May 27, 2005
Welcome Home
Yeah, yeah, it's been a week. I spent a good chunk of it riding back and forth between the world's financial and political capitals. I'm not that important, mind you, but occasionally I have business with important people. I am an extra in their theatrical productions, if you will.
So Wednesday night presented a simple choice. On the one hand: a nice hotel bed, uninterrupted sleep, and a productive train ride home from NYC in the morning, augmented by coffee and doughnuts from the Penn Station Krispy Kreme. Boring to some, a luxury vacation to me.
On the other hand: a late-night train that would let me pull in to my driveway at 2:30 a.m., a fact that would neither be known nor respected by three merciless little boys in the morning.
So of course I got on the train. I thought briefly about surprising the wife, but the image of 9mm slugs peppering my chest gave me cause to rethink. She has no qualms about sending someone to meet his maker; she hails from the "kill them all and let God sort 'em out" school of domestic, foreign, and home defense policy. Anything coming up those stairs once the lights are out had best have wings on his back and a trumpet in his hand, because the good Savior and his holy host are the only non-Woodliefs welcome after 10pm.
She was happy to know I was coming home early, which is something that always fascinates me. I can barely stand myself.
I awoke too early, to Eli snuggled up beside me, clutching his slobber-smelling little blanket. He had scooted into my arms, close and snug, so that his hair tickled my nose. We lay there and talked about little boy things for a while. It was perfect. Thank God for the late train.
Posted by Woodlief on May 27, 2005 at 07:46 AM
Let me just say, I like your wife's style. My hubby won't allow a gun in the house (yeah, I married a pacifist, but hey, it was the '70s!) but don't imagine I wouldn't know what to do with one if I had it.
Posted by: Katy Raymond at May 27, 2005 9:48 AM
Your wife is awesome! She sounds like someone I would really appreciate as a friend. Girls' day out? Shooting range! ;)
I also wanted to add that only one thing beats the joy evoked by an early morning doughnut: the joy of a child greeting his parent after a night of sleep. Each morning, my babies rush from their beds into my arms as if they can't bear to be separated from me anymore. And their fuzzy heads smell rich and warm, and the day is bright and new, and who cares that by 7:30 PM I'll wish the children would just GO TO SLEEP AND LEAVE ME ALONE?
Mornings are great. Thanks so much for this blog!
Posted by: Dawn at May 27, 2005 10:02 AM
There is nothing like a warm snuggle with little hairs tickling your nose. Nothing.
Posted by: Jan at May 27, 2005 11:50 AM
Lucky man! My Cassie (age three) wakes me up at the crack of dawn with a quick poke to the face while holding a stack of Dr.Seuss books. She climbs over me, managing to hold all the books and a truck-load of stuffed animals. Sometimes she goes back for another load! I tell you, a slobbered blanket is WAY better than "Red Fish, Blue Fish". And the horror of "A Fly Went By"!
Posted by: Lucy at May 27, 2005 9:03 PM
I just stumbled on your site and have to admit, am completely in love with it. I too, have a house full of boys and you are perfect in your humorous dialect of love. Thank you for sharing with us your life in such a wonderfully insightful way. One can't help but read your posts with a smile!
Posted by: Amy at June 1, 2005 5:29 PM
You are an absolutely wonderful writer. Reading your posts lets me know I must do better.
Posted by: Richard at June 2, 2005 10:45 PM