Flying Solo Again

Jude left this afternoon on a work trip to Washington D.C., so I'm flying solo with J.P. until Wednesday.  I've been a little worried about how he'll react once he realizes she's gone, as he's been going through a bit of a "mommy phase" lately.  So far, so good, though.  He's upstairs now, asleep, laying sideways in his crib, his legs hanging out the side.

We had a great late afternoon and evening.  After he woke up from his nap, we drove over to the Green Hills Mall, so I could pick up a couple of things.  We stopped in Davis Kidd (bookstore), where he played in the children's section for a bit.  It's pretty cool to watch him play by himself, amidst the chaos surrounding him - other children, parents, toys, etc.  He always enjoys himself there and today was no different.

We ate dinner at a mexican restaurant on Belmont Boulevard, right across from the Belmont University.  He ate pretty well and ate some french fries, one of his more recent food discoveries.  After dinner, J.P. got a broom from one of the waiters and swept up for a while, amusing himself, the waiter and other patrons of the restaurant.  It was pretty funny. 

When we got home, we walked up the sidewalk in front of our house.  I put him on my shoulders and walked part way around our block.  As we walked along, enjoying the evening, he rested his chin on my head contentedly.  It was a nice moment.  Our next door neighbor's son, Greg Lehrer, pulled in, returning home from a workout.  I talked to him for a few minutes, while J.P. made a game of handing him sticks, leaves, moss and anything else he could get his hands on. 

When Jude and I moved into our house, Greg was 12 years old.  Now, he's 20, having just finished his sophomore year in college.  He's grown up and my son is growing up, right before my eyes.