Last Friday Home

Since Kate was about six months old, when Emily went back to work, I've had the kids home with me on Fridays. They went to preschool Monday through Thursday, then were home on Fridays. We had good days, we had bad days, we had in-between days.

But Jack started school this week, and kindergarten goes Monday through Friday. He was home today -- school holiday -- but next Friday, he'll be in school. So this is our last full day Friday home together, the three of us.

I thought about it once or twice during the week, but we were busy and there wasn't much time to think about it, so I didn't. And I don't know how much I thought about it this morning, either. Only when we were walking to the playground at around 11 a.m. on a Friday, and I said, huh, next week Jack will be in school now.

When we got up in the morning, Jack asked me, "Did Brett Favre win?" Vikings opened the NFL season last night. No, Jack, I said. "But why?" Well, sometimes he loses. He'll get 'em next week. We watched the highlights on ESPN, I queued up his one touchdown pass for them to see, while they sat next to me on the couch. Kate, say Go Brett Favre, I said. "GoBettFahvv!" she said gamely.

I gave them breakfast, cheerios with milk and cantaloupe on the side. We saw Emily off to work.

They played with various toys. Sometimes I joined in, helped Jack a little with his Lego building.

We walked to the "baby" playground. First Kate went on the swings, while Jack played on the slides. Then he wanted help with the monkey bars. I helped him, barely. He went right across with my hands barely touching him. He couldn't do that a month ago, two months ago.

Jack wanted to go on the swings too, so we went back to the swings. They both swung high and laughed. Jack kicked his legs in the air like he was running at the top of his swing. "I'm running in the sky!" he yelled. "I'm running in the sky!!!!" Kate kicked too and laughed. "Running in the sky!"

We walked around the baseball field. I stood on the pitcher's mound and fake pitched to Jack. He fake swung a bat. They both ran the bases, kicked dirt on the chalk lines, ran in the outfield grass. They were both wearing their Red Sox sweatshirts.

We headed home. I gave Kate a ride on my shoulders for half a block and Jack a piggyback for half a block. They wanted more, but I said, that's it, guys. You're getting heavy.

At home we had lunch, chicken nuggets and fries.

I put Kate down for her nap. Jack tried but ended up reading in bed. Then he and I played Yahtzee, just like my Dad and I did. And still do.

After Kate's nap, they had apples, carrot sticks, water. We got the new Entertainment Weekly that had an ad for Hawaii Five-O that played music when you turned to that page. Jack turned to that page over and over, playing the music over and over. And dancing and dancing.

In a little bit, I'm walking them to Aunt Cathy's house for dinner, while I go out. There will be days off here and there of course, and weekends, plus Jack gets off school earlier than he did from preschool. But this was our last Friday with all of us together, and I already miss it more than I ever thought possible.