Daniel didn't hear it, really!

Hanna was asleep on the sofa this afternoon, while I was packing for the kids to spend the night with my sister tonight. I'd been running around all day, doing laundry, so Daniel's new pj's were washed so he could take those, painting our "chow box", making scalloped potatoes for the dinner following a funeral at our church this evening, and.. getting ready to attend the funeral. I could NOT find Hanna's shoes for church in the morning, and John said, "wake her up and ask her." Yeah, that'd be productive. She'd say, "I don't know." And, if I told her to go look, she'd stand in the doorway to her closet and say "I can't find them." Simply because they didn't jump up and land in her hands! It is against her nature to bed down and search. Yes.. search, because at the moment her closet is a disaster area! I told John, "I'm sure they're in her closet, but it looks like her dresser barfed in there!" John laughed, and asked Daniel, who was sitting on his lap quietly, "Did the dresser barf in Hanna's closet?" Daniel replied "I didn't hear it. Really, Mommy, I didn't hear the dresser barf!" Well, that broke my frustration level anyway, and threw a tremendous amount of humor into the mix! The kids had been asking since the moment they woke up, "Is it time to go to Caity's?" They were so looking forward to a sleep over with my sister, and their 9 year old cousin, Caity!

John and I took advantage of the evening without children, and rather than attending the meal after the funeral we attended for our dear, departed friend Rick, we decided to go out to eat. I've been wanting shrimp, so we went to Cedar River Seafood. It was very good, and I now have a new favorite place for stuffed mushrooms. They're stuffed with crabmeat and cheese, and dipped in batter and fried! MMmmmmm... so good! I ordered the fried shrimp, with baked potato and okra and tomatoes. It's always a treat for me to get okra and tomatoes, because no one else in my family will eat them! John ordered his favorite seafood dish, stuffed flounder. He commented that it was good, however, he's had better flounder. Personally, I'm not a fan of flounder. This evening worked out very well for us, because Monday, February 2nd, is our 7th wedding anniversary. I'd mentioned earlier in the week, the possibility of going out to dinner Monday, but John was less than thrilled with the idea for Monday, since he's been working long days, and Monday will be no exception. His suggestion was for Sunday, to which I reminded him it was SUPERBOWL. Hello! I was a little surprised he didn't realize, since we met Superbowl weekend 8 years ago, and were married Superbowl the following year! By the way, I'd originally planned our wedding date to be the weekend after the Superbowl, but that was the year of 9/11, thus the football schedules were delayed a week, and they seemed to have kept that extra week in there ever since. One more reason I am personally against Al Qaida! They messed up my anniversary date forever! Thanks alot, now I'm always competing with the Superbowl! John offered up Sunday after church, and I reminded him how close the restaurant was to THE Baptist Church in Middleburg, and suggested Sunday after church was not the best time to try THE seafood restaurant in town. Agreed, so we went this evening, and we both give it TWO THUMBS UP!

It was nice to sit with my husband and have a normal conversation during dinner, without interruption. Except for the lady, who continued to walk by our table while talking on her cell phone. She didn't want to be rude, and sit at her table with her family while on the phone, so instead, she walked back and forth past our table. Yeah, that's much better. RUDE! I wasn't moving the salt and pepper shakers out of reach, and taking away sweetener packets away from busy hands. I didn't have to remove all the silverware bundles quickly as we sat down, didn't have to remind anyone we were in public, and appropriate behavior was expected.. (John was on his good behavior tonight). My thoughts halfway through a sentence were not interrupted by comments on other people in the restaurant, or decor on the wall, or anyone telling me what the other person at the table is doing!

I brought up that my friend Kathy had asked if I wanted to play pre-service music together, but I'd suggested playing might aggravate the back and neck pains I'd been having all week. John looked at me, and said.. "you haven't scheduled your audition yet, have you?" I said, No, between the computer crashing and my neck pains, I hadn't gotten around to sending that email yet. He said, "you're making excuses. You're afraid of the audition aren't you?" I said, "yes, I am afraid of the audition, and I'm afraid of the idea of sitting within an orchestra again, and maybe realizing I'm not all that, and I'm a has-been." John told me, my excuses were all good ones, but excuses none the less. I said, "It's a really long drive over there to JU. That's one more commitment during the week, plus practice time." John's reply, "More good excuses. But you're still just giving me excuses." Finally I conceded, and said, "yes, they are all excuses, and I'm just afraid of the entire thing!" Is it really a matter of the drive, and the additional commitment? Or, is it a matter of truly being afraid of playing in a group again? I don't know. If it's the fear, how do I reel it in and tame it? I don't know. Once again I go back to the difference of being a 38 year old mother of two children, versus the naivety of being 18 years old, and not a worry in the world. This was so easy 20 years ago!