Gratifying

Ol' Boy Wonder has a neighborhood friend these days. They met at the park over the summer and ended up in the same kindergarten class. His buddy lives a street over and it's great that they get together on the weekends and let out some of that endless supply of "boyness."

I dropped Boy Wonder off around noon on Friday and when I called to get him a couple hours later, he got on the phone and made a heart-felt plea to "spend the night." He slept over last weekend, so even though I would go a whole 24 hours without seeing him, I figured it would be ok.

Life went on that evening. I dropped off his backpack. P and Boo and I went to our favorite spot in Eagle River for dinner. We came home. We fired up the Wii. I made a comment to P about how I missed Boy Wonder and he looked at me like I was crazy.

"When I was a kid, I loved sleeping at a buddy's house," he reassured me. Sigh. Fine.

At 8 p.m. that night, I got a call. His friend's mom said she was on her way. That Boy Wonder wanted to come home.

When he walked in, he gave me a huge hug and had those tear-fatigued eyes. When I asked why he cried he said: "I missed you guys. I just wanted to come home."

And there it was. Sure, we live in a tiny two-bedroom apartment. We have terrible water pressure, very little hot water, no dishwasher, no breathing room. Our laundry monster is so big somedays it should have it's own name (I'm thinking "Gigantor," but that's just me.) The trash always seems ready to be taken out and the drains always seemed on the verge of clogged. The oven doesn't heat right, the microwave door is cracked.

But Boy Wonder reassured us on what we did have--something P and I work really hard at. Despite all the obvious flaws, we have a home.

Home is where we have dinner together every night. Where Boy Wonder says grace, and Boo Bear tries to steal food off his brother's plate from his high chair. It's where we play video games together and get mad at each other when we steal the Mario "goodies". Where we do "science experiments" with vinegar and baking soda, water and food coloring. It's where we make 100 different snacks each day. It's where I keep 10,000 balls of yarn and 40 candles. It's where we watch "America's Funniest Home Videos" as a family and eat popcorn on Friday nights.

Home is pancakes and French Press coffee on Sunday mornings.

It's piles of clean laundry and warm towels for bathtime at night.

It's where Boy Wonder hides in the same spot every time P walks through the door and INSISTS that I play the "Hey, did you pick up Boy Wonder in town?" game.

It's where we paint, where we glue, where we color. It's where Pepper guards the "sheep" (our boys) and where Miko sleeps with Boy Wonder in his bunk bed. Where Hawk the parakeet shrieks "Good Morning, People!" every day at 6 a.m. (Damn bird.)

It's where we grow. Where we cozy up with blankets on the couch and watch the winter go by.

It's the only place Boy Wonder wanted to be Saturday night and for that, I am so, so grateful.