Cat's in the cradle

Slow morning. Getting home around 11:00 on Wednesday nights (yeah, it's earlier if I drive, not midnight like when I take the train), it takes me a while to wind down from the day and the commute. Thursday mornings, I'm quite exhausted. I luxuriated in sleeping in until nearly 8:00 (THANK YOU, ROCKETMOM!). The Painter called goodbye from the door, before being dropped off at school. That was 7:48. A few minutes later, I crawled out of bed.

The Inventor was on the couch: his morning ritual 30-60 minutes of Public Television and a cup of milk. I snuggled next to him, checked my email, then closed up my laptop, which was on the coffee table by the couch. I turned off the TV. D had made The Inventor some eggs, and a bagel. I said I'd join him for breakfast. But I took a shower first.

Then I kneeled down at the breakfast table to talk with him. The latest is he makes up words in different languages, like Painterish, and Inventorish, and Dadish, and Momish.

I like to go to the fun place. Jumpin' Jammin' is another name for the fun place. In Painterish, we call the fun place, blichercom. And in Inventorish we call the fun place, karigibub...

I get dressed, then sit to have my breakfast. It's 8:50 at this point. What an indulgent morning! The Inventor is getting ready to go with D to "the little park." Do you want to come with us, Daddy, to the park? Uh... no honey, I don't think daddy has time this morning. I've got to go to work.

[I've got more grading to do this morning. A quiz from Tuesday, and an assignment from last Thursday. I haven't touched them yet, since I was enthralled in grading the essay/interviews and another assignment from my Wednesday night class, so I could hand them back last night. No way I'll get all the Thursday assignments back. Maybe I'll just grade the quizzes, so I have something to return. Then there's the first test from last Wednesday's class, that I haven't touched yet. Does it end? With 73 students, it seems not to.]

The cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon...
and as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
he'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me...

I finished eating, packed up my things, and got in the car. I saw them on the way, walking (I pass "the little park" everyday on my way to the office). [HONK HONK] You want a lift? I played with my beautiful boy for a few minutes at the park, before heading into the office. I just wanted to.