Brian and I

Yesterday I went to Montclair with my son, Brian.  He loves walking around just like me.  Also we went to Doin' Dishes and painted pottery.  I painted a bowl that looks like a flower.  Brian painted a cupcake with strawberries and on Saturday we will go back to get it.

Wait, wait, wait.  That was not me.  My SON dictated the top part of this blog.  He thinks its so easy to write a story.  LOL.  But I wanted to tell you a different story about our time yesterday.  We put money in the meter and walked down the block looking at the antique stores (which I love and Brian tolerates).

Fortunately, it wasn't blazing hot so the walking wasn't too bad.  The first thing Brian wanted was tea.  He loves tea.  He spotted the Starbuck's first so we made a beeline for it and he had his usual: hot black tea with a little ice and room for milk.  Instead of milk he puts in a good splash of half and half and 2 Splenda which makes the drink virually carbless so he doesn't have to give himself insulin for it.

After that I figured we should really eat something before his blood sugar starts dropping.  We went to an outside cafe and he ordered what he usually orders: pasta with olive oil and parmesan, a ceasar salad and a diet cola.   We sat under a giant square umbrella and as he talked excitedly about dinosaurs and their powers I watched his perfect, poreless, amber brown skin and his mess of eyelashes, and the two teeth he has in the front with another coming in next to it (he is definitely going to need braces) and I felt a pang at the idea that one day he would not be a little boy.

There is an easiness we have when we are together.  I feel unburdened for the most part when we are out together and my stress level drops dramatically.  We both have fiery tempers that flair at times and a low or a high blood sugar never helps things but over all I think it might be the absence of ADD that makes all the difference in the world.

My husband and my first son both have ADD and being around them can be a harrowing experience.   It's not that Brian and I aren't used to it by now or even that we dislike it.  I think its more that we need a break from it sometimes.  All the loud talk and the quick tempers and the confusion and the arguing--its just a cacophony of confusion, lost keys and wallets, forgetten meds, last minute delays, messiness, disorganization and stress.

But then there's that other thing--I really really like that kid, Brian.  He is interesting to talk to and his face is so animated that you can't help but become engaged in whatever he is saying.  I love how mature he is at 8 years old and I love how intuitive he is about people (especially me).  We both can just sit there having lunch and sip diet sodas and be totally content in each other's company...I am untaxed.

And as I watch and listen to him describing the differences in ceasar dressings; how the dressing on the salad he's eating is wayyyy better than any other dressing, as he is no longer a fan of the McDonald's ceasar dressing I feel afraid for myself that its all going too fast.  He is is going to grow up and I will have nothing left but the aged, curling memories like this one blowing in the wind.