anytime off from work, and I need to get things organized for the week since I have a really big week ahead with an event on Nantucket, I elected to stay back, and stay back with my number one errand running buddy, James.

Last night was awesome, I picked him up from daycare, and we went to the Beach Plum for lobster rolls.  He ate his whole hot dog in three seconds and then proceeded to eat 1/2 my lobster roll.  He is the only person I share with on this planet, literally.  It is amazing that I share with him, because he eats a lot.  Anyway, every weekend we go to Maine, and we never enjoy things around here - so I was determined to do that this weekend.  We live about a mile from the beach, and lots of awesome things - and we never go, because we are in Maine.  So, this weekend James and I are having fun.

Later that night we are home, and it is bath time.  I brought home ice cream as well, and so I let him go to town.  He loved it, so he needed a bath.  After bath time, the kiddo proceeds to make the pooping sound.  Uh, oh.  I stuck him on the toilet, and he pooped!  A 15 month old poops on the toilet, awesome!  He was so happy and I was so excited.  I let him hang out there for a minute, then took him off and let him "air dry" from his bath in his room, while I cleaned the tub.  Big mistake.  When I got back to his room, he had continued pooping, and stepped in it, and tracked it all around his room.  Additional bath, and lots of sterilizing of the carpet followed, as well as a late bedtime for bonzo.  But, at least he is cute.

Today was errand day, and James is my buddy with this.  I have decided that most parents love to go to the store without their kids, the freedom they have.  I love to go to the store with James.  Joel is good in the store too, don't get me wrong, but James is my buddy.  He just sits there, smiles, points, makes grunts to answer my random chatter to him.  I talk to him the entire time, like he totally gets it - and I think he does.  In Target today I said: "Of course our cart is full, we came in to get a couple things and we are leaving with $400 worth of stuff."  He giggled, I kid you not, and the lady next to us was astonished and also laughed.  When I go to the store by myself nowadays, I still continue to talk as if I have my buddy.  People do not look at you in the same light when you do not have an adorable toddler with you and you are just talking to yourself out loud.

We got home, and James and I both napped.  It was glorious.  I cleaned out the kids clothes, which is always a sad thing for me but is especially sad now.  We are in that wonderful time of life when your kids are still young enough that you can consider a sibling for them, but they are old enough too that you can't remember the hell days of baby time.  I know a third child is not in our cards.  Joel Husband would have to be tricked into it for one, and for two we are too into travel, and a third would make this difficult, financially and logistically.  Am I weird that I think there is a waiting line somewhere in the sky of the kids you might have one day, and my #3 (John or Jillian) is up there like "come on, just do it, I want to be born!"  Yes, I am totally weird.

But you know we are certainly not going to have another one because I made three piles when I went through their clothes today. One for donations (two huge bags), one for Auntie Bobo (Langdon and his cousins) one huge bag, and one for the attic (a very small bag).  The attic clothes are just literally for me to go through one day and say, "isn't that cute, you wore that!"

So, James and I continued to have fun.  I brought him to the park around the corner from us, and two minutes after arriving, I realized I had yet to do this with him.  Joel Andrew and I have done this a ton, but not James and I.  Last year he was obviously too young, and since the spring I have been busy with work.  So, it was his first trip.  Of course, he loved it.  But knowing the frequency with which I brought Joel Andrew to this park, and now James' first trip - it was abundantely clear how different they are.

James would run after the ball for hours, kick it, throw it, hold it.  And, when he kicked or threw it, he did a great job.  I am a little terrified actually about how good he is with this.  But, he did not find any interest really in climbing the set.  He kinda was taking it all in, looking around, but most of all, wanted to eat his snack and chill.  Joel Andrew would have climbed the thing to the slide 800 times by now.  Not James.  I had to show him what to do and then he just wanted to play with the wheel.  Different kiddos, I tell you!

James was my sous chef tonight as I took our CSA share and made it into delicious treats.  We have gazpacho, homemade salsa, ratatouille.  I need another whole day to make cole slaw and potato salad, and then we will be golden.  I am looking forward to my morning with my little man tomorrow - what will we do?  Perhaps go through and clean up the toys!