overworked and underappreciated

Simon is heading back into another couple of rounds of grueling rotations at work this week. We did have a superb September complete with an entire week of vacation, 5:00 homecomings most evenings and not terribly crazy early exits most mornings. Julia started to cling a little less to me and a little more to him 

which I welcomed with weirdly and wonderfully empty arms.  I have a lot to learn from Simon including the arts of rarely complaining and always doing. He helps much more than his fair share around the house despite his long hours at work and tolerates an impressive amount of nonsense from his three lady roomies. I've compiled a sinfully incomplete list of thank yous I've been meaning to verbalize to Simone...because we all know that blog posts are the most genuine avenue to illustrating one's gratitude

thank you 

for doing all of the yard work every week without fail and without complaint

for always doing the dishes at night and cleaning Julia's disgusting high chair

for taking the princesses on long walks in the blistering heat after work all summer

for buying me candy and having the wise foresight to limit my consumption and hide the bags lest I eat my way into a rotten mood

for letting me drive in reclined (but safe) luxury while you deal with road weary tyrants in the back seat

for always being pleasant and patient with Julia even when she is being an obstinate little bumble bee

for always being pleasant and patient with Lucy even when she is being an obstinate little canine

for always being pleasant and patient with me even when I am being an obstinate big bumble bee

for watching Julia in the morning so that I can go the gym, burn 8 whole calories and drive alone in the car for 9 minutes

for logging and tolerating hours and hours of baby name hashing with me

for tolerating the now nine totally necessary during pregnancy pillows that have made their home in our bed

for agreeing to let the baby initially sleep in the portacrib on your side of the bed 

for dealing with my totally sane and normal 'we-need-a-changing-table-today-today-today!!!' Craigslist searches and driving to the literal Timbuktu, Missouri to retrieve said totally necessary changing table

 for always making me laugh, always

case in point...

I recently gifted Simon with an Oscar de la Renta (ooooo...aaaaaa) tags still on sweater from the Goodwill. It fit perfectly but of course came with a unique odor:

Simon: What is the thread count on this Oscar de la Rento?

Grace: 

Simon: I smell senile.

Grace:

Simon: I'm pretty sure someone died in this.

Grace: I can spray some perfume on it?

Simon: absolutely not. 

Grace: why?

Simon: people will think we've been necking! no.

ok.

but thank you alllll the same Simone Pattone.

{I believe he was saying something along the lines of, "I would be jealous of me right now"}

warmly,

 your papoose and papoosemama