Metal Meredith

This morning, Vivienne cried when Phil went to work. Big, sad tears rolled down her face as she quietly announced, “Daddy, I don’t want you to go to work. I want you to stay home and play with me.” Her eyes welled up and fat tears popped out of each eye and rolled down her cheek, one at a time. Oscar worthy, I tell you. Demi Moore has nothing on my child. Phil ended up leaving after we promised Vivienne we would take her to Panera for dinner when he got home. Vivienne loves her some Panera (which she calls “The Nera").

Every Saturday morning, Phil and Vivienne head up to Panera where she gets an “orange thing” (scone), dad gets a bear claw and mom gets a chocolate ‘sant (croissant). She gets a chocolate milk which she proudly clutches the entire ride home. About 15 minutes after they leave, she bounces into the house and says “Mom, we are back and I got you your ‘sant!” Then, she doesn’t shut up again until she falls asleep at night.

I love this relationship that Vivienne and Phil have, because it reminds me of my own Dad and the Saturday mornings that we would get up before everyone else, head out of Dunkin Donuts on Midlothian Tnpk and get a dozen donuts and on a good day, a box of munchkins. I would sit up front with Dad (in the days before child seats) holding the box of treats and watch his coffee cup perched right in the middle of the bench seat. How did that thing never spill? I would almost die waiting to get home to eat my donut, one I always got to choose myself.

On Sundays, I would wake up to the smell of bacon and hash browns. That was big breakfast day. Dad would be in the kitchen making some wonderfully disgusting greasy breakfast for the whole family. Since I became pregnant, Phil has found himself in charge of waffles or pancakes and sausage on Sunday mornings. I won’t go as far as saying that he likes to cook them, but I know he does enjoy eating them. Vivienne enjoys it too, as she is perched up on her stool stirring the pancake mix or watching Phil turn sausages on the griddle.

Hopefully, Phil enjoys all of his (albeit brief) rock star like attention. If patterns are to repeat, this phase will not last forever.