It was a long fun week here at Home, Crap Home.
On Saturday I flew to Connecticut, and on Sunday we drove down here with her two children and they spent the week here and left this morning to go back to their dad’s for Easter. As a life long bachelor and curmudgeon, the house is really quiet and I haven’t even yelled at Thurston for barking.
We had a whole list of stuff that I wanted to do with the kids, go to Oglebay Zoo and see the otters, take them to the Carnegie Science center, and so on, but I had forgotten how good Bethany is for kids. They were content playing with the lacrosse sticks, walking to the park and getting filthy in the creek, riding bikes, and chasing Thurston and Rosie. Gerald (my neighbor and the fix it guy who did so much on my house) took them fishing with his kids, and they liked that a lot, too.
They are from urban and suburban areas in NY and CT., so this was the first place they had ever been where they could just look to mom and say “We’re going to the park” and then just go on their own. I’d forgotten how important that is when you’re a kid, that feeling of freedom and independence. I’m hoping they are going to come back for a couple weeks this summer.
Thurston has been moping around the house looking for them, and at one point today I could not find him and he was up on the third floor sleeping in one of their beds. At any rate, if mom approves maybe I will post a picture of them later on. I did finally figure out you don’t need to worry about what you make for them- just don’t cook anything for yourself and eat what they don’t- they’ll find something they like and eat it.
One thing that was amazing is that they were very intuitive with the pets. Rosie never really growled, they were rougher with Thurston, and they treated Lily like a dainty lady. William loved Steve and would close himself into the bathroom downstairs every morning (I have to feed him in a separate room to keep Thurston away), open the cat food, give it to Steve, and then sit there and pet him the whole time he ate. Steve really liked it. When they were leaving his mother asked him if she said good bye to Steve, and he said “I had some quality time with him this morning.” I forget that even though kids are young, they are still little people.
ABC hung some curtains and did some more decorating, so when I clean up a bit and have some good light I will take some pictures. We repainted the dining room and I have not shown you that yet.
How was your week?