We went to the beach yesterday for the day. For more than two hours, Hubby and I did nothing. I didn’t even bring my phone. No email, no Twitter, no nothing. Just playing in the sand and watching Freebird and Baba O’Riley fill buckets with water and play on the beach.

It was like having something inside my stomach slowly unwind and relax. So perfect. I have to remind myself that a day trip is easy, it’s only an hour away, and we can in fact travel light. Well, light-ish.

I love the beach.

Things I am happy about:

Obama today signs a presidential memorandum extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers.

I slept really really well.

Freebird talked to me this morning about school, and told me he is good at hugging his friends and his friends like him. He was very proud for being a good hugger. I told him this is an important thing to be good at, and good hugs are wonderful.

Freebird really is good at hugging.

Baba O’Riley came to greet me at school when I picked him up yesterday, and grabbed my keys. Then he said, “Look, I have keys!”
Me: “You going to drive?”
Baba: “Yes. Drive.”

That is excellent news for everyone in the household. I call shotgun.

I am listening to Hubby explaining to Freebird that the reason Darby from My Friends Tigger and Pooh isn’t in any of his older Pooh book is because Pooh and Tigger hadn’t met Darby yet. She’s a new friend.

Neither is Lumpy, the oddly British-sounding elephant (not that being British is odd), in the older books. Freebird is very confused about this absence of characters.

Baba, meanwhile, is singing the alphabet. But only through “G.”

I had a thing after work last night - a reading of romance fiction at Lady Jane’s Salon in SoHo - and as a result I got home after the boys went to bed. And I left before they woke up. So I haven’t seen Freebird or Baba since Sunday night. In my mind, that is a long ass time.

I miss my dudes!

Traveling this year for book promotion and the like is going to be tough. 

Friday was awesome. I ordered balloons (in GIRL colors - which I never get to do with two dudes) and we brought in Boston Market and we feasted. There was also cake, and thus Baba O’Riley has a new favorite food.

Saturday was errands and house hanging.

Sunday was awesome. We decided to each spend some time solo with each boy and allow Freebird to skip his nap. He was exhausted at the end of the day but he was SO much fun. He’s so good at playing by himself and becoming absorbed in his activities that I forget he would probably love time with just one of his parents - and he did. He and I went to fetch our grocery order (order online, pick up at the store, save about 90 minutes and pay $10 extra, or $5 with the coupon in the mail = LOVE) and then to CVS to pick out a new toothbrush for him. He insisted on carrying the basket through the store for me. Then he and I cleaned out Mommy’s Car and Daddy’s Car. He was so into crawling all over the car and deciding whether something was trash (very likely) or a toy to be saved for later car rides. I would have taken him to get a car wash and interior vacuum, but it was raining and would have been a waste of money. Maybe in next month’s budget we’ll wash Mommy’s car and watch it go through the car wash.

I also took time both days to work out and am profoundly proud of myself for that.

While I always have piles and piles of work to do, I have to make myself stop and put the computer down and away, and let myself cross stitch quietly, or hang out with my dudes one at a time or together. Yesterday was wonderful. Note to self: do it again. 

At some point, Freebird learned what those balloon wobbly things are on my belly.

“Boobalies!”

Sounds like a Japanese candy, don’t it?

Yesterday, Freebird was down for a nap, and I was in the shower. When I was done, I heard him saying, “I have to pee, I have to pee!” We’re still in the phase of potty training wherein any announcement of the need to go is met with hurrying, so I went into his room, scooped him out of bed and brought him into the bathroom.

I was without apparel at this time, which isn’t a big deal to me, except for the following conversation:

Freebird: Mommy! What are those?
Me: What are what?
Freebird: Those! On your tummy!
Me: What?
Freebird: They are wobbly!
Me: Wobbly?
Freebird: They look like balloons!
Me: Balloons?
Freebird: Yes! Wobbly balloons!
Me: Yup.
Freebird: But what are they! They have a red on them!
Me: A red?
Freebird: It’s a circle!
Me: I see. Ok, back to bed with you.
Freebird: MOMMY! YOU HAVE A GIRL ON YOUR TUSHY!
Me: Yup. Sure do. (a tattoo if you hadn’t guessed)
Freebird: Wow.

I didn’t want to tell him the name because I knew he’d walk up to all the women around him and tell them they had wobbly balloons that are called breasts, so I let me focus on my tattoo instead. Yeah, I’m a wussy.

With wobbly balloons.