BBQ & "BobBob"

There’s nothing that reinvigorates a mom like a night out with friends. Our community hosts a local BBQ and beer tasting this time of year or “BrewBQ.” Our good friends Dustin and Jill joined us at the annual fest. Last year we were unable to attend as it was the weekend of Sidney’s baptism, and she was in no way ready to stay with my parents for the night. Yesterday, Tom and I were happy for a break. His schedule has reached a crazy number of hours between his regular job and our business, so it was good to spend some time together. Prior to going to the BrewBQ, we spent a good part of the day hanging out eating by ourselves, drinking good coffee (I am a huge coffee drinker, so this was great!),and shopping. We actually got to spend time in Barnes & Noble minus any children. This was a little slice of heaven.


The kids were transplanted to my parent’s house for the evening. They are less than an hour away. Eli was more than happy to take a break from Mom and Dad and commented that we needed to leave. He thought we were hanging around a bit too long when dropping them off. Sidney did beautifully without getting upset about sleeping overnight at “BobBob” and “JeanJean’s” house. She can retain their names but not a full Grandpa Bob and Grandma Jean. Eli always includes their first name, because they have 6 grandparents. Remarriage on Tom’s side has created more grandparents and cousins, who my kids love spending time with.

Sidney has developed a really neat relationship with my dad. He spent extensive time in Asia when he was in the military, so he understands much about the environment she might have come from. She has internalized this. My dad was the person who accurately guessed the correct clothing sizes for Sidney prior to travel and gave us tips on small things, like telling us to feed her from a bowl. She also loves being around my mom, but if Bob is in the room, she makes a straight line for his lap. Eli is equally the same way with my mom and adores my dad.

I can’t express how important family support has been in the last few months. It’s important under normal circumstances. Whether it is sitting with us during those long hours of surgery or simply listening. It is essential. It is easier to rationalize a lot of things that feel out of your control when you have a listening ear.

Off to start another week. Here’s hoping for an early bedtime. Sidney refused to nap for my mom. There was too much fun to be had, like playing with the very large Dora house my mom found at a garage sale complete with pool and characters or going to the park.