This weekend, whilst Steve has been in constant pain, I have been in mild discomfort. But somehow, life got…slightly organized.

Steve and I are both achy, but his back is full-blown labor pain, and my body is more post labor, sore in a positive way. Today I went for 2 walks with Lemon. That kid is the easiest kid in a stroller I have ever seen. He just loves witnessing life.

So I ate too much oatmeal this weekend and have been hurrying to the bathroom (too much fiber). I have emptied or consolidated boxes and have 20 on the front porch. I got my beloved NordicTrak together and ordered a lost part. Poor Paco, his room is still a mess. But Tommy follows him around everywhere. He just wants to be close to his brother. This week, perhaps I can attack his room.

The gods of laundry arrived and the clean laundry was mounting higher and higher on the sofa. Steve had nowhere to sit. I meanly assigned Steve to help me fold, and fold, and fold, and fold. The kids play area looks like a big closet. Piles of laundry exist based on who may wear them (Paco steals my socks, I steal Steve’s Argentina t-shirts). The laundry is folded.

The ups and down of health and work are a challenge. Steve is loving his new job, but his back is at its worst. For me, the need to step up and carry more boxes is helping me. Without the responsibility of boxes and children, I would not be moving. Moving is what Avastin needs. It is achy to get out of bed, or get up from a sofa, but once I move, I feel better. Without those boys, I would be watching TV as much as I could.

I walked 1.5 miles twice today. Not bad for me. The first time was to pick up my favorite soap. The second, was to give Steve an hour of peace. Paco walked with me and we went to Rite Aid for ice cream. Steve got worried. I think he just wished we had driven so we could bring him back some chocolate malted crunch.

Walking with those boys was the highlight of my day. Paco and I have not had a good chat like this in ages. And Lemon was quiet for once. But then, he was preoccupied with the ice cream cone. I loved telling Paco about Thrifty when I was a kid. How much was a triple? $0.35 cents. I used to get a mint chip and rainbow sherbet (yuck, but $0.25)). We could always get our dad to take us there. And even Babs had her weaknesses. My father’s birthday was yesterday, I listened to classical music most of the day. He would have been 74. Things are as they are meant to be, and I got to walk to ice cream with my son. The last six to seven years of his life, my dad could not walk. So pushing a stroller and holding Paco’s hand today just seemed…a true gift, a true miracle, and an activity to force me to appreciate where I am and what I have.