Dear Mom-E

Dear Mom-E,

It was a wonderful weekend celebrating both Father's Day and our 6th wedding anniversary. A lot has changed for us in the last 10 years (that's putting it gently).

After Big Brother's (tired) screaming fit in the car over a pb cracker that he neither wanted to hold, eat, nor put back in the bag (hey, let's just throw it at Mom-E), we were definitely ready for their "date" with Gramm-E and Grampap.

We had a nice date of our own (I think it was our first true date since our last anniversary). We had some good italian food and cheesecake. We enjoyed a meal without having to coax someone back to the table to eat, and pick up anything someone threw on the floor. We also enjoyed that nobody yelled at the table, the dog didn't pester us to go pee, and no loads of laundry finished as we sat down to eat.

Then we saw Angels & Demons, which both of us read during our honeymoon (can someone beam us back there?). Bab-E was kind enough to ease up on the tiredness to allow you to stay awake through the entire movie (I guess that obstinate child finally listened to our pleas to give you productive energy in the evening). That was the first non-Dinsey/Pixar film I've seen in the theater in a awhile. In fact, I'd almost forgot they still make movies that are not fully animated.

After the movie, we enjoyed a realxing evening at a historic home turned b&b. You actually got to play a little with your "laptop puter" that I got Big Brother you for Mother's Day.

We enjoyed a quiet breakfast together. Again, I'd almost forgot what it was like to sit through an entire meal uninterruped. We both got to read the comics instead of putting them aside on the counter for "later", where later means recycle them a few days later because we didn't have time to read them.

After getting ready for church, we still had 20 minutes to spare. What does one do with such extra time? We sat in chairs under a fan, stunned and in disbelief. We enjoyed going back to the church where we were married. Except that they just started rennovating the sanctuary, and we met instead in the gym. (I love the pictures of you in your wedding dress doing that reverse, 360 dunk. Man, do you got game, woman.)

After church, we went back to join Big Brother, Little Brother, Gramm-E, Pap-Pap, Aunt-E, Uncl-E, and Little Cousin at their neighborhood's pool. Although the relative peace and silence of our date was enjoyable for awhile, I think we both felt a palpable void (even if that void consists of two very active hurricanes). Our lives are not our own anymore, nor would we want them to be. An occasional date is nice, but I think we both prefer the joyful chaos of those two boys. We had tremendous fun playing in the pool and overindulging on good food. We remembered to avoid using spray-on sunscreen and no one got sun-burned.

Thank you for taking a chance on me/us some 10 years ago (even though Pap-Pap originally said it wasn't going to work). You came into my life like a shooting star, and I've never been the same (nor have you). You're my love and truly my best friend. I'm thankful that we approach marriage like a equal partnership. We work together on everything--cooking, cleaning, laundry, yardwork, child-raising--and not just because we "have to" in order to survive. You are constant and unwavering in your beliefs, which is inspiring. You have and still do make me want to be a better person. You are your own harshest critic, which is both a strength and a weakness. You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to because of your work ethic. You're a wonderful mother, wife, and career woman, setting a positive example for the kids (especially because they're boys). In short, you've still got it going on, girl.

There isn't anyone else I'd rather have sitting by my side in this roller coaster of life. (Let's just put the kids in the seats in FRONT of us, in case they throw-up).

I love you,
Busy-Dad-E