(Which is why this is okay, because I skipped last month.)
Dear Otto,
Happy three months of being hitched! That’s a full quarter of a year, and we still like each other. I think by this point in my last marriage we already had our doubts, so WAY TO GO, US!
This month has been the first time we’ve lived together the entire time, WITH the kids here, and everyone is still alive and minimally scarred. That’s not to say that I am not going to shove all three of you out the door on Monday morning when school starts (hooray), but even at the end of a trying day seeing your face does not make me snap “What are YOU looking at??” so I think we’re doing great.
Today in preparation for back-to-school I gave all of you haircuts, and when I asked you how you liked yours you responded—as you always do—with, “You tell me.” I know that this is mostly a comment on your complete lack of concern with anything as mundane as how your hair looks, but it also implies a level of belief that never fails to tickle me. When Chickadee watched me use the clippers and shouted “SHAVE HIM BALD!” you didn’t even flinch. “I trust your mother,” you told her. Then you suggested I shave HER bald.
(And giving you a haircut is much more gratifying than giving the kids haircuts. Chickadee complained I cut too much from her—an entire INCH! her life is OVER!—and Monkey was unimpressed with my explanation of split ends and upon completion huffed “It looks exactly the SAME” which is what I thought he wanted, but what do I know.)
This week you went away on business and I was completely irritated with how useless I felt without you here. By the last day your voice was tired when you called; when I asked what was wrong you responded, “I’m ready to come home.” And that was pretty remarkable considering that I spent that last day in a frenzy dealing with the stupidest, most aggravating situation in the world and then calling you every 10 minutes to either report on what was happening or just cry. You STILL WANTED TO COME BACK to us.
You were genuinely disappointed that being away meant missing the kids’ Open House at school. You brag to your brothers that Monkey is becoming a race car fan and sits and watches races at your side with rapt attention (hey, I’m surprised, too). And despite your constant cracks about sending Chickadee to military school it was her that you ended up sitting out on the deck with the night you got home, making sure to take the time to give her that individual attention she so needs.
We’re on to you, buster. You’ve become your WORST NIGHTMARE. That’s right—you’re positively PARENTAL.
It’s more than I dared to hope for.
And even though I welcomed you back with open arms, a nice dinner, and a completely clogged up kitchen sink that you had to spend the evening disassembling (I’m sorry, I’m sorry), and even though our water supply turned an entire load of laundry brown this morning while I stomped and cursed about STUPID GEORGIA with its STUPID WATER BAN and STUPID SEDIMENT, you still keep remarking on how good it is to be home.
That makes me feel so warm and fuzzy, I am going to try EXTRA HARD not to break anything in the house for at least a week. You deserve it.
Love,
Mir
Hey, I’m first! That never happens.
“That makes me feel so warm and fuzzy, I am going to try EXTRA HARD not to break anything in the house for at least a week. You deserve it.”
That’s awesome, I hope he realizes how good he’s got it. Hee. I’m curious now about the traumatic incident that made you cry…everything turn out ok? Or was that the brown water issue?
Awwwww.. you are such a sweet couple. I’m so happy for you all. And… we’re still glad you’re in Georgia, even if you have brown clothes.
aw, newlyweds!
my husband still wants to come home to me, even when i’m cranky about the cats and being pregnant and still needing to make room for baby stuff. he still comes home (except the other night when he took off for an overnight fishing trip). and i am happy that he likes coming home to his (apologetically) nagging wife.
here’s to many more months of trying extra hard not to break anything.
Funny and sweet. That Otto’s a lucky guy!
It means so much to hear them say they wanted to come home to you and the kids, doesn’t it? We’ve been married 9 years and it still warms my heart.
Did you see this? It made me laugh and think of you…
http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2007/august/mytown-atlanta.php
ok, you really have to stop this. You’re going to make me—ME!!!!–want an Otto. And since I can’t have an Otto, that’s just mean!
(But I’m so happy that you have an Otto and that it has turned out to be such a wonderful thing to have)
That’s so sweet! My husband and I have been together for awhile now and sometimes we drive each other nuts when we’re constantly together but any time we’re apart I miss him. He’s out tonight (ah, the life of a musician’s wife) and won’t be back until the wee hours and I’m lonely despite the fact that he was just here earlier today. Sappy but true!
I often thank my husband when he comes home. “THANK YOU for coming home,” I say. “I do realize you have a choice.”
Barb
Nothing says love like plumbing repairs.
Awesome all the way arouund.
Call the water department and ask for the stuff that gets the rust out. In my old town in New England, we had this same issue whenever they flushed the lines. They used to hand out laundry stuff in brown paper bags. It works.
Now, I have well water. I don’t have rust issues. I just hope and pray it rains SOON!!
I’m glad Otto is back home. I hate it when my Mr. travels. Although, I do enjoy having the whole bed to myself…
:-)
xo
LBC
“Iron Out” powder is great on rusty laundry or dishwashers. We have well water with lots of iron, and until we got a filter, we’d get brown water after lightning storms. This is a dumb question, but I’ve never had city water – can you get a filter system if you have city water?
Maybe your water company needs to set up a giant bank of humongous air dehumidifiers – Voila! Instant water, and drier atmosphere! :-)
What a sweet letter. I’m glad you have your Otto home now — business trips suck.
Did you know they changed the watering rules AGAIN because of the brown water? According to the paper, even though there is nothing really WRONG with the brown water – it’s just iron and potassium getting knocked loose by everybody in town watering at the EXACT SAME TIME (great plan, nimrods!)- some people were really put off by it. The implication was that some of us were being awful fussy, demanding CLEAR WATER to drink. The nerve of us. Really.
PS: Awwww. Y’all are so cute I am feeling a cheek pinch coming in.
PPS: Upper cheeks, of course.
What will be even more delightful is 15 years from now when you guys are grandparenting in total joy and still rush home to each other. It’ll happen.
Mir, at the rate you’re going, you’re going to have to change the subtitle of your blog.
How’s “Sappy in love with a deserving man” sound?
Happy quarter-year. Is that the paper towel anniversary?
Aww :-) Congrats on three months! Best wishes for many, many more and the utmost of happiness!
Congratulations! That’s plum cute.
Aww, how sweet!
I think second marriages rock, lol.
So nice…I know how you feel – I had a week this week where I felt that I wasn’t worthy of my husband, because he was seemingly inflappable – then he proved that he is capable of being imperfect, just as I am.
Otto is wonderful, but don’t forget that you’re wonderful too!
Awwwww!
You guys give me the warm fuzzies, too.