A Lady I Know

Let me tell you about a lady I know. A lady I met about 10 years ago, who was dating my boyfriend’s brother and had just graduated from the same university I was attending with my future hubby.  Someone whose warm smile welcomed me into a family we would both marry into. A person I would have been friends with happily. And did become friends with, easily. All family should be so cherished.

And understanding. Though the trip had been planned for over a month for Annie, Reina, and Liam to visit us while Bill and Andrew drove to Richmond, VA to meet up with Ryan at a NASCAR racing rendezvous, the craziness of having our house on the market had not begun. And yet, without being forewarned, the easy breezy good-natured lady Annie took it all in stride as we were kicked out of the house for a showing during naptime for Liam on Saturday. She stayed calm and positive (as always) as we scrambled to clean up and get the kids out of the house and to the zoo in the sweltering heat. Such a trooper.

Free parking by the dumpsters. Yeah, dawg.

Bird house. Annie’s un-favorite.

Milo’s un-favorite since he spent most of the time in time-out for throwing stuff at the peacock.

Any thoughts on the matter, Oliver?

And yet, with the scrambling and cleaning and fitting four carseats (three in one row, all by herself) into her car, Annie was so aw-whatever-this-is-no-problem-I-do-this-supermom-thing-every-day that I started to relax a bit more even with an impending Sunday open house looming in the future. More importantly, our kids managed to have quite a bit of fun… as much fun as two first-born youngters under the age of four can have while both trying to control the outcome of various pretend games and toy manipulations.

Reina reigning…

hugging…

watering…

…and hamming.

Thank you, Annie, for being you. And Reina. And Liam. And Billy. Even though you and Andrew returned from your brothers’ night beaten, bleeding, dirty as heck, and stinking to high heaven.

“The daddies are home!!!!!”