I was excited about spending the weekend with Joe, in large part because he's stuck in a bit of a "mommy phase." For example, he wants Jude to do things for him that I can do, like pouring his milk, helping him down off his stool after breakfast, getting him out of the car, etc. Truthfully, it gets annoying, although I know - based on my experience with J.P. - that it will change with time, about the time Joe turns 4 years old and I start coaching him in various sports.
I was a little apprehensive about how Joe would behave once he realized Jude was gone for the weekend. Of course, I shouldn't have been, because he was perfectly fine hanging out with me and we had a blast. From my vantage point, it was a landmark weekend for the two of us, because we really got to spend time together, one-on-one. It's difficult to find that kind of one-on-one time when you have two boys, both of whom need and demand attention and supervision, and an exceptional mother like Jude. Joe did great with me, and it was amazing to spend time with him, just the two of us.
Friday early evening, we went to Martin's BBQ for dinner. Although we arrived early, it was a bit crowded, so Joe and I grabbed a table near the front of the restaurant, where people queue up to wait to order food. By design, we sat directly in front of a television showing the Dodgers-Pirates game. As always, Joe was really, really into the game. After every pitch, he looked at me earnestly and asked, "was that a strike?" If the Dodgers were in the field and I answered in the affirmative, he yelled "Yes!" and pumped his fists. If the Dodgers got a hit, he clapped and cheered, loudly. The people in line nodded our way and laughed at his enthusiasm. My three year old, the diehard sports fan. Craziness.
After dinner, we went to Bongo Java, where Joe played football with Megan, one of young ladies who works there. She loves him and it was a joy to watch them playing together on a slow night at the coffee shop which, of course, is my second home and my second office.
That night, I put Joe down to bed, but not before reminding him that once he laid down, there was no getting up until 7 a.m. the next morning. No water, no going potty one more time, no fixing his blanket to cover his feet. We covered all of that before he got into bed. And you know what? He went to sleep immediately and at 7 a.m. on the dot Saturday morning, I heard a pitter patter of little feet, then Joe peeped in our bedroom. A perfect night!
Joe and I watched "Sid the Science Kid" (which I absolutely love), then drove to East Nashville for Tomatofest. We strolled up and down the streets near "Five Points," then went to the Cumberland Water Park. Joe had a great time playing in the water at the park. Such a great time, in fact, that he punched me when I insisted it was time to go. Well, you can't win them all.
Saturday afternoon, I strolled him down to Mafiozza's while he napped. I had a couple of beers and talked to my guy, Doc, at the bar. It was cool, because it had been a while since I had talked to Doc and it was a repeat of some afternoons J.P. and I spent there when he was Joe's age. Then, it as back home, where we met my mom, who had driven up from Brentwood. We went to dinner at Burger Up, which went well. Saturday night, Joe went to bed again with no fussing and slept the entire night without a problem.
Sunday morning, Joe and I went to Bongo Java for breakfast, where we ran into Ms. Hagan, J.P.'s kindergarten teach at USN last year. It was great to see her and we made plans to meet her again when J.P. could be there. Then, it was off to Kroger, church and home for lunch. Joe napped in his bed and Jude and J.P. got home that evening.
It was such a meaningful, special weekend with Joe. We laughed - a lot - played games and just enjoyed each other's company. In short, we figured it out, which is a lot of what parenting boils down to, it seems to me.
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