Faux Pas

I remember the first time we drove past our house and saw the 'for sale' sign in the yard, after all, it was only two years ago.

This is how the conversation (sort-of) went:
"Look! - the yard is huge (for the kids) and fully landscaped (for my ego) with awesome, mature plants; we wouldn't have to do a thing to it (for G's mark one off the more-crap-to-do-on-Saturday list)."

Two Years Later...
"Man, I wish you made enough to hire landscapers; how much you think your bonus will be?"
"Shut up, who cares, I'm hot."
"You shut up and I care 'cause I'm sick of being out here with you and the mosquitoes, you freak."
"Your mom's a freak."

We digress from there, and well, this is a sort-of-PG blog, so...

WoW, is it ever alot of work and it never ends. Ignorance is bliss should probably be our family motto, at least G's since he's the REALLY ignorant half. BTW, we love each other passionately; yeah, it's still a pretty H.O.T. romance - War of the Roses-hot, - that's why we converse that way; see how that works? Back to the point...

Today was the perfect day for working outside: high around 70, sunny with a slight breeze and nothing on the schedule. So, we grabbed all our gear and went to work.

After a few hours, Gerald suggested Molly go over and ask our neighbor to come over and play since she had been standing by her driveway, on and off, watching our kids play.

She is Zac's age. She has two younger brothers and another sibling just a few weeks away. She just loves to watch our kids play and is always yelling, "Hi, Mooolly!" across the street. Last week her family came over and was taking a look-see at Anna's remodeled room and the rest of the house, as they had never been in it. We had told her then that we'd have her and her brother over soon, so today was a great day to come through on that offer.

The kids played quietly, running 'round and 'round the house; in and out, in and out the doors. They played basketball, put on the roller skates, took dolls in and out of strollers, played guns, pirates, dinosaurs, barbies and smoked a pack of Marlboros (just seeing if you're paying attention). I don't know what all was going on, I just know that they were entertaining each other and Zac had quit asking for popsicles every five minutes.

Pretty soon, Molly comes up to me and says, "Mom, look, Ella Grace is riding Zac's bike."
"Cool," I said, half listening as I was trying carefully to prune my two Azaleas to exactly the same height, while singing along to Faith Hill, Fergie and Macy Gray.

Zac had just had his training wheels taken off today; just a sidenote you need to know.

So, Molly insists again. "Mo-Om, LOOK at Ella Grace!"
I half turn and glance in her direction, "Mmm-hmm, make sure she stays out of the street."
"But Mom, that's the first time Ella has ridden without training wheels."
"Oh, I'm sure she's done that before, Molly; she wouldn't be that steady."

I go on pruning, pulling weeds, raking and doing an 80's dance-move that embarrasses my 13-going-on-30 (but turns on G - remember H.O.T. romance), until I see Ella's dad coming over to get her and her brother for dinner. We walk inside the garage door to the kitchen and the kids are eating Goldfish; Ella sees her dad and immediately makes a beeline out the front door. We look at each other and just shrug. Charlie, her brother, comes out of the bathroom having trouble with his belt so that distracts us. I tug Charlie's pants into a more decent position and we all walk back out the garage door.

We're chatting as we come out into the driveway and there is Ella with a bicycle helmet on, riding in circles. "Look, Daddy!"
"Whoa! You're riding without training wheels!"
Then, with slightly less enthusiasm, "We should have got that on vid....." and he trails off.

Awkward silence and a little huh-huh laugh as I realize, "Crap!" and want to jump into the back of the mower as Jake comes around the bend.

It HAD been her first time after all. Her Dad and Mom had missed getting video of Ella Grace on HER OWN bike, Dad holding onto the back, riding out HER OWN driveway all wobbly and wide-eyed.

She's not second or third in the sibling line-up either, she is their first. There will never be another first, first.

Sure, they can re-enact it but they'll always know it wasn't the VERY first time.

I have guilt much like Rex in Toy Story; yes, guilt THAAAAT big. At the least, I should have sent one of my kids over to get her parents and their video camera, just in case. Stupid, stupid, STUPID-Fergie.

I feel like I should send over an expensive apology dinner and a card stating something like this:

"I'm sorry for that moment...that you'll never get back...because of me (and Faith, Fergie and Macy)."
Love (or not),
Your Idiot Neighbor (who has five kids, the last of which hasn't seen a video camera...ever.)