I heard some weird sound coming from the attic. Maybe, just maybe, a big branch on a tree near the house was brushing against the roof? I am all about homeowner denial. But, no. There was clearly something skittering around the vent in Sabrina's room. I was too chicken to even look up, for fear I'd see a pair of beady eyes staring down at me. "GO AWAY!!!" I cleverly shouted, which did make the skittering stop...for, like, three seconds. Then, scratch, skitter, scratch, skitter, skitter skitter skitter.
Dave was out dropping off Sabrina at school and picking me up an iced coffee, which he does every morning throughout the year. Meanwhile, I've booked a weekend getaway to Atlantic City's Water Club and a "deep-tissue massage" for him. Dave operates on a week delay for reading this blog, so I'm not giving away any surprises; I am quite sure he is going to love his squirrel.
This is our marriage, filled with moments of sweetness and fun but also a whole lot of tasks, to-dos and surprises—some life-changing, some of the four-legged variety (or two-legged). Obviously, once kids come into the picture partners have to balance out couplehood, parenthood and life. We just have a bit more to manage because of the extra responsibilities, and occasional stress-outs, that come from having a kid with special needs. Some weeks, there's not a whole lot of "we" time, try as we might; some weeks, we're just too wiped to even try. But this weekend is all about us; my sister (aka Judy Doodie) and brother-in-law are babysitting (eternal thanks, guys).
The neighborhood exterminator came by late in the morning. He couldn't find a hole in the attic where a squirrel might have crept in, and there haven't been any scampering sounds. One of our neighbors, Todd, suggested that a mounted squirrel could be an even fancier anniversary gift, but I am not into DIY taxidermy, nor am I sure how that would look in our Pottery Barned living room, so we'll just have to wait and see when and if Dave's 10th anniversary present makes another appearance.
Do you like the name "Sherlock"?
