Father of the Year

Our Brady Bunch

 

 

Usually summers move lazily around here but ours is traveling at warp speed.  As soon as we returned from France where the three of us were a quiet little family we've returned to  A and M and a very full house.  Neither A nor I are quite sure how it is that we have come to be living together but at least for me it really is pretty freakin' wonderful. I guess the plan was just that they'd stay while we were in France so she could sublet her place but now we're all together and it feels so perfect.  Chet and Ava dote on M, I do too. She's as irresistible as her mom.  Ava is always squeezing her and picking her up but Chet too is kissing her or asking her to kiss him (or getting her to parrot something inapropriate like, "Wanna give Ava a nuggy!")  A was working in a cafe while Chet and I were watching M.  Ava went to the beach with a friend.  M woke early from her nap and shrieked for her mommy.  Chet crawled into bed with her and held her and patted her and sang, "Hush little baby, don't say a word..."  I had no idea that he knew all the verses.  I had no idea that my hyperkenetic, Pokemon-obsessed little boy could be so gentle. 

Watching them my heart nearly swallowed me whole...

 

Of course some things are also a lot more difficult. A and I are both used to being domestic tyrants and now we have to power share.  Plus, she's messy.  As Chet put it the other day, "With all of M's stuff around here the place is going to be a dump!"  We're all working on it because we all feel that this is something that can last. 

And little M is capturing more of my heart daily.  I can't tell you how thrilling it is to be able to sell Playdoh again. I'd forgotten that it is one of my favorite smell

 

 

 

 


+ DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US

Comments

 

Marie Eve said:

I really wish you good luck with your new blended family! I've come to like A ever since you started casually mentioning her months ago, and I especially enjoyed the guest post while you were away (you had to feel sympathetic for the girl after finding that picture!)  

July 29, 2008 12:30 PM
 

Trey said:

A is wonderful. And she insists that she's actually not messy.

July 29, 2008 1:29 PM
 

Tracey said:

Of course she insists she's not messy, all messy people do! But for real, whenever people start living together unofficially it is messy because there is no discussion about space and who can have which drawers and closets, etc. Stuff just gets placed everywhere.

Looks like things are coming together nicely. Have you sat down with all of the kids to see how they feel about the arrangement, is it permanent, etc? (especially Chet)I'm just curious as to what the kids think as opposed to what you think. It's interesting to watch you go through these changes and I'm glad they're happy changes for you.

Yes, I'm nosy and I understand if you eventually lose patience with the questions. It's rare that one gets to watch someone else's life unfold in such meaningful and dramatic ways. Thanks for sharing.  

July 30, 2008 9:46 AM

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About the Blogger

Arthur Bradford

Trey Ellis in Manhattan

The author of Bedtimes Stories: Adventures in the Land of Single-Fatherhood, Trey is busy raising his school-aged girl and boy in New York City. When he’s not shuttling them to public school, he is a novelist, screenwriter, political blogger on the HuffingtonPost and film professor. Visit his website here.

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