"Dad, I can't find my blue pajama bottoms. The ones with the little white flowers all over them."
I had been a hectic day. The apartment was in chaos and we were behind schedule. I had to finish my grading, fill out report cards, check out of the classroom, and move completely out of the apartment all within 48 hours of each other. Oh, and we had a dear friend of ours who was going to be visiting Hong Kong for a day right smack dab in the middle of all this.
“I don’t know Elise. Everything I have washed is right here. If they’re not here and they’re not in your dresser and you haven’t packed them yet, I don’t know what to tell you.”
Actually, I was very thankful for and impressed by the girls. In their mother’s absence, they had really been stepping up. It was still falling on my shoulders to managed everything else, but at least the girls were being responsible about getting all their stuff together. They had managed to get their belongings sorted into three different piles: items to get them through the next five days, items to go home to Chicago, and items to put in storage for the summer. As I watched my neighbor down the hall tripping over her two toddlers, I was thankful for two girls who were basically autonomous. Well, except for those blue pajama bottoms. The one’s with the little flowers on them.
I must confess, I had three dozen things on my mind and I gave Elise’s request next to zero attention.
Ten minutes later I was walking through the girls' half of the apartment having just returned from dropping off yet another load of our stuff in storage on the fifth-floor. “Hey, Dad.”
“What Elise?”
“I found my pajama bottoms.”
“Oh, where were they?” To be honest, I wasn’t really listening.
She didn’t answer. She just lowered her head and pointed to her thighs.
Stuck in my adult-world haze, I still didn’t get what she was trying to tell me.
“Dad, I was wearing them the whole time.” Then she started to crack up. Then Annika joined in. Then I joined in.
It was a laugh we all needed.
In my defense, when she told me she couldn’t find her pajama bottoms, I didn’t think to look on her legs, after all, it was 3:30 in the afternoon.
Did I mention the fact that Julie is not around?
Jack, you are doing a fantastic job without me! (I am actually a little concerned you will decide you don't really need me around and I'm not worth it after doing the cost/benefit analysis.) I am honored to call you my husband and I thank God for the blessing you are to me and our girls. We couldn't do it without you! Love you.
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