A LOVELY WEEKEND

Dear Spike:

We dropped your mother off at the hair salon this afternoon and then you and I made our way about town — two bookshops (we got you two new “board” books,) two gift shops (your mother’s birthday is coming up next week), a coffee shop (you had a bit of cheesecake and we read a New York Times piece about Barack Obama) and then to the market (we danced together near the citrus and picked up some bread for dinner.)

Afterward, we went back to the salon to pick up your mother — who was sporting a cute, short cut complete with purple streaks in the front and back. Usually, your mom leaves the salon in a dour mood, but today she was quite chipper about her new style (and she should be, as it is very adorable, funky and fun.)

Your ear infection seems to have been resolved over these past few days and you’ve returned to your usual jovial self again — save one thing...

... sleep!

Whether because you’re catching up from the zombish last week (which you spent awake all night, all day, every day) or because we’ve been stuffing you full of butter, yogurt, cheesecake and other fine and fatty foods in response to Dr. Shriewer’s concern for your weight, you’ve gotten more sleep over the past few days than I knew you were capable of. And that’s allowed your mother and I to get the house clean (it was beginning to look as though we we living in squalor,) have a bit of adult time together (discussing fine literature, doing taxes, that sort of thing) and get some sleep ourselves (I still don’t think we’ll ever catch up with what’s been lost over the past eight months.)

In short, it’s been a lovely weekend. And since your mother and I both have tomorrow off for President’s Day, we’ll all get to spend one more (hopefully happy) day together before getting back to the daily grind.

Thank God for small blessings. They all add up to big ones.

Love,
dad