Oh, I love this little boy! We got to see him yesterday for the first time in several months (seems like forever) and although I understand that he won’t remember much later on about his life up to now, he certainly does remember US every time he sees us, no matter how much time has passed. (That was even the case when he was a wee thing!)
As Quinn says, “I’m a big boy now.”
John (mistakenly) got me up at 5am yesterday (Easter) morning. The plan was 6am, but he set his alarm wrong and so…5am. Holy crap. But it was probably for the best because it gave us some coffee time before getting ready to head out and catch the ferry. It rained most of the trip, which was disappointing, especially after having a couple of days of nice springy weather. We were well down the road when I said, “Oh, crap. We forgot Quinn’s Easter basket.” It was an outing to gather together all of its components, and we left it on the counter! I was so mad at myself. CRAP.
So, we hunted for a grocery store in Everett and found a Wal-Mart that ended up being FAR WORSE than the one in Shelton! (Unbelievable!) Blech! It was dirty, it was messy, it was godawful! (Makes me realize that, in spite of the often strange patronage, the Shelton Wal-Mart is actually quite nice and CLEAN). And, of course, no more pre-made Easter baskets nor even Easter candy/little toys to gather, plus no plain baskets to do so. Then we hunted for a Safeway (because we also needed to get a pie and ice cream) and was only able to find some candy and a gift bag. Also scored on the pie and ice cream. (We also brought along a nice ham—at least we remembered that).
What a great meal it was. The ham was so flavorful, and Sandra made gobsmacking sides—I didn’t realize what a fantastic cook she is. A vegetable dish with tiny round potatoes sliced in half, roasted in olive oil, then tossed with small-cut asparagus and sautéed garlic and herbs and cheese. And a salad with baby spinach, thinly sliced cucumbers and apples and strawberries tossed in (I think) a balsamic dressing with toasted nuts and feta. Oh my. And then a little later, a small slice of marion berry pie and a couple dollops of ice cream. Everything was delicious! We also watched a Disney movie (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) and it was so good! (Streaming tears? Who, me?) It was a good day, with Quinn giving John a “tour” of the back yard (after slipping on his boots) — “That’s my dirt. That’s my rocks. That’s my ball and bat. That’s my fence. That’s my squirrel.” I’d worried that he might be missing his daddy (I believe this is the first lengthy “away” Nate has done since Quinn was born), but he seemed quite pragmatic about it. “Daddy’s at WORK. He’s on a SHIP.” They’ve been able to talk to Nate on the phone a few times per week, and I’m sure that has helped a lot! Apparently he’ll be porting in San Diego sometime this week, but they won’t be able to leave the base. He’s due back home mid-month or so.
Papa was a jungle gym!
