esrosedotblog

NORMALITY

I think that we are beginning to get back to what passes for normal in our household.

Booker's arrival threw a new spin on things for awhile but we all have come to a new balance. He has gotten what our routine is more or less and we have gotten what his thing is, more or less.

This is a good sign.

Last week, I put off having people over so that we could concentrate on the new member of the family. This week, not so much. We have had a number of people come and visit and it has worked out fine.

I have taken two weeks off from the gym and will resume that activity on Monday. I have been substituting the cv there with morning walks with John and Booker. It has worked fine but I miss my machines and "the guys". Joe and some others. Not all. I haven't gotten that social.

Booker has now met all the people who come to work at the house. The pool guy, the gardening guys and, his favorite, Mari who comes on Thursday to clean up after all of us. She has a kind of gentle spirit that makes for sweet attention from the dogs. Franklin seemed to idolize her somehow. Booker gets that and acts as though he is in the "initiate" stage.

I think that we have also been thrown off by all the concentration on the boy and the boy's need to adapt. All of us have backed off and begun to do other things like read and write blog entries.

Today, we may actually watch a movie! It has been a week and that was the Talking Heads film which isn't all that deep. Well, it is, but not in the same way as a dramatic film.

We are all going to the store together soon. An old ritual. John and the dog on the tailgate of the Jeep while I shop. Holding court.

I have insisted on double leashing. Booker will be hooked up to the seat belt as he is for travel plus the usual leash around John's wrist.

I am still worried, as we should be, about his flight instinct. They say to give it at least three weeks to cool down. I think more.

It is something you can never take back if it happens.

But mostly he is fitting in nicely. More sleepy. More with us in a companion way rather than an anxious way. He is a good boy and we are good dads and now we can all relax a little.

Labels: Booker, life