I spent most of the day at Kaitlin’s yesterday in celebration of Ollie turning two years old. This child has been in the world for two years, gosh. I sat and watched him and Emily play together and it was such a joy to see his enthusiasm and excitement while eating pretend food. He made smacking noises each time he had a bite and would finish his fake food with a refreshing, “aaahh” sound. Oh my gosh, I smiled so much. I could tell he was thoroughly enjoying himself and I loved watching his face. His smile is infectious. Emily also got in on the fun and happily kept handing Ollie carrots, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. She didn’t let him hold any of these items, I noticed, but he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. He’s a sweet child.
Kaitlin decorated the house in bear themed decor in nod to Ollie’s family nickname, Ollie Bear. She made gorgeous sugar cookies that I also thought were the best tasting she has ever made. The icing wasn’t overly sweet, it matched the cookie perfectly. My sister just keeps getting better and better at these cookies, she’s impressive. Kaitlin even had time to make the kids their own little bear outfits, including tail. At one point I asked Emily to turn around so I could take a picture of her tail and she promptly spun around and bent down so her butt was in the air in order to make sure I could see her tail. I laughed and appreciated her cooperation.
We opened presents, played in a pool filled with those plastic balls, and went on a walk around the cul-de-sac. Emily and Kevin sang a meatball song for us that was hilarious and sweet. Emily told me about her pretend dolphins that live in Cincinnati and when Kevin asked her to fill me in on what their names were she said, Coltie and Bob’s Shirt. Now, maybe I only heard Bob’s Shirt but in reality she said something else. I’ll never know because when I asked for confirmation, she agreed with me that she had said Bob’s Shirt. I got a kick out of it regardless of who came up with the name and we all laughed. Turns out she also has a made up friend she named Cannibal Bob. It’s unclear whether she actually said Cannibal or if Kevin heard her say something else and interpreted it as Cannibal. Either way, it’s pretty awesome and she’s sticking with it now. What a hoot.
The big gift of the day was Ollie’s very own toddler bike. Before dinner Ollie and Emily kind of sort of rode around a bit on their respective bikes. It was very slow going and I’m not sure either really liked it but they got some practice at least. Supposedly they won’t ever have to have training wheels because they’re learning the balance piece on their current bikes without wheels. What a neat concept.
My mom made delicious spaghetti and vegetables for dinner and I tried a lettuce and avocado salad for the first time which I quite liked. And I don’t generally love salad. But this was literally just lettuce, avocado, olive oil, and salt and pepper. I would totally make that for myself.
Before I left for the evening, Kaitlin read us two children’s books. The first, that she had gifted to Ollie earlier in the day but was unable to read to him because he’s a goer and the second, because it reminds her of me and my journey during and after my divorce. It’s a book called my heart and I had read it when living with Kaitlin right after my separation. I had completely forgotten about it. Kaitlin told me last night that she had read that book to Emily when I was in the room back in those dark days because she wanted me to hear the words. They were words she wanted to tell me. I am so appreciative that she read that book way back when because they were words I needed to hear. They gave me hope in a time that was really hopeless for me. Hearing and seeing that book again was both sad and incredibly uplifting. It brought back memories of utter loss but it also reminded me of how far I’ve come and how my relationship with Kaitlin has blossomed and strengthened. I am grateful for everyone who stepped up in my life this past year but I am forever grateful to Kaitlin. She is the first person I told about my problems with Gene and she supported me from the first very word I spoke. She opened her home and her heart to me and has been my pillar ever since. I am so lucky to have her in my life. Point is, I hope everyone has a person in their life like I do with Kaitlin and I also hope that everyone goes and reads that children’s book, my heart, because it is short but so poignant.
So that’s how I spent my Saturday, with people I love. ❤
Just Lauren 