As Happy as I've Ever Seen Them

Last night I took the boys over to my parent's house while I headed off to work. I ended up being able to leave work much earlier than I thought I would, so I was able to spend some time with my folks. As I wrote the other day, Oscar and Petar are beginning to show their personalities. It's great because they're responsive and they interact with Rose and I and whomever they may be face to face with. They smile and coo, and almost laugh. This sets my parents off.

A little longer while ago, I wrote about a picture of my Dad and I that I think about all the time. In it, we're playing with a toy car set in the kitchen and you can tell by the look on his face that my Dad was laughing hysterically and having a lot of fun. But other than that photo, I hardly remember seeing him laugh like that, ever. Maybe he and my Mom were too caught up in trying to raise me "right" to laugh out loud. Or maybe I was just too much of a pain in the ass to let them laugh. Who knows? But last night, with Oscar in his lap, smiling, cooing, maybe even laughing, and definitely farting, my Dad opened up like I haven't seen since the day that picture was taken. He could barely control his laughter. I saw him smile from ear to ear with every muscle in his face; his eyes slits, baring all of his teeth. He threw his head back, and looked over at my Mom and I who were sitting on the adjacent couch with Petar. He was laughing so hard he couldn't even ask us if we were seeing what he was seeing, but you could tell he was lost in the moment and really loving it. It was awesome. I loved seeing it. It has to be good for his soul.

It has to.

This photo is a little grainy, and from another day, but it captures some of what I'm talking about. I have to get more and better photos like this one. 

My Mom, for her part, was a ball of laughter too as Petar, who was in her lap was just as entertaining as Oscar. But I've feel like I've seen her laugh more throughout my life. I think I get a lot of my goofiness from her. She can be as goofy as any person I know. But seeing them both letting loose and laughing uncontrollably is just another reason to add to the already-long list of reasons we want to stay here in Appleton.

My folks aren't getting any younger, and clearly, these kids bring them joy. I don't know how many things I've done in my life that do that for them. And certainly, if there were any, bringin Oscar and Petar into their lives takes the cake. Plus, I want my kids to know their grandparents. As much as my folks and I disagree on things, and as much as we get on each others' nerves, I don't think it's about "me" and "them." It's about my kids having a relationship with their grandparents. And I think that's important.

Oscar and Petar All Dressed Up for Ma and Pa B