Then again, it’s important for children to learn to be grateful. I don’t want them taking gifts for granted.
Ugh. I shouldn’t have taken that bag of food.
But it was delicious. I skipped lunch today. My stomach would have been growling loudly enough to disrupt the planning meeting.
And it’s been ages since I had a burger.
Unfortunately, EJ probably thinks I’m laying out the welcome mat now that I accepted his gift.
I’ll just say no if he tries to push for anything more. A man doesn’t get a date just because he buys me dinner.
Is that wrong? I don’t even know the lines when it comes to things like this anymore.
“Angie?” Shannon’s standing over me.
“Huh?”
“You were in a trance, girl.” She looks down at the twins. “Hey, boys.”
Levi says, “Hi, Miss Shannon,” While Jack holds up a very vividly-colored page and shouts, “I drew a caterpillar!”
“My dinosaur is gonna eat your caterpillar!” Levi says, making gobbling noises and moving his paper toward Jack’s.
“No!” Jack shouts, pulling his paper back. “No eating my caterpillar!”
“Shhhh,” I tell the boys. “No one’s eating anyone tonight.”
“Let me see your drawings,” Shannon says to the boys.
They both lift their papers in her direction.
“So talented. I bet the caterpillar and dinosaur could be really good friends.”
“No they can’t,” Levi declares.
It’s too close to bedtime. Their routine is off. And this is a hill he’s definitely willing to die on.
“It’s okay. They can make other friends,” I tell Levi. “Pick up your cars and crayons and put them in Mommy’s bag.”
“Okay,” both boys say in unison.
Jack starts singing the cleanup song at full volume. Then Levi joins in.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Shannon says.
“Neither do I,” I confess. “I’m pretty sure love has a lot to do with it. Love and caffeine.”
“That should be on a T-shirt,” Shannon says, laughing softly.
I stand and grab the bag.
“Let’s go, boys. Time to head home.”
Thankfully, they don’t put up a fight and we make it to the car seats in the van without a struggle.
After the boys are in bed, I pad downstairs to find Mom in the kitchen eating cold fried chicken.
“When did you have time to go to Mad River?” she asks.
