The Thompson Trials and Travels

Jason brought Zeke up this weekend because Jase had a job interview in Atlanta on Saturday and needed us to sit with the little one. Zeke had the croup and a runny nose and a cough and wasn't feeling well, at all. I dropped everything planned and spent Friday night and Saturday doing whatever he wanted...mostly watching Sponge Bob and Scooby Doo on dvd's in his bedroom, giving him his cough medicine and making him blow his nose! Jason said Zeke needed winter clothes so I bought enough to last him for 10 years...including a pair of moccasins that I found for a four year old who wears a kid size 11. He loved them, wore them all weekend, and even wanted to sleep in them. Highlight of my weekend...there were many. When Zeke gets out of the bathtub he wants you to wrap him up in a towel and hold him "like I'm a baby." I could hold him like that forever. I sleep in the bed with Zeke so we can "snuggle" as he calls it. When he woke up this morning, at 6 a.m., ...

Today is my wedding anniversary. Don and I have been married 20 years. I never, EVER, thought we would have made it this long. We've had a rollercoaster of a marriage...first years were great...the middle years were low...and now we seem to have gotten back on track. As much as he often drives me insane...I can't imagine my life without him. Money does not matter. "Things" do not matter. What matters is that you have someone to talk to and someone who listens. Someone who believes in you and someone you trust. Someone who is your cheerleader and someone who pushes you to be your best. Someone who understands you and someone who accepts you. Someone who makes you laugh and someone who holds you when you cry. There were horrible arguments and huge fights over the years, but I think the reason we have lasted this long is we learned to say "I'm not leaving" instead of "I'm leaving." It takes work. It takes patience. It takes putting someone bef...

Jason, Natalie, Zeke and Jude camped out to see a concert last weekend. I love it that they're so close even though divorced. I love it that they have a little of the 60's hippie in them. My child...my grandchild.

Zeke visited Friday night. He was supposed to have stayed the weekend and celebrate his 4 1/2 birthday, but he had plans and I understand his life is beginning to include friends and events. Jason brought him up last night and they left at 8:30 this morning. Zeke had a camping trip that he didn't want to miss. Due to our schedule; mine, Don's, Jason's, and now Zeke's, it's been about 7 weeks since we've seen him. He's changed so much. He opened all of his presents and slept in his new Spiderman tent last night, but the only thing he grabbed to take home with him was his new Spiderman glo w-in-the-dark underwear. Go figure. He is adorable.

Having a difficult time planning the upcoming wedding. Kyle and I are not agreeing on many things and have fought a lot lately. I wanted a large celebration...she wants a very small intimate group. I wanted steel drums during the ceremony...she wants her brother to play the guitar. I wanted a party for those who arrived early...she wants alone time. I ordered sparklers to light after the wedding...she doesn't like them. After many fights, I had to step back and realize that this isn't my wedding...it's hers. It's difficult when you're paying for everything and have little room for input, and when event planning is my profession, but I want her to be happy and not stressful. That's all that matters. I have no doubt the event will be flawless and she will be the happiest bride in the world. I may have to drink a lot in order to let things go the way she wants but it will be beautiful. Still struggling with the family. The only people I speak to are Milt and Mary....

Don left for a golf trip yesterday. Before he left he went to the bank, picked up the clothes from the cleaners...the dog's food from the vet...and ran other errands. I was a little surprised that he did all of this. He said that he ran the errands but I had to clean out a closet this weekend as a trade off. I would have rather ran the errands. You just don't go into a closet and start throwing things away. You have to pick everything up...look at them...decide if the items can be tossed or if they need to be kept. A lot went into trash bags...make up that, I swear, was from 1980...ribbons and paper that had been saved for years; six calculators that didn't work and nine remote controls that I don't even remember what they were originally intended for. In all of this mess, I found photos...photos from years ago when the snow storm hit in 1993. Kyle was playing with our Dalmatian, Tyson, in the snow and Don was shoveling the snow off of our driveway. Those photos are pri...

My little girl is getting married. Ten minutes ago she had a chocolate milk moustache...now she wears lipstick. Ten minutes ago she was drinking from a sippy cup...now she is drinking from a champagne flute. Ten minutes ago she was wearing footie pajamas...now she is wearing designer gowns. Ten minutes ago she was holding my hand...now she is letting it go. Ten minutes ago she was a 7 lb. baby...now she's 29 years old. You blink...and life is put on fast forward. Where did the time go? She has decided to marry a man that I would never have expected her to choose as her soul mate; eight years older, divorced, and the father of three children. Kyle had her life mapped out by the age of 12; graduate college, work for 5 years, meet someone, get married, and start a family by the age of 30. Her current scenario didn't fit into her plans...or in retrospect...perhaps it did. She graduated from college, worked for five years, met someone, will get married and will have her family by th...

Last night my brother Milton visited...unannounced. I am so glad that he feels comfortable in doing so. No worries...no barriers...finally. I watched as he played with our dog, Sam. Sam cautiously approached him then eventually was jumping all over him. Sam is a good judge of character; he recognizes good from evil. Zeke called. He reminded me that he wants a million presents for his 4 and 1/2 birthday party. (He wants an early birthday party. Why not...why should the celebration of a birth be limited to one day a year?) I told him that he could have a zillion presents if that's what he wants. As long as he is innocent and caring and loving, I will give him whatever he asks for. Life.......today it was good.