Fun weekend

Trevor came home Friday swearing he only missed 3 out of 23 on his history test. I tell him to bring me the corrected paper. I also ask if he happened to ask about his missing math pages from missed classes this week. He said he will get them Monday. I tell him "good grades, good dinner". Riley's friend canceled. He has family sick. So Riley starts calling other friends to fill his weekend.

It is hard for him all week with everyone else going off to work or school and being stuck in the house. He was even bored enough to take the dog for a leash walk. I am going to encourage that exercise more often. I need an Exercycle for Riley for those rainy days or when he needs a quick vent of energy. He has an Exercycle now, but it has moving arms. he can't use moving arms because the picc in his arm will curl up. No free weights or upper body strengthening allowed. I used to have a standard Exercycle but we got rid of it for this improved version. Now I need the standard version back.

Saturday, Tom on the other hand, cringes to hear Riley inviting friends for the weekend. He can't even be home in the quiet of his own home without being invaded. Its a beautiful weekend. I encourage him to golf, but its nascar qualifying on Saturday, and race day on Sunday. He wants to camp in front of the TV, have some real down time.

I go outside and mow the lawn and weed the beds. Its a perfect day for it, with recent rains to loosen the soil. Riley comes out and comments on the sweet smells of fresh cut grass. He sits in the sun basking in its rays watching me work, knowing I can't ask him to help. He tells me he has convinced a dear friend to come with her girls, but they wont be down until later. Tom comes out and asks why I mowed around our spare car and didn't move it out of the way. I tell him I was in a groove and just kept going. I didn't want to stop my momentum. Besides I am planning to dig up that part of the yard and bark it. The tires have dug the grass up into an ugly groove. We need the parking spot too often. He asks if he is going to be invaded by women only. I give him the affirmative. He heads back into the house to the bedroom to hide.

Later Tom sneaks out for supplies of chips and the new movie 2012 in Blueray and beer for himself. Now he can be content with company. We will all watch a movie of his picking and he can take back his chair in the living room and the remotes. The boys are thrilled. Nothing is better than an action packed family disaster film on a big screen TV in HD.

My sister calls returning Riley's inquiry from earlier Saturday. She can drop my niece off. I invite my niece for the sleep over. She loves coming to our house. We have all sorts of great food she usually never gets in her own gluten wheat free home. Kind of like a grandma, I can spoil her a little and give naughty treats then send her home. We pick up Papa Murphy's double stuffed 5 meat pizza for dinner.

My girlfriend arrives later in the evening with her girls. The kids go off to play. We haven't spoken much over the last few weeks. I had spoken to her early on in our crisis but not much since. She was the one that helped me clean. She also had a horrible experience recently and I figured it was a bit too painful right now seeing us going through our problem so soon after her own crisis. I was right. It was so good to see her now though, with this hope in the air. Riley still looks good, as a matter of fact his acne seems to be subduing itself.

Once it's dark enough and Tom feels like he can stand a room full of hormonal women. He bravely leaves his cave upstairs and comes down to start the movie. It's after 9:00pm. If you have not had the experience of watching TV with Tom, well, I truly recommend ear plugs. I usually offer them around during the early previews. In this movie of total world disaster, Tom cranks it up so the floors vibrate to the base booming. My girlfriend and I hide in the front room with her youngest, and talk. The movie is just a bit too scary for a 10 year old and too loud for us. I know I will catch the movie later. I want to spend time with my girlfriend talking, not watching TV. No one told me the movie was almost 3 hours.

My friend is exhausted after a day of cleaning her own house, shopping at the mall, and getting lost on her way to my house in the dark. At 11:00 pm she puts herself to bed. Her daughter is already asleep, though I have no idea how they can sleep with that racket in the living room. The doors help a little, but not much.

I go join Tom and the kids. I am still able to catch the second half of the movie. The funny thing about children with inquiring minds is they tend to pick apart the unrealistic scenes. Tsunamis only happen as they hit shallower land, earthquakes in the middle of the ocean don't topple ships. Shh, Riley, watch the movie. It's good, but it is one long movie. We get to bed after 12:30am. My niece falls asleep in her clothes with her shoes still on and wearing her hat she had on all day.

In the morning I awaken to the children playing the movie again for the little girl who had not wanted to watch it in the dark. My girlfriend, who is a fantastic cook, makes french toast for everyone. Such a long movie gives us plenty of time to sneak off for a pedicure across from Fred Meyers. It was wonderful. A great deal for only $20, with a paraffin wax and a leg massage for that price. When my sister comes for her daughter, I tell her she can go with us next time.
It is a wonderful weekend and I even got my lawn mowed and weeded the beds. Productive and fun. Riley still looks good. I can't wait to find out his numbers tomorrow. The zits are still under control.