Mother Tucker

Ah, I felt good. I had gotten the second work out of the day in, one usually does it, but the fat is stubborn these days. I was in the process of cleaning my house. The kids had both eaten a good dinner and now relaxed in the living room with their various toys of choice, occasionally trying swap toys of choice for their brother’s toys of choice which would result in shoving and ear-piercing screeching until the matter was settled; usually by me.  But all was normal and good the house. I had skipped doing my shower directly after working out, opting to sweat doing housework in the same slightly sweaty workout clothes.  I know, kind of gross, but I don’t feel like showering twice before bed; especially when bedtime is 2 hours away.

On that note, my hair was frizzy frizz (I have naturally curly hair), I have ratty sweat pants on and a baggy fleece sweatshirt. Oh yeah and I had opted for my comfy, taped together glasses rather than my contacts.  So I was a picture to behold, beauty still-framed. Yeah, not quite, actually quite the opposite.

Justin walks in from being at school and announces that Tod (his study-buddy and co-fireman) brought him home and he has to take off immediately due to studying for mid-terms this week. Whatever, I’m used to these announcements so I shrug it off, not thinking much about it and return to my house work.

He walks out the door and comes back seconds later with Tod (whom I’ve never met or even spoken with) and starts to introduce us. Embarrassed as I was at my appearance, my house and the fact my boys were running around in their skivies, Tod was congenial, friendly and seemed well at ease despite the mess.

This is my wife,” Justin says (still willing to claim me, that says something for Justin) I shake Tod’s hand and say something, I don’t remember what

Justin continues. .”This Toby . . . “

Tod says hi to Toby and Toby quickly warms to him and then takes over Justin’s intro’s . . “this is Sam,” Tobias says proudly, pulling Sam to the forefront.

We all laughed, but my heart warmed simultaneously.

I have been amazed how much Tobias has grown, not in stature but in communication and general knowledge. He is picking up words like mad and uses them regularly.  I love this and I try to catch myself at the end of a long day; when Toby is jabbering away, only half discernible, just excited at life; from showing my fatigue by becoming annoyed with him. I want to encourage him to communicate with me and his dad. I don’t want him to ever feel like he has to shove things down and deal.  He’s got his whole adult life to look forward to that. 

Samuel, approximately 10 months old . . . got his grandfather’s ( my dad’s) grin. Goofy.