May 5

On this beautiful Thursday, Adam left early for a good friend's bachelor party in Key West. Once again, I tried to plan fun activities for each day so we wouldn't have too much time to be sad.

In the morning, Isaac's good friend Zack came to our house to play. These two boys would both rather play trains than just about anything, but they are on very different sleeping schedules. Zack had been up for hours when they arrived; Isaac had just rolled out of bed at 9:30. Zack showed up ready to play, while Isaac began an ear-splitting meltdown that lasted at least a good half hour. The reason, supposedly, was that he wanted me to come up and help him with his shirt, and I asked him to come downstairs instead. I think the real source of his emotional upheaval, however, was missing his dad once again. And once he calmed down, I found out that he'd been afraid for Zack and Shawn to see him with his shirt off. Coming from a kid who will strip off his underwear right in the front yard if we let him, I was a little surprised, but I explained that it's okay for boys to have their shirts off in front of other people.

Zack is such a good-hearted kid. He waited patiently for Isaac to calm down and play with him, and Isaac eventually took interest in what his friend was doing and started to smile again.

After that, they were best buddies, and the morning that had started with me wanting to strap a muzzle on Isaac ended with the three boys (it's never occurred to Jonah that anyone might exclude him) playing happily and enjoying a fun lunch and slow, observant walk together.

I hadn't had a chance to make any food, so we walked to Pasquini's for some pizza and pasta. Outside, Zack was exuberant and adorable, running up to Isaac and throwing his arms around him for a big hug and saying: "I love you Isaac!" Isaac hugged him back with a little smile on his face. Then Zack insisted on holding hands as we walked to the restaurant.

All the boys were starving. Isaac polished off his own plate of 4 enormous breadsticks, and then ate most of his spaghetti too. Jonah wanted spaghetti too. He was cranky when we first sat down, but it turned out he was just starving.



Here is Jonah after a full plate of spaghetti, the rest of Isaac's spaghetti, a breadstick and a third of my piece of pizza.