Mommy and Me Weekend...

Yesterday was such a busy day with Brian that I was wishing today was spent recovering!  We had so much fun and packed a lot in!

In the morning, the two of us drove to Chestnut Hill, Pa - one of my favorite little cities.  I had found a Changing Table on Craig's List that I wanted for our bedroom so I thought we could pick it up and then make a day out of it.

Our first stop was Jenks Park, which is a super cool (and very big!) wooden playground.  Brian tried EVERYTHING out (and was really brave on some rope ladders he's previously been afraid of!)...

But we spent 75% of our time in their sandbox.  It had dump trucks and a big castle toy and it was really hard to pry him out of there - well - until...

...he suddenly announced that he had to go "pee pee."  And I really didn't know where the nearest bathroom was or how much time I had to figure it out.  But then he told me.  

"Mama.  I have to go "pee pee" right now."

Oh boy.

Oh wait!

Oh BOY!!

I pulled him out of the sandbox... left the playground... went down a woodsy path... walked into a corner against a brick wall... and let him go.  How cool (and convenient) is it to be a boy?

And then, we were back to the sandbox.

Around lunchtime, Granny came to meet us!  We walked to her favorite pizza place in town and had a fun lunch together.  My Mom is embarking on a very brave, very exciting trip today - she left on a two week trip to Ireland!!  I'm so happy for her - and so impressed.  It's a group trip, but she really only knows two people.  My Mom and Dad used to travel a lot - especially when I was a flight attendant and they could fly for free.  I'm thrilled that she's doing this for herself.  If I wasn't pregnant - I might have considered tagging along!  I'm definitely going to miss our daily chats while she's away!

As a side note, Brian is obsessed with his Granny.  (Can't say I blame him!)  Every night since Gavin's death I have had to lay with him and "re-tell" the story about how Gavin died and why.  He obviously thinks about it a lot in between because he often surprises me with details he remembers.  The ventilator sound... the urine bag from the catheter... the stop sign on Gavin's hospital door... the IV in his arm.  The other night he surprised me when he asked me if Granny was going to die soon.  I asked why he was asking me that and he told me, "Because she's old and old people die."  And then that was followed with, "Was Gavin old?"  Every night it's a tricky dance.  I don't want to lie to him and say that no one dies until they're old, because we know the unfortunate truth.  But I don't want to burden him with worry that people around him will leave him to go to Heaven!  These nightly conversations are emotionally draining... but I feel so honored that he trusts me to open up and share what's on his heart.  Hopefully I'm doing and saying the right things that won't scar him for life.  And I really hope he is always able to share his feelings - with me and with other important people in his life down the road.

After lunch, I wanted to take Brian to my favorite toy store in town.  The kind of toy store where you find real unique things that you don't often see in Toys r Us.  I told Brian I'd buy him any one toy he wanted (within reason - the final decision being mine, of course) and, on his own, he chose an umbrella!  Yes... an umbrella!

He couldn't wait to get home and made me promise that I'd "make it rain."

But he'd have a little while to wait... because first we went to the movies!  The two of us saw Disney's "Planes" and we loved it.

Brian loves going to the movies so I'm always so excited when a new children's movie comes out.  We shared a lemonade and Lifesavers and you'd have thought he won the lottery.  He can be so easy to please.

And as soon as we got home, I kept my promise.  Brian stood in Gavin's garden by his bench and anxiously waited...

...and Mommy made it rain.  He could have done this for hours.  And, quite honestly, listening to his laugh convinced me that I could have done this for hours, too.

Today was also fun!  Brian and I spent the afternoon at one of my childhood friend's house.  Lizanne and I reconnected through this blog, of all things, and she has three children - not too far in age from Brian.  She had us over for lunch and then the kids were set loose to play outside where Brian was introduced to the "Super Soaker."  We're in trouble now!  It's all he's talked about since we got home!

Now we're home and "Mommy and Me Weekend" is over... and Daddy is back from his getaway... and I need a long, long nap.