It's All in a Day

Last night was date night with Tony.  For the past three times together, we've gone to the Fuji Steak House because Tony loves the noodles, and he gets to pay the check.  (He always grabs the check from the waitress, and attempts to sign the receipt.  We've gotten to the point that the waitress will bring a fake check, and snag my credit card on the sly).

Last night, Tony decided he wanted to go to Chic-Fil-A.  In his world, there was no better place to be.  So we went, and sharing a booth, we talked.  We talked about school, about soccer, about Uncle Cliff (for some reason he had a bunch of questions about Uncle Cliff, Sam, Jake and the Yankees) and about how he really does love and miss Paige when she's not with us, but he doesn't like to tell her.

On the way home, he begged me to do his homework for him.  When I said no, he started to cry, and muttered, "You're stupid."  I looked back at him and asked, "Did you really just call me stupid because I won't do your homework?"  He smiled, and the crying ceased.

He was still crabby about doing his homework, but when I opened his folder and found that he had gotten a 100% on his 3-page math test, the mood quickly changed.  I grabbed the test, did a dance around the kitchen table, ran into the other room to show Gracie, who was laid out on the sofa in a coma, and even let the little bastard, Enzo, rip a hole in my esophagus as he tried to get the paper from my hands. 

"This is why you need to do your own homework, smarty pants!"

After that, we were all about homework.  We breezed through his math, read, and then punctuated all the sentences he had to write.

"That was so easy!"

As I put his homework back into his backpack, he ran to the kitchen, grabbed a mixing bowl and an egg and said, "Let's make cookies now!"  We got to work, preparing the cookies and as he mixed the ingredients together, he said, "I'm smart, amn't I?"

"You sure am."  I answered and we both laughed.

After that, we started a heated game of Uno Attack.  When Paige showed up with her dad, we were in the middle of a rant.

"You're going down this time! Uno!"  Tony said, pointing his finger in my face.

"I only have one card left too, you doof."

"Yeah, but you have to push the Uno Attack button." 

I pushed the button, and got six more cards spit out at me.

"Hahahahahaha... Uno!  Hi, dad."  He jumped up from his chair to give his dad a hug.

After his dad left, he said to Paige, "I just kicked Mom's ass.  We missed you."

Now, you have to understand something about Paige.  When she is part of a heartfelt sentiment, she cries.  Just last week, she read a quote that I have in my kitchen (some guy named Ghandi coined it):  "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

"Do you like your world?"  Paige asked.

"Yes."  I answered.

"Why?"

"Because you're in it."

As soon as I said it, her eyes pooled and she ran to me, "You just made me cry!"

So when Tony told her that we missed her, she reacted the exact same way.  She ran to him for a hug.  He made a face and tried to push her away, but as she squeezed and told him she loved him, I saw a smile.

We spent the rest of the evening, coloring at the kitchen table with Rocky III playing in the background.  As Rocky began training for his second fight with Clubber Lang, we talked about perseverance, and when it was time for Rocky to actually fight, we put down the markers and cuddled on the couch.

With every climax of music, the kids jumped and smiled, and cheered on Rocky.

"You ain't so bad.  You ain't so bad.  You ain't so bad.  You ain't nothin'!"  Rocky uses his glove to push Clubber back into the corner at the end of the second round.  I looked at both of them, and saw wide smiles.  And I started to cry.

"Are you thinking of Papa again?"  Paige asked.

I nodded.

"Because he used to call you every time Rocky was on?"

I nodded again.

"Will you call us every time Rocky is on?"  She asked.

I nodded and hiccupped on my tears.

She leaned in for a hug.

After Rocky knocked Clubber Lang out, we headed upstairs for bed.