Yet another example in how different the boys in my house are from each other.

This is cj, having a wild ride on the swing.

This is zj, screaming "Higher! Higher!"

Saturday, in the park. Ok, really it was Sunday, but that just isn't as catchy sounding.

No ducks were harmed in the making of this video.

I deleted the video that showed all the duck-harming.

Oh, and the weird groaning in the background? That's cj. I promise.

Nap time isn't really worth it. I promise.

I'm not much of a napper.

If you take out the 18 months I was pregnant (not all at once, thank Jesus), I have probably only taken 20 or so daytime naps in my adult life.

I hear other grownups talk about naps like they are grumpy toddlers in need of a blankie, but it has always seemed like a waste of daylight to sleep when it's not dark.  It's my inner farm girl coming out, I guess.

However, one day last week, I was scheduled to close at work.  I was tired already.  I didn't feel well.  A short nap seemed to be in order.

The preparation was immense.  First, I had to get cj fed, changed and asleep.  Done.

Next, I had to try to prepare zj.

Me:  Zackie, Mama is going to take a nap.  Can you watch tv for a little while?
ZJ:  Mama, it isn't nap time.  It isn't dark yet.  I think we should call Daddy and ask him.
Me:  It's ok baby.  Daddy doesn't care.
ZJ:  Mama, last night I dreamed about a snake and a chair and a superhero and a cape and my bedroom and a couch and my tv and a llama and some ice cream.
Me:  Nobody really cares, sweetheart.  Mama wants to take a nap, ok?
ZJ: Why do you sleep all the time, Mama?  You sleeped last night, and you sleeped yesterday, too.
Me:  Well, zj. We need sleep to make us healthy and happy.
ZJ:  Mama, can I have some lunch?
Me:  It's 10 o'clock in the morning.
ZJ:  Well, I'm hungry.
Me:  Ok, here are some goldfish.  Mama is going to lay down on the couch for a little while, ok?
ZJ:  Why, Mama?  Can you read me a story?
Me:  Baby, Mama is going to go to sleep.
ZJ:  Can we play X-Men, Mama?
Me:  How about you lay beside me and I'll turn X-Men on tv, ok?
ZJ:  No, I don't think so.
Me: Ok, how about Max & Ruby?  Max & Ruby's on.  You can lay beside me and watch that, ok?
ZJ: No, I don't want to lay down.  Mama, is it time for you to go to work yet?
Me: No, I don't have to leave for a few hours.  Hey, how about a nap?
ZJ: Mama, are you going to drop me off and is Daddy going to pick me up?
Me: Yes, baby.  Mama will drop you off and Daddy will pick you up tonight.
ZJ: Why?
Me: Well, because I have to go to work, and Daddy will be off work before I am.  So he'll pick you up.  Let's lay down here, ok?
ZJ:  Well, Daddy didn't pick me up yesterday.  You picked me up yesterday.
Me: Yes, but that was yesterday.  Hey how about we go upstairs and take a nap in my bed?
ZJ: Mama, where's Cooper?
Me: Cooper's asleep.  Let's join him, ok?
ZJ: Mama, you won't fit in Cooper's bed.
Me: No, that's not what I meant.  Never mind that.  Let's lay down, ok?
ZJ: Mama, is it lunchtime yet?
Me: No, not yet.  Hey, how about you lay down beside me while I take a nap and you can look at one of your comic books?
ZJ: No, I don't think so.  Mama, is Daddy coming home soon?
Me: No, remember, Daddy will pick you up tonight.
ZJ:  Where are we going?
Me: Remember what we talked about?  Mama has to go to work.  I will drop you off, and Daddy will pick you up.
ZJ: Mama, why do you have to go to work?
Me: Well, I go to work so that we can have money to buy things and to pay for our house and our cars and our food...
ZJ: Well, you broke our big car some last week.  Remember?
Me: Yes, I remember.  I had an accident.  Ok, now let's lay down here on the couch.  Mama is tired and wants to take a nap before work.
ZJ: Well, I know where Daddy works.
Me: Yes, I know you do.  That's great.  Now come lay down, ok?
ZJ: And I know our address.  We live at 154 Hidden Court, Kentucky Vine Grove.
Me: Yes, that's right.  Hey, why don't you go down in the basement and play your Wolverine game?
ZJ: No, I don't want to.
Me: Hey, let's lay down together on the floor.  It will be fun.  Like we're camping.
ZJ: No, I don't want to.  Mama, can we call Granny now?
Me: No, we're not going to call Granny.  We are going to take a nap, remember?
ZJ: Well, I don't want to take a nap.  Mama, can we go to Chuck E. Cheese today?
Me: No, remember, I have to go to work in a little while, right after we take a nap.  Come here and lay down with me, ok?
ZJ: Mama, can you read me a story?
Me: Of course.  Go get the $^#* book, darling.

Superhero Tuesday.

There are many possible ways to arrange your superheroes.

Sometimes, they need to be lined up.

Other times, they may need to be placed into a very large pile.

Occasionally, a square is the correct formation.

This concludes our lesson.  

Thank you for your attention.

Are there any questions?

Totally. Not. Planned.

What handsome boys, all decked out in their best hoe-down finery.

Stupid rock.

Upon further reflection, zj has decided that perhaps playing outside was not such a good idea, after all.

Or maybe it was just ripping his fingernail off with a giant rock that wasn't such a great idea.

Either way, his career as a hand model is over before it got started.

Take that, you stupid rock.

Damn, you are OLD. But I still love ya.

Dear Bobby,

Happy Birthday.

Today is your seventeenth birthday since I have known you.

Back when we first met, I certainly never thought I'd ever be saying that.

See, I didn't really like you much at first.

You came to class, the BEST class on campus, by the way, and you were way too cool to participate in anything.  You sat there, looking bored, wearing (for God's sake) a TIE (I mean really, who could possibly trust a guy who wore a tie to class?) and generally not paying much attention.

I thought you were smug.

I believed you to be arrogant.

I wanted nothing to do with you.

So, of course, you saw me as a challenge.

Oddly enough, you showed up in a bunch of my classes the following semester, too.  I'm still not exactly sure how that happened.

You stopped wearing a tie every day.  We had mutual friends.  You began to grow on me, just a little bit.

You kept inviting me over to you place to "study."

I turned you down.  I was highly suspicious.

Then you broke my watch one day, and the rest, as they say, is history.

So here we are, seventeen birthdays, two marriages, a divorce, two kids, a mortgage, and a lifetime of shared memories later.

And I was right.  You are smug and arrogant.  And I was totally right to be suspicious of your motives.

But you know what?

I love you just the way you are, and I can't imagine my life without you in it.