And Then There Were Stuffed Animals Flying In The Back Seat
Last weekend, my husband and I were on our way to drop the kids off at my parent’s house for a few days when our wedding song came on the radio.
I looked over at him and smiled. “How perfect to kick the weekend off with this song.”
We’d been looking forward to having some time alone.
“What song?” my daughter asked from the back seat, stopping the game of stuffed-animal-tug-o-war she’d been playing with her brother.
“This is the song Daddy and I had at our first dance at our wedding.” I turned the radio up.
John Michael Montgomery sang… “And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh…”
“Will I have to dance at my wedding?” my son asked. “I don’t like dancing.”
“No, but by the time you get married, you’ll probably want to.” I smiled and settled in to listen to the lyrics.
“We should watch our wedding video this weekend,” I told my husband. He nodded and reached over and grabbed my hand.
“If you sent your wedding video to America’s Funniest Home Videos and won money for it, could you buy me a new spy set?” my son asked.
Not wanting to get into a conversation right then (I had a SONG to listen to), I humored him, “Sure.”
I squeezed my husband’s hand and thought about our wedding day and that first dance…
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the kids start pulling on each other’s animals again.
And then there was a shout.
“Mom! She pulled the thread out of Chestnut’s ear! Now it’s hanging.”
I turned around. Sure enough, one of his ears was longer than the other…
“I didn’t mean to,” my daughter said. “It was an accident. We were playing.”
My son reached over to grab her bear. “I’m gonna get Brownie’s ear too.”
“Guys!” I said. “Leave each other’s animals alone. And be quiet, please.”
I desperately wanted to hear the last part of the song.
“Mom? If you were me, would you pull Chestnut’s other ear to match, or would you fix this one?” my son asked. “Which do you think would look better?”
“Either way,” I said, not even turning around. “Now, no more questions. I’m trying to listen to this song.”
“Do you think I should pull the other ear?” I heard him ask my daughter.
“I would,” she said. “Here, let me see it.”
“No.”
“Just let me see it.”
“No! He’s mine.”
And then there were stuffed animals flying in the back seat.
“If you guys don’t stop throwing those around,” my husband said, “I’m taking them and putting them in the front. I’m trying to drive.”
For a sweet minute, all was quiet.
Except for the last part of our song.
Which I relished…
“I looove the way you love me …”
As soon as it was over, though, Chestnut and Brownie flew up in the air again.
“That’s it,” my husband said. “Hand them up here.”
And somehow I started my romantic weekend with my husband…
with two stuffed animals in my lap.
p.s. We still had a great time, and thanks to my parents, so did the kids!
Just stumbled back over to your blog again today. Enjoyed this post. I love memory-lane kind of songs. Hope your trip was great!
Ha! I guess romantic moments look a little different once you add kids to the mix. I hope you had a fabulous weekend spending time alone with your honey. :)
Cute! :) It’s neat how a song can almost take you right back to being in the moment. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Those alone times are so important.On a side note, it was great having dinner with you and Kelli last week. Girl time is important too. It was so good to finally catch up with you. Hugs!
Aaahhhhh….many times have I agreed to things I shouldn’t be agreeing to when I am trying to lsiten or focus on something other than the small child tugging at my sleeve…lol..many blessings to you and yours!Amanda
We are planing our first trip alone – in almost eight years – next month. Note to self, leave stuffed animals at home. :)Glad you had a good time.(Oh and I love that song. Ours was “Keeper of the Stars”.)
Boy isn’t that the way it goes?! There’s some kind of poetic justice in that whole scene; something about trying to go back to “where we started” but it’s impossible to escape where we are (not that we’d really want to).Dh and I got to celebrate our anniversary this weekend thanks to a friend who kept our kiddos for the day. (We’ll work our way up to the weekend thing; we were grateful for a day considering she’s got 5 kids of her own!) Glad you got to have some grown-up time.
I’m glad you were able to have a great time! That kind of time is so important!
That is too funny. I am like you with my special songs. I love now that I can look up a song on You Tube if I hear it in the car and then it gets voiced over by my crew.
Romance among the children can happen! But thank goodness for grandparents that are close by!
♡ What a great weekend! That cracks me up about the ear. :)Happy Anniversary! I love that song!
What a great story. That is our song, as well. We danced to it for our wedding! Neat! That cracks me up that you had this romantic, special moment with stuffed animals losing their ears. Ha ha. Good for you. Now I am humming the song, too! Thanks. Also, thanks for coming by my spot, earlier, and for the words of encouragement.
I loved that song! Glad you had a great weekend despite the way it started.
Ha…I had to laugh a little bit with ya on this one Genny. In my head I am singing that song in my head (I lllloooovvveee the way you love me, ok, John Michael Montgomery sings it better) and giggling at your “background” noise…it’s funny we can tune out when we want and also still be very much present, isn’t it?
This post made me chuckle! Oh, kids. God Bless them. (Glad you’re having a nice romantic get away.)
Yes, believe me, it won’t be long, (because time flies) the kids will be gone from home – and what one wouldn’t give to hear them again, arguing in the back seat of the car!!!
Oh what a great post :) I really enjoyed reading this as hubby and I had our first meal alone together since our kiddo started preschool. We barely knew what to say or do. Kids really do change everything! So glad you’re spending some time alone with your sweetheart :)
Your kids are lucky that they have your husband for a dad. Jeff probably would have threatened to throw them out the window!! :)I am glad that you had a nice time and a much needed get away.
That is awesome… gotta get those beautiful moments in there, in the midst of real life. :-)
Oh, but isn’t this what the “stuff” of life and parenting is about! : )Steph
Hope your weekend was wonderful! And hope Chestnut recovers–isn’t this story so emblematic of marriage and momhood? :)
Ahh, the romantic interludes kids bring to a marriage! Glad your weekend alone together was a good one – as our family has grown, I relish those times alone with my man!
Hey Genny…love your blog and am SO GLAD to have met you and connected with you here and at CRTW!I just added you to my “cool chicks” blog roll today, I hope you don’t mind!Have a great day!Melissa
Bumped into your blog from the Blog Mission site -Some of the songs I recognized have now certified me as old. ;-)I enjoy your style and hey, there are a couple guys floating in the blogosphere! ;-)Blessings to you and yours,Matt
It’s funny how those moments when you are trying to concentrate on something so meaningful, or say something profound–are always interrupted by kid-created chaos. Guess all we can do is laugh it off! (and then blog it!)
Don’t you love it when “Your Song” comes on! :)
So precious. Isn’t that the way it is though, with kids? We have to learn to seize the moments don’t we? Moments that pass all too soon…I am glad you had a good time away! T~
that was the first song that my hubby & I danced to the 2nd time we dated. LOVED your story!
I love that song!!! Glad I am not the only one who has children who play tug o war with their stuffed animals LOL.. Glad you had a romantic weekend with your hubby.:)
I can just picture it all happening. Glad you had a great time, no matter how the weekend began. :)
I’m glad you had a fun “getaway.” You have a wonderful way of telling stories. I so enjoy your posts.
I think I need one of those weekends! (Maybe not the stuffed animals part . . .) Just gotta get Esme weaned first!
I love how you tell a story.