It Was A Good Day

Yesterday was an awesome Saturday. I mean really, seriously awesome. Chelsea ended up not having to work this weekend, so she was home all day. Austin had his Opus try-outs early, but then he was home all day. Jay had a few odds-and-ends kinds of things to do in the morning, but for the most part he was home all day. Ashley came home, so she was home all day. And I, well we all know that with my flakey face that I was most definitely home all day. It reminded me of days in the past, before the girls graduated last Spring. Lazy winter days when there was a blizzard so no one could go anywhere.

It's not that we did any special. Jay and Austin helped get my desk and book case set up. Then they set up a computer table for Chelsea. After that they headed out to the guys domain (aka: our sunroom) where a heated battle of PS2 Football ensued. I piddled around setting up my office. I was like a kid in a candy shop trying to decide where to put the pencil holder or the paperclip dish. And the monumental decision of which books should go on which shelves. I was loving it.

But the coolest part of the day for me was watching Ashley & Chelsea. Growing up they were constantly compared, which made them competitive with each other and at times resentful that they were a twin at all. I have prayed for the day when they could get past all that and become friends. Yesterday I got my first glimpse of that, and because I'm such a sap, it made me all teary-eyed.

It started with Chelsea calling Ashley before she even was home. She had her phone on speaker phone and I heard:

"Hey Loser"
"Hiya Dork"

Now for anyone else hearing that, they would be appalled. But I wasn't. These two girls have always had a relationship of teasing and picking on each other. They are not openly affectionate and sappy like their mama. If they call each other a nickname, I know things are good. If they call each other by their actual first name, that's usually a sign of a war about to break out. That might sound strange to some of you, but it's totally normal around here and I know they don't mean the names as an insult, but more of a fun pet name, without the embarrassment of it sounding like one. If that makes sense.

When Ashley got home she and Chelsea babbled a mile a minute, and those who know them, know that I am not exaggerating. The noise level in our house went up several notches between their talking, giggling, and laughing, and I couldn't have been happier about it. It was close to lunch time and Chelsea started to fix Macaroni & Cheese for her and Ashley. The way they like it is extra soupy, and it is nasty to the rest of us, but they LOVE it, so I enjoyed their excitement. Ashley was thrilled to have some of their special macaroni because the school cafeteria's is supposedly the grossest thing on the planet.

One thing Ashley & Chelsea have always had in common (besides the macaroni) is a love of watching movies. It doesn't matter what move it is, or if they have seen it a million times, they love to sit together and watch it again. When Ashley came home she said "Mom I have a present for you". She bought me a movie that she new I liked and said she wants us to watch it before she goes back. She also bought one for her and Chelsea and they both squealed with delight and couldn't wait to watch it. It was The Santa Clause Part 3...which they have seen enough times to be able to recite the entire movie line for line.

So there was my husband and son beating each other up on a video football field. There were my daughters sitting on the living room floor, eating macaroni & cheese and watching a Christmas movie in September. And I was smiling the entire day. It was a good day, and the kind of day I had been missing. The kind of day that gives you the warm fuzzies all over.