and...breathe

Tonight, I am finally able to relax. I was able to go to the gym, go get groceries, cook some food, sit down, and relax. The past three weeks have been go go go for me, and for WLG, too. Every day I have spent running to and from my own appointments, to the hardware store with WLG, helping get the house ready for WLG JR.'s birthday party, going back to the hardware store, and staying up all night peeling the paint off the walls. Literally. I have only been home to sleep and shower. My days have been work-gym-paint, or work-gym-appointment. My cupboards have been bare, and I've been living off old fruit, the salad bar at work, and lots and lots of trail mix. Oh yeah, and the free samples at Sam's.

WLG has been very tense and very focused on his home the past few weeks, trying to make it livable. He's been working on getting the main bath finished (there were no walls or fixtures when he moved in), stripping and painting, building furniture and staining. I suppose I didn't have to trouble myself with any of this, but to be honest, the thought never crossed my mind. Needless to say, we both put up with a lot from each other, but in the end, we came out alright.

The party was a huge success. WLG actually relaxed. His family met my family, and I met some of his good friends from high school. WLG JR had a blast, and at the height of it all, right after we sang Happy Birthday (c), WLG not only thanked everyone for coming to the housewarming/bday party, but thanked me. All those sleepless nights, bickering, spending 18 hours peeling the paint off the walls, and heavy metal seemed to fade into the background. And the house looks great, too.

WLG JR is really coming along too. He's just the best kid in the world, and smart and so polite, too. He should be, he's got a great dad.

So, everything is back in order, and WLG is spending some time quietly getting organized. I chopped some veggies, made chili, checked my email, and now I'm getting ready to tuck myself in with the book I've SO been looking forward to, Anansi Boys, the sequel to my favorite book, American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

See some pics below.