Back in the Saddle

Somebody (ahem) got gum stuck in his hair this week because somebody forgot to take the gum out of his mouth before he went to bed, so somebody found himself naked in the bathtub at 3:00 am Wednesday night, getting a glob of peanut butter worked through his locks to extricate said gum from said hair. There's one unlikely detail of that late-night scenario that makes it wildly funny to me. It is this: the "somebody" in the story was Nate. I slept obliviously through the sticky incident. In fact, the only inconvenience to me from the whole situation is the fact that there's a small spot of pink-ish stickum on one of our bed pillows -- a small price to pay for a good laugh, I say.

That funny little mishap is indicative of many things about our week.
1. We fell asleep in many an unplanned instance.
2. We spent a lot of time in bed.
3. When we weren't in bed we were usually in the bathtub (though not usually working up a peanut butter lather.)
4. We found our jollies in situations which, under healthier circumstances, would not have been nearly so amusing.

After two collective courses of antibiotics, we are all starting to feel better. (Glory be.) I think it is common, after a bout with illness, to emerge with a renewed appreciation for stamina and good health; we're definitely feeling that. But in addition, and perhaps by extension, I am feeling a strange sense of gratitude that I'm not even sure I can articulate, for being able to function in my feminine roles again. I felt this same sensation when we finished our tiling project--grateful to finally be able to restore order in my home and prepare a meal in my kitchen. I love homemaking. I love to make a meal for my family and sit and eat it with them at the little retro table in our kitchen. I loved watching smiles of satiety creep over Nate and Henry's lips this evening as we savored our pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing after baths and jammies. I love creating an orderly, peaceful space for us to live and play and love in. And though I can't ever be quite certain of my influence on the world, I love knowing that to two full-bellied, clean-clothed, well-loved men, I am the world.