When It's Been Too Long Since I've Seen the Sun
I spent the morning paying bills, filing taxes and otherwise trying to savor the moments of sunshine through the windows and melting snow in the yard.
By this afternoon the twitch started and before long I had recruited the boy and the eager dog to join me for a walk. I'm all about deftly handling two birds with one stone so I suggested the short walk to the store for some much-needed groceries.
Flash and Eli waited on the melting snow mounds at Lowe's while I walked over to our favorite market in the strip mall next door. We had come prepared, knowing we needed heavy things. Milk and cat food alone would notch up the cardio benefits on the way home but I had assured Flash I wouldn't try to get everything on the list. I'd be reasonable, I assured him, knowing we had to carry it all home. But once inside the market I found it hard not to complete the task at hand. Sure juice is heavy, but did I really want to make another trip out tomorrow? Of course I could get the produce another time, but I'm right here and Flash will help carry home. Cereal is bulky but I can't pass up a 2 for $7 deal!
I left the store and headed for the snow mound with two fuzzy heads protruding. Flash saw me coming with a bag on my shoulder (a big one), and a heavy bag on each arm and knew we were in trouble. I knew we were in further trouble when I realized Flash was now holding a bag of doggie-doo in his hand. I knew I didn't want him carrying groceries now!! So I took two bags of groceries and the dog and he took one bag of groceries and the other of, well, .... and kept them very far apart from each other during the walk.
The entire walk home we cracked jokes about my over-eagerness. "Flash, if I get hit by this bus coming at us..."
"Mom, I'll get hit, too"
"No, Flash, between the dog, myself and the 400 pounds of groceries I'm carrying, we'll slow the bus down enough you can get out of the way. Just make sure you go home and finish your gifted homework. It's my dying wish afterall."
A block later....
"Flash? When you're older be sure you tell your children about the Great Milk Incident of 2009."
"What Great Milk Incident, Mom?"
"The one that's about to happen when that Jeep gets up the hill."
Closer to home...
"Flash? What is it about sunshine that makes me do these stupid things?"
"Do you think it's just the sunshine that's to blame, Mom?"
Of course we made it home just fine. And only one box of Rice Krispies took any damage at all. And we laughed and joked and enjoyed 52 degrees of sunshine in early February in Michigan.
It is a great day afterall.
By this afternoon the twitch started and before long I had recruited the boy and the eager dog to join me for a walk. I'm all about deftly handling two birds with one stone so I suggested the short walk to the store for some much-needed groceries.
Flash and Eli waited on the melting snow mounds at Lowe's while I walked over to our favorite market in the strip mall next door. We had come prepared, knowing we needed heavy things. Milk and cat food alone would notch up the cardio benefits on the way home but I had assured Flash I wouldn't try to get everything on the list. I'd be reasonable, I assured him, knowing we had to carry it all home. But once inside the market I found it hard not to complete the task at hand. Sure juice is heavy, but did I really want to make another trip out tomorrow? Of course I could get the produce another time, but I'm right here and Flash will help carry home. Cereal is bulky but I can't pass up a 2 for $7 deal!
I left the store and headed for the snow mound with two fuzzy heads protruding. Flash saw me coming with a bag on my shoulder (a big one), and a heavy bag on each arm and knew we were in trouble. I knew we were in further trouble when I realized Flash was now holding a bag of doggie-doo in his hand. I knew I didn't want him carrying groceries now!! So I took two bags of groceries and the dog and he took one bag of groceries and the other of, well, .... and kept them very far apart from each other during the walk.
The entire walk home we cracked jokes about my over-eagerness. "Flash, if I get hit by this bus coming at us..."
"Mom, I'll get hit, too"
"No, Flash, between the dog, myself and the 400 pounds of groceries I'm carrying, we'll slow the bus down enough you can get out of the way. Just make sure you go home and finish your gifted homework. It's my dying wish afterall."
A block later....
"Flash? When you're older be sure you tell your children about the Great Milk Incident of 2009."
"What Great Milk Incident, Mom?"
"The one that's about to happen when that Jeep gets up the hill."
Closer to home...
"Flash? What is it about sunshine that makes me do these stupid things?"
"Do you think it's just the sunshine that's to blame, Mom?"
Of course we made it home just fine. And only one box of Rice Krispies took any damage at all. And we laughed and joked and enjoyed 52 degrees of sunshine in early February in Michigan.
It is a great day afterall.
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