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Mom gets a little too much 'alone time'
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Published: July 2, 2009
Actually, I later learned, he'd swam about two feet from his swim instructor to the stairs, but still.
It was a major achievement, a milestone on the long march to being a big boy.
And I wasn't there for it.
The boys have been staying with my parents in New Orleans for the past two weeks. My husband and I had the opportunity to spend a few days alone at the beach. We've roamed around our empty house, marvelling at how, once we've straightened up a room, it stays that way.
But mostly the house seems a little too quiet, and a little too clean.
The brief conversations over the phone each evening are sweet, but are also a reminder of all we're missing out on.
Ben caught his first fish, and then let it go.
Josh learned how to dive into a swimming pool without doing a painful belly flop each time.
Both boys have ridden four-wheelers, played golf, gone on playdates and eaten way too many bubble gum sno cones.
It's funny how, when the boys are here, I'm frequently desperate for a break, wishing for just a small slice of alone time.
Now that I have it, I can't wait until they get home. We'll sit on the porch and eat Popsicles, spend lazy days at the swimming pool and take walks around the block in the evenings.
The boys will be home tomorrow evening, and I'm planning to give them jars and let them chase fireflies in the front yard.
And I'll be there to see their giant grins as they capture them, and then set them free.
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