We miss Sis

Tomorrow we pick up our Sissy-poo and head to Carowinds for a day. This is Dane's birthday present. He wanted to go to Carowinds in lieu of a party and presents.

We've really missed Deanna, as usual. I keep looking around, trying to find my third child. This must be how a mother feels when one of her kids leaves home for the first time - lying awake, unconsciously waiting for the last child to come home.

When we've gone to the pool, I keep looking for that other child. Don and I had a disagreement last weekend because I wanted to take his new car on our date, but we needed to drop the boys off at a birthday pool party and take Dane's friend home. Don wasn't clearly saying no or giving any reason, but he kept avoiding the question. Once we finally got on our date, he said he didn't want to take his car because we couldn't all fit. I asked him how he figured that. We bought the car for our whole family. We had Dane's friend with us, in Deanna's place. How could we possibly all not fit.

"Oh," he responded dully. "I forgot Deanna's not with us." I understood well.

On another front, while Dane's friend was over, they decided to practice baseball - pitching to each other and hitting. They were in the lower part of our yard, far too near our neighbor whose house sits sideways at the end of our street. I scooted them further up the yard, where the common backyards open up to a huge, wide area, perfect for batting.

Dane and his friend appeared in my bathroom later where I was doing my hair and makeup for Don's and my date.

"Mama," Dane started, "something bad happened. There was an accident."

Me, trying hard to control my panic: "What happened, son?"

Dane: "We were playing baseball and we hit the ball ..." he trailed off.

Me: "Where, son," trying hard not to scream the words, "where did you hit the ball to?"

Dane: "Well (in his slow, southern drawl), we hit Daddy's new car!"

Me: "What?!!! Daddy's new car?"

Other Boy: "He pitched it right down the middle."

Dane: "It broke a light."

Me: "A light where? On Daddy's new car?"

Other Boy: "It was right down the middle."

Dane: "But the light's still there, Mom."

Me: "What are you talking about? What did you hit?"

Other Boy: "The middle. Right down the middle."

The long and short of it is the backup light on Don's day-old car got hit and broken. The bulb was still intact, but the top of the red cover was broken off. Don taped it up good with clear packing tape, concerned that rain would get inside the cover and short out the electrical system. We sure don't want to have to mess with electrical problems. We'll have to get the cover replaced at some point. In the meanwhile, the car works, you can't tell the top of the cover over the back light is broken, and Dane had a wonderful time with his friend.

Lots of news for Deanna when she gets home. Thank God she's coming home.