13

theoretically romantic

Yesterday was our thirteenth wedding anniversary.  Around 11am Troy called to lament that he couldn't think of anything fabulous to do to celebrate.  So many of the options would involve driving in a lot of stress-making traffic and didn't seem worth the effort. We agreed that if we expected fabulous we'd be disappointed and instead we decided to expect nothing and be surprised no matter what came of our night.

Learning about expectations takes time, but if Haiti has taught us anything it is that most of our anger, sadness, depression, or angst is caused because we had ideas about how things should go.  We decided to drop all of that, therein making the anniversary celebration that much more free to surprise us.

Troy and the kids got home from school.  I had set a table and chairs in our room and placed the only glassware we own on it hoping that we might be able to dine alone at some point in the evening. If nothing else it looked very romantic.  Geronne watched me carry the table up the stairs and thought I was weird.  I did my best to explain that we were just trying to do something different.  Troy entered the room and cheered at the sight. Just looking at that table made us both happy. 

We went about making spaghetti for the kids and working on homework with them. Around 6:30 we came upstairs and sat down at the table with our most elegant china plastic bowls of spaghetti and started talking about funny memories from years past.  Right at that moment the city power went off, but without expectations that didn't disappoint us.  Troy poured a glass of wine. Noah knocked and complained that he couldn't find his plastic whistle (recorder) to practice for school.  He knocked again to say that Isaac was going to come tattle on him.  Tattling on someone who is going to tattle is a more advanced form of annoying your parents, some kids never reach this level.  Moments later Phoebe began one of her epic screaming melt downs because the boys picked a DVD she didn't like.  We took turns leaving the beauty of the candle lit table to go deal with the children. 

About the time everyone settled down for the night Paige came and threw herself on our bed.  Troy left to go grill a steak he had saved for this special night.  Troy, Paige, and I ate steak together. Side dishes were neither prepared or desired. Troy said, "This is just like our wedding night when Paige melted down over not being able to stay with us at the end of the dance." Paige said something like, "See, I am here to help you recreate your memories. You're welcome." 

Before Paige departed for the evening she provided Disc Jockey services and played a few of our favorite songs while we danced and laughed like hyenas in our increasingly warm and stuffy room. 

It was a truly enjoyable night and I  laughed so hard and had so much fun that my cheek bones are sore today.  A Happy Anniversary indeed.

troy missing from his chair to help noah

precious little dj paige