Any Given Perfect Sunday

Now, normally I enjoy Sundays.  For years, that's the day of the week when both my girls are home and I make a big Sunday brunch and we sit around the table and talk for hours about what's going on in their lives.  Erin will finish up at the church where she's Music Director, then beeline for our house and the smell of bacon in the frying pan (and is there any better smell, really?)  (OK, there are perhaps two.  Perhaps.)

Of course, recently, the new little guy in our lives has tampered with our schedule a bit.  So lately, Sundays have been up in the air.  But it was only a matter of time before Erin had to go back to the church, and that happened this week.  Since Matthew was working, she dropped Owen off on her way to church.

Ohh, yes.  We got Owen all to ourselves.  Auntie Allie had stories she wanted to tell him.  Grandma wanted to get him in her patented on-the-hip sleeper hold, and yeah, Nilbo wanted a piece of the lil guy, too.

Between a spirited game of "Pass the Baby", I got breakfast ready and the hour and a half Erin was at church flew by.  She got to our place, fed him, and we tucked into a lovely meal while he quietly slipped into what his mom calls his "Milk Coma":

God, does it not make your heart just want to explode?

When we finished breakfast, our best friends on the Island came by to visit with their daughter in tow.  Gord and Char were among the first people we met when we moved here, and in fact, my wife takes some degree of responsibility for Siobhan, their daughter. 

(One March day 13 years ago, Gord had a gig playing at the far end of the Island, at a hotel that was offering him accommodations in their honeymoon suite.  With much nudge-nudge, wink-winking, my wife urged Char to go along with him, and in fact offered to babysit their only daughter at the time, Savannah, who was 11 and close friends with Allie.  So off they went, and nine months later (SURPRISE!!!) Siobhan was born.  This month, she's thirteen, and I think they've forgiven us.)

Anyway, this was their first time meeting Owen, and of course Char had some baby gifts.   Erin opened the gift bag and pulled out a lovely blanket.  Then she took out a smaller gift, wrapped in tissue.  It was a small, yellow Tupperware cup, with a flared bottom so toddlers would have a harder time tipping it over.

"Ohhhh," said Erin.  "How did you ever find one of these?  This is exactly like the cup I had when I was a baby!" 

Char smiled happily.  Erin pulled out another tissue-wrapped present, this one a matching yellow Tupperware bowl - mothers will know the kind I mean, broad and shallow with an extra lip on the bottom to catch spillage.  Erin's jaw dropped.

"And the exact matching bowl!  That is so amazing!  I think I'm going to cry. How did you ever find these?  I didn't even know they made them any more!"

Char smiled and said "They don't.  But thirteen years ago, when I had a baby, your mom thought I could use a cup and bowl, so she gave yours to me.  When Siobhan was done with them, I wrapped them up and put them in a cupboard against this day."

Now THAT, my friends, is a friend.

After Gord and Char left, I settled in to watch the football game.  Erin fed Owen again, and then (once he was changed, of course), she put him on my chest.   Then she went off to have a nap.

So, this was my Sunday afternoon:  sitting in a comfortable chair, my grandson snoring happily on my chest, a drink in one hand, my remote in the other, now and again dipping my face down to sniff the top of his head (there's one of the two smells), football on TV, my team won, cozy fire in the woodstove, and somebody else made supper.

I'm not sure what Heaven will be like, but I don't know that I'm going to get much closer to it during my time here on Earth.

Comments

[wordgirl]

The top of a baby's head...as well as the back of the neck. Both are two of the best smells...and despite how much I love bacon (and it's a lot!)...there is no comparison.

[Ralph]

Well said Nils... well said. It's all about enjoying the simple things in life and I'm not sure that I know anyone who does a finer job at exactly that.

[velocibadgergirl]

If someone could figure out how to bottle the smell of the top of a baby's head, they'd make a fortune. One of the best smells on earth :D

[Candy]

Oh, I'm green with envy.

I don't have grandchildren yet, but my husband does (from a different set of children, obviously) and the transformation he has gone through with regards to this little boy is quite amazing. Can't wait to experience it myself.

[CircusKelli]

I miss the "milk coma" days... and the "baby sleeping on my shoulder/chest" days... but not the "Mommy walk me all over the house at 2:00am" nights...

He's adorable.

[shari]

We called it "milk drunk"... and as I recall, it DOES make your heart just want to explode! He's a fine lad, that Owen.

[Bucky Four-Eyes]

Gosh, I still can't figure out what that other smell would be.

*blink*

I hope you take Owen's keys away after he has some milk. He looks in no condition to drive.

[william]

You Rock Nils.

[kalki]

Mmm, bacon. That alone is angels-singing glorious.

[Laura]

Awwww! That's all I can lately. Just, a heartfelt awwww! ;)

[Lowa]

Precious. Yes, the milk comas are awesome, especially when a little breast milk dribbles out of the mouth:)

The other best smell in the world is puppy breath!

Keep on enjoying your heavenly Sundays...

[christie]

so cute!

[squirl]

Just so sweet. The cup and bowl were so nice, too.

[RzDrms]

what's the other one? the first one that came to my mind was the scent of a woman. babies' heads come first in my book, though.