The Return of Guytown

Jude is in Knoxville this week for a leadership conference, so the boys are I have been on our own since Sunday afternoon, in Guytown.

That's long been my name, adopted by the boys, for how we handle things when Jude is out of town for work.  I don't get a lot of extended time alone with the boys, which makes weeks like this one even more memorable.  Working together, the boys and I figure it out.  There's a logistical challenge to it that I like, although the logistics are significantly less complicated in Guytown this time around because JP is driving.

For example, he's driving himself to MBA for school this week.  Steven and Mandy Young have been kind enough to allow  park in their driveway and walk through the backyard and across the street to school.  This allows Joe to wake up at his regular time, eat a leisurely breakfast and get his gear together before I take him to school at USN.  I don't have to worry about getting JP home from school, either, as he can drive himself home after track practice.  Convenient, to be sure.

I like the mornings in Guytown best of all.  Before I go to bed the night before, I set everything out that I will need to make breakfast in the morning.  A primitive form of meal planning, if you will.  I'm up at 6 a.m. or slightly before and I make JP's breakfast before I hop in the shower.  Waffle, cow cheese, fruit, and milk.  After I get dressed, I scramble JP a couple of eggs while we hang out for a few minutes.  

As JP gets his things together for school, I make Joe's breakfast.  Not surprisingly, Joe is a little slower getting going in the mornings.  He gets up, does his exercises, gets dressed, and comes downstairs.  By then, I'm scrambling his eggs, so he'll have them to eat as he's finishing his blueberry waffle, cheese stick, and fruit.  

From the early days, Jude emphasized the importance of the boys eating a good breakfast in the morning.  We've kept it up all of these years and it's become an important part of our daily routine during the week.  No Pop-Tarts or Nutri-Grain bars on the run for our boys.

Afternoons are a little more dicey with Jude gone because the boys are so busy with sports after school.  Today, Joe has a baseball game at 5:30 p.m., which means I'll have to leave work by 3:30 p.m. or so to pick him up from school and drive to the ballpark off Nolensville Road where he plays during the week.  All in heavy traffic.  Fortunately, my schedule at work so far this week has been relatively light, so I've been able to sneak away in the afternoons.  That changes tomorrow, though, because I'm mediating.  

Still, we'll manage just like we've managed so far this week.  Friday will roll around and we'll gather at MBA - Jude included - to watch JP run in the 4 x 800 relay for the varsity track team.  

Guytown.