So, funny happenstance, Elisabeth’s D&D Dungeon Master and their partner recently moved into our apartment complex, literally the apartment building right across from ours. Sometimes I am amazed at how small our world is. And while them living near us is, in itself, pretty great, what I’m really excited about is that they gave me their new computer chair Thursday night. The chair didn’t work out for them so they asked Elisabeth if she could use it, and Elisabeth immediately thought of me. My current computer chair is….old. I’ve had it since I moved to Colorado 8 years ago and while I figure computer chairs should hold up this long I think maybe my butt is just too bony and my thighs too sticky that I kind of destroyed the chair. The plastic fabric part of the chair is completely coming off, and has been for years now. I’ll stand up and there will be little black chunks of fabric sticking to my legs. So when Elisabeth asked if I wanted to try out this new chair I jumped at the chance. Yes, please! It worked out great and now I have a new, cushy, beautiful computer chair. In a week I should have the new desks I ordered too and then my whole office space will come together. Woot! I think I might have Elisabeth take some pictures of me in my old chair just for fun before I trash it.
Yesterday, I met up with my friends at a park and spent five hours with them. It was wonderful. I do wish we were at the point where we could all be in indoor spaces together but I’ll just have to wait longer. I made biscotti for everyone and was really pleased when I was able to successfully throw bisotti to anyone who wanted one. I’m not an athletic person by any means, never played a sport, and so those kind of agility moves – throwing, catching – make me a bit nervous as I’m not usually very good at them. But somehow, yesterday, I was a pro at throwing chunks of crunchy cookie at people. Everyone was really encouraging about it too which made me feel great… and also nervous because I didn’t want to miss a throw. But I didn’t!
After hanging out with my friends, I took a quick break and then headed over to Kaitlin’s to help watch the kids while Kaitlin and Kevin went out to celebrate their anniversary. I enjoyed myself over there too. While my parents were preparing dinner, I was pushing Emmy and Ollie in their swings and just having a blast. Both of them kept asking to go higher so I would run over to one of them, pretend like I was using all my strength to push them as high as I could, and then I’d run over to the other one and do the same. It was hilarious and they loved it. Listening to their laughter is such a mood boost. They eventually got down and Emmy went to help Maw-Maw with dinner. I came in soon after and watched Emily tear up cheese and drop it in the pasta pot. Then, when Maw-Maw wasn’t looking, she ate a bit of cheese, almost sneakily, instead of putting it in the pot. I don’t think she realized I had seen her. I just smiled. After about 30 seconds, and once she was done putting in the rest of the cheese, she admitted to Maw-Maw that she had eaten a couple bites of cheese. I laughed and laughed. I had been wondering if she was going to tell.
We ate dinner outside and my mom sang the peanut butter and jelly song (“You take the peanuts and you smash them, you smash them”). Ollie was so enthralled, he kept asking her to sing it over and over again. My dad and I got in on it too and were singing along, having a fun time. After dinner, the kids took a bath and I watched them as my parents took a bit of a break. Ollie is such a little troublemaker, he kept trying to splash the water even though I had asked him not to. And then he kept trying to drink the water even though I told him no. And every time I would say, “Don’t do that, Ollie,” he’d look me straight in the eyes, get a giant grin, and start laughing. I do love him and it was very hard to not smile and laugh right back. I’m pretty sure I did at one point. I also took away the lid he was using to drink water though, I had warned him. I don’t envy Kaitlin and Kevin having to raise that one.
So I had a really fantastic Saturday and look forward to having a slightly more relaxing but just as fantastic, Sunday!
Just Lauren 