I took off this afternoon for a little out-of-the-house and alone time. It was sorely needed. I haven’t been out of the house much this week and the one time I was? Doctor’s appointment. And I had to get right back because the boy was with Daddy.

But this afternoon, just before the boy woke up from his nap, I took off. Ran a few errands. Perused Michael’s and the bookstore. And then I picked up dinner and went back home to be with my guys.

A little saner, a little refreshed.

After I walked in the door, the boy was nowhere to be found. Turns out he was playing in the bedroom and didn’t know I was home. After I put down all of my stuff, I called to him.

He came careening out of the bedroom with a huge smile on his face. He ran up to me and I expected him to fling himself around my legs. But he grabbed my hand to lead me back to where he was so he could show me what he’d been doing. And then he wanted to play on our bed (which he loves).

His laughter and smile were the perfect welcome home.

Today is my son’s second birthday. Originally I wanted to write a beautiful tribute to everything he means to me (us).

Instead, I spent time just watching and enjoying him today.

Mid-morning, just before his nap, he sat on his little foam couch next to the toy box, his feet up in the air and resting on the side of the box. He grabbed a piece from his toy garage that is somewhat like a straw and was blowing into it, making noises. He’d pause every so often, throw his head back in glee and just laugh.

If I close my eyes, I can still picture the joy in his face. That big smile with the gapped teeth and dimples. Bright eyes, half closed in the middle of laughter.

That? Is the best part of my day every day. I am so grateful for every minute of the last two years. And I wouldn’t change a thing. Happy birthday, boobah. May you continue to bring joy to those around you.

Today, my first independence day with the little guy, was quite pleasant. We slept in while daddy went to work. And took an afternoon nap. Then we all walked down to the park to take in a little bit of the community party. Our boy was fascinated by all of the goings on, watching all of the people walk by, hearing the music play.

J took the boy around for a walk. He stopped part way across the lawn to turn the boy around and carry him facing out so he could see everything. As they stood there for a moment, my heart caught in my throat. Those are my boys, I thought. And I was so happy to be able to say that.

I haven’t told my boy’s birth story yet, so many of you don’t know all that we went through to get him here. And I realize I need to do that while it’s still pretty fresh in my mind, so he’ll have a record of it some day. If we lived in any other time and place, any other era before the medical advancements we have now, it’s probable that neither the boy or I would be here. So I’m especially grateful to have these moments with him.

J put the boy in his first real swing today, the ones that have leg holes but basically are an enclosed seat for the kids so they won’t fall out. The look of sheer joy on our son’s face was priceless. That park is on the walk to the coffee shop, so I’ll be stopping by fairly often to let him swing.

We didn’t do a lot today. We walked back home shortly after that so we could grab something to eat. We didn’t head out for fireworks. It was just a quiet day of family, with the daughter popping in and out occasionally, too. Yet it’s one I won’t forget. The gorgeous day, the music and food, families out together. Kids dancing to the band with wild abandon, grandparents holding babies, bikes and strollers everywhere.

It was a nice respite from worrying about money, gas prices, jobs, the economy. It was a day to just enjoy what we have in this moment. It was nice to hold that little boy close while watching him discover his surroundings. It was nice to just be for once. So yeah, it was a nice independence day. I hope yours was, too.