Weekend

Friday, over burgers, I asked Mark his hopes and dreams for Saturday.

He said he was getting a haircut and would go grocery shopping with me.  I told him I didn't want him to go grocery shopping with me.  He said, "Oh good, because I didn't really want to go."

It was a very amicable exchange, but he's fired from grocery shopping with me.  He gets cranky and impatient.  I told him other things he could do for me instead.  (Dishes, clean up the basement, bring in the couch cushions off the deck (the snow has finally melted and they were dry).  He happily did all those things and I happily didn't have an ill-tempered grocery shopping partner.

I stayed up late Friday night wrapping the books for my students.  It didn't need to be done yet, but I had nervous energy to burn and it was something to cross off the list.  I talked to Adam (in Orlando) before I went to bed and he asked why I was still awake and it was because my mind was spinning with all the things and I couldn't settle it.

I was glad on Saturday when I created the mother of all lists and I sorted out all the tasks and assigned them times and I got a lot done and felt like I could breathe.

I went grocery shopping (alone).  If you ever want to feel a part of something, go grocery shopping the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  The produce, dairy and meat sections were clogged.  Standing room only. Everyone was jockeying overloaded carts, trying to buy all the things.  I walked down the aisle to get the gluten free taco seasoning and I was the only person in the aisle.  We are all eating the same thing this week!  What a great time to be American!

In the line, which was really long so I had time on my hands, I tried to guess whether people were hosting Thanksgiving or being a guest for Thanksgiving based on what was in their carts.  

Besides the tasks I assigned him, Mark spent a good part of Saturday shopping for Christmas presents.  For the first time in his life, he has extra money to spend on gifts and he is reveling in it.  He was telling me about his gifts for Braeden and Anna and Eleanor and Emma and I said, "You're very generous, but you don't need to spend so much money on gifts."

He looped his arm over my shoulder and said, "I'm my mother's son."

It is true.  Gifts are my love language and I love picking out gifts.  Also, two thumbs way up that he is shopping in November.  Maybe he inherited more than curly hair and a proclivity to crankiness from me.

Sunday Adam flew home from Orlando.  He made it for the second talk in sacrament meeting (the guy got up very early).  We were happy to have him home.  Emma didn't come over because she was under the weather, but Adam and Mark built with Legos.  

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving week with many of my people; I'm bracing myself for the ways an impending school break riles up the children.