The other day, Andi and Mary watched me in stunned silence while I ate an apple-size tomato like it was, well, an apple. Tomato juice dripped from my chin.
“What the…! Mom, come here and see what Mike is doing!” said Andi and Mary.
Apparently their day-to-day experience did not prepare them to see such a sight: Me eating an entire tomato in less than 3 minutes. Tomatoes, in the girls’ experience, were supposed to be diced or sliced and either tossed into a salad or placed on top of a burger. (But homegrown tomato is meant to be eaten whole, with a some salt.)
Similarly, having a baby around the house 24/7 is a new experience for the girls. When the girls are here, the baby is the focus of everything they do. The girls feed the baby, hold the baby, bathe the baby, and help with Joy’s OT. They watch movies with the baby, talk to the baby, sing to the baby, photograph the baby, kiss the baby, change the baby (clothes and diaper), and push the baby stroller around the mall.
Andi was holding Joy the other day, talking to her. She looked up and said, “Mom, I can’t believe we get to keep her, like, all the time!”
In a world where something as mundane as a brand-new car can easily cost $30,000.00, it does seem amazing that we were able to get a brand-new baby girl for zero dollars down and $95.14 a month (diapers and formula). It’s a fantastic deal. And she still has that new-baby smell. The best scent in the world is right around her cheeks (or chin or ears or neck).
Mary’s Chapstick: $2.19
Andi’s Altoids: $1.79
Taking the family to Denny’s for breakfast: $21.54 (after my AARP discount)
Spending time with Joy: Priceless
Joy Elizabeth 