An Imaginary Visit from Pa-Pa

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it on here before or not, but those days when Mommy is working (from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.) and the boys and I are home by ourselves all day can feel really long. Of course, I’m sure they feel really long for Mommy as well, but it’s perhaps a different kind of long. An apples to oranges comparison, one might say.

Anyway, let’s just say when the grandparent known (by Jacob) as Pa-Pa made a surprise imaginary appearance on a particularly interminable late afternoon recently, I was totally on board. Sometimes, at around 5 p.m., when it feels like bedtime should be in about 4 minutes instead of 4 hours, an injection of a fourth party (real or otherwise) is much needed. 

J: Let’s pretend Pa-Pa is coming over and I’m going to clean up before he gets here. You be Pa-Pa.

(Huh, I thought, J cleaning up before we have actual visitors or at any time ever for that matter would be really nice, but perhaps this is a stepping stone.) 

Me: OK. Sounds like a good plan.

J: You go wait in the kitchen and I’ll clean up. 

(8 seconds later)

J: Hello? Hello? 

(I couldn’t see him at this point, obviously, but if past history is any indicator, I’m 100% sure he was talking into his hand, which would be his iPhone set on speaker or FaceTime.)

Me: Hello?

(Also talking into my hand for some reason.)

J: Hey. It’s me, Jacob.

Me: Hi Jacob. What’s up?

J: You can come over now.

Me: OK. See you in a minute.

(Knock, knock, knock on the French door)

J: He’s here!

(Opens door)

J: Good morning. Come in. How are you today?

(That was oddly formal, but OK.)

Me: Very well, thanks.

J: This is my baby…his name is Bennett. And these are my doggies. Come on, I’ll show you around.

Me: OK, sounds great.

J: This is a table…and this is another table. My games are on this table. And chairs, ha! And now, look at this.

Me: …

J: You say, What do we have here?

Me: What do we have here?

J: This is my tent. It’s flatted.

Me: …

J: You say, How did it get flatted?

Me: How did it get flatted?

J: There was a hole in it. And see, there are toys in it too. And look over here. This is my hallway. And this is my couch…it has dog hair on it.

(I think there were a few other sights of interest along our tour, but that’s all I can remember at the moment. It was a lot to take in.)

J: OK. You can go home now. Let’s do that again. You go out and I’ll tell you when to come back in.

And just like that, an hour and a half killed off. Thanks for the visit(s) Pa-Pa!