I say we were apart, but we got the kids together as often as possible over the weekend. It would have been cruel to keep
The teenage Mynds are a little older than this, but the princess from this picture definitely works. |
For the better part of two weeks, he wasn't at my place (what with all the vacationing and child-rearing going on in our lives). The day that the Mynd's returned from their trip the following conversation took place:
Honey: I'm definitely coming straight home after work.
Me: Here or your place?
Honey: (chagrined expression) Here.
Me: Aww! You just called this home.
Honey: Yeah. (sighing) I've been slipping and saying that alot this week.
Me: To who? That's the first time you've said that to me.
Honey: To people at work.
Me: Really? (big smile)
Honey: Yeah, really. (smiling)
A few days later, we took the conversation a step further. My honey gets home from work earlier than I normally do. Since he's been staying with me so much, I've been cutting out of work earlier than normal in order to get to the house before him. But, last Wednesday was a long day for me at work. I had a mandatory training til after 5 pm, which wasn't going to work with the whole rushing home to open the house for my honey thing I'd been doing. He's normally off work by four and home by quarter of five.
We talked about ways to solve this problem. He said he could go to his place and hang out for an hour. I thought that was silly since he hasn't done that in ages. I offered to leave him my key so he could let himself in when he got to the house. He said that wouldn't work since I leave for work after him and would need the key to lock up the house. Nothing I suggested was acceptable to him. Then, I looked at him and realized what he was angling towards. My honey was ready for a key to the house!
This is not the first time this key situation has occurred. There have been times where he was off work and I wasn't, times where I left for church and he waited at the house for me to come back. I left him the key on those occassions because I felt bad that he couldn't leave the house due to his keyless status. I even told him to take the key and get a copy made while he was off work so that he could come and go as he pleased. He refused, saying that getting a copy of the key was something we should do together. Now, by refusing to accept any alternative solution to the problem, I realized he wanted a house key. Big step, huh?
When I suggested we go to the hardware store and get a key made for him, he lit up like a Christmas tree. He grabbed his keys and suggested we go immediately. Yup, that's what he was aiming for with all that nay-saying of other ways to handle the situation. So, off to the hardware store we went and together we had a key made for him. We also had a copy made for Mrs. Mynd in the event that I ever fall out of a canoe again and need her to come to the rescue with dry clothes.
The key was apparently a starting gun for moving in together, something we have been talking about doing, but that I wanted to hold off on until after school let out. Once my honey had a key to the casa, stacks of DVDs showed up in my living room, tons more clothing arrived in the bedroom, and a box of hockey paraphenalia showed up in my home office. There has even been talk of his big screen TV (which won't fit in my current entertainment center) and his gaming system making the journey to the house. I put the kibosh on that one temporarily.
Holy moly, that's a lot of DVDs. I owned plenty on my own, but now there have to be like 500 DVDs in the house. |
I can organize and store DVDs (as seen above) and clothes on the fly when the situation calls for it. The box of hockey stuff can hide in the office til I'm ready to help him figure out where it will go on permanent display. I draw the line at moving furntiure (extremely large and heavy furniture) before school lets out. We said not til June 8th and I'm holding him to that deal.
I'm betting the TV and entertainment center are here before then, though. He'll wear me down, I just know he will. How else can the hockey bobbleheads lining my mantle right now be explained?
And the appreciation for your acts of service is beyond words.
ReplyDeleteIf Semin bobble needs to come live at my house, ya know cause of the bad luck and all... let me know.
WG
My honey says that under no circumstances am I allowed to give away his Semin bobblehead. Nice try, though!
DeleteGood for you guys!
ReplyDeleteAlso good on you taking the kids like that, a very nice thing to do for your friends.
And as an aside, I think it was a good idea to have a "boys house" and a "girls house"; not that there would be anything wrong with an unmarried couple staying together, but when it's someone else's kids always best to err on the side of caution.
Could have sworn I commented on this earlier, so either my comment was removed or I am hallucinating....
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the key exchange and good luck moving forward! Secret Single Behaviors are exposed as cohabitation looms, so remember to proceed with caution and consideration for one another. :)
You are hallucinating. I have been way too busy lately to even read the comments on my blog, let alone edit or delete comments.
DeleteSo far the only secret single behavior that has been uncovered is my need to have the DVDs alphabetized left to right and top to bottom in the media storage shelving.