Responsible

My dad is on his way to recovery.  He was sitting in a chair out of his hospital bed this morning when I went to visit.  He had eaten his breakfast and brushed his teeth.  Definitely on the upswing.  The doctors want him up and walking around now.  He wasn’t ready to do it while I was there so I made him promise he’d do it when my sister arrived. Waiting to hear from her if he followed through!

He was gazing out the window talking about what a beautiful day it looked like outside and he was right!  Memorial Day weekend started off a bit rainy, but today, the weather was perfect.  Tomorrow is expected to be the same which is great for the Memorial Day Parade and Duck Races in town.

When we knew how nice the weather was supposed to be, DJ had asked us if he could take Drew to a Somerset Patriot Game today.   They are a minor league baseball team about 45 minutes from our house.  Dave and I debated about letting him take him without us.  It would be his first drive on the highway since getting his license without one of us being in the car with him.  There were two options for him to get there.  One required driving on two highways, and the other was to take Route 22.  If you aren’t from this area, you would not understand the apprehension we have with Route 22.  The best word to describe it would be chaotic.  There are cars merging on and off of it from the left and right.  Jug handles and u-turns every few miles.  There are center islands with many stores, and cars pulling out from all directions.  Traffic lights every few minutes.  Total mayhem!  I have been driving for over 25 years and I still don’t like driving on it!  You have to be aggressive enough, but not overly aggressive at the same time.

Last night, we discussed it and I told him we had to make a decision, either Route 22 where he could drive 45 mph or the two highways with higher  speeds, more traffic and no lights to slow him down.  So after some debate and asking DJ what he thought, the choice was Route 22.  I went to bed a little nervous but feeling like we made the right choice.  He’s going to have to do it sooner or later and I can’t let my nervousness stop him.

This morning, they got up and were getting ready to leave when a text came in from my brother offering him two tickets to The Met’s Game.  So, the decision making began again.  Letting him take Drew to Citi Field by train(s) or sticking to the original plan and going to the minor league game.  I have let DJ go to plenty of Mets’ Games by train, it was having Drew tag along with no adult supervision that made me nervous.  The only problem with making the decision this time, was that I had to do it on my own since Dave was playing in a soccer game and I couldn’t reach him before they’d have to leave.

I finally decided to let them go see the Mets.  They aren’t little kids.  They are totally capable and I know this. Kids who grow up in the city travel this way all of the time.  They sent me a message when they got there and took a photo for me to see their seats.   I love when they spend time together.  Their five year age span sometimes makes this a challenge.  Drew tries so hard to to get DJ to spend time with him and he loves it when he does.  I know they are having a great time.  I have to give them more opportunities to do things like this.  In just over a year, DJ will be going to college and depending how far away he goes, their time together cold be limited so I need to let them enjoy it while they can!

 

Family and Friends make for a perfect Sunday

Today we celebrated my cousin Bella’s 8th birthday.  Actually, I guess she is my second cousin since she is the daughter of my cousin Jason.  Having just boys in my house, I love being a part of theses “girlie” parties.  I was always such a girlie girl growing up.  Bella had a dance party and I was there as a guest but also to take photos for them.

The music was fun and perfect for a group of screaming, giggly little girls!  They even had a fashion show to end the day complete with boas and pompoms!  After the party, I went home to get some school work done and went to a house warming shower for a good friend.  It was really nice to see her smiling after a rough couple of months.  I am so happy to see her happy and in her own home after being homeless for several months.  She and her daughters were fortunate to be living with some friends for those months, but I know that she is relieved to have a place to call their own.

My own kids and Dave had soccer and baseball games throughout the day so I was on my own for most of it and tonight, I went to dinner at my aunt and uncle’s new home to continue celebrating Bella’s birthday.  They just moved in and I hadn’t had the chance to see it yet.  It is a beautiful new condo and I wish them as much happiness there as they had in their last home.

I brought my grandma up too.  My uncle is recovering from surgery and she was anxious to see him.  I think it was good for both of them, her, to realize that he is doing okay, and him to see how much love he has in his family who were all gathered with him.  There was so much laughter at the dinner table.  Just eight of us, but it reminded me so much of dinners growing up.  With six of us in my family and always a friend or two at dinner, the conversation was never at a lull and everyone had to speak louder and louder to be heard over each other.

That’s what it was like tonight.  It would be so wonderful if none of us had work constraints that kept us from doing this more often.  But, as always, life seems to get in the way and we often find ourselves too busy to do things like this.  Bella begged me to find a night that Drew and DJ would be home so that we could get together for dinner.  I promised her that we would.  They are crazy about their cousins and it makes me so happy because growing up, that’s how we felt about our own cousins.  We are so fortunate to have grown up living near each other and our children now have that same opportunity.  Even the huge age span doesn’t seem to stop them from having a great time when we all get together.  The biggest challenge is just finding the time!