The Family Room

Monday, June 2, 2008 at 10:26pm

My house Jun 2.

There's a room in my house called the family room. Right now there is

a big pink 'princess castle' tent sitting right in the

middle of it. I was going to move it but it was going to be tricky.

There's a mattress from Anderson's old toddler bed sticking half way out of the

tent's door. Inside there are 2 bears, 2 rabbits, a pink puppy in cheerleader

clothes, a ladder truck, 2 babies and a great white shark.

The rest of the room is surprisingly clean. Usually there's a pile of

pillows in front of the old couch that someone has been jumping in to.

Occasionally there is a fashion runway leading away from the tent lined

with Barbies gazing on in plastic admiration. Tonight I couldn't see any sippy

cups dripping grape juice on to the carpet either. There are lots of signs

hanging on the walls though, drawn in crayon, taped to the plaster. "Come to a

party in the Castle", and each word appears to use as many fonts and colors as

there are letters.

I missed the party tonight. But I got home in time to tuck the partiers in, give a

few kisses, and celebrate a few milestones.

Drew got her cast off today, and Janet already has it tucked away in one of the

10 thousand time capsules scattered around the house. Parker is reading

a new series of chapter books, all about mermaids and faeries. I told her when I

was her age I liked the same kind of books, but the boy versions with dragons

and wizards.

Whenever I called Anderson 'Mr. Anderson' tonight, which I do an awful lot, he

would address me back as 'Mr. Dad', and he knew it was pretty funny. That's

new.

I was on my way to bed when I went in to the family room to turn off

the lights. What I saw was a little still life of today that I didn't want to

forget, so I'm putting it down on paper. There. It's done. Now I can

turn the lights out on the family room for tonight. There will be more

milestones tomorrow. I just didn't want to forget today's, and I'm unbelievably

grateful to the universe for letting me be here for them.