Pleasure upon Pleasure

This past weekend was full of pleasures,  not in big ways, but in myriad small ways.  I shall name three of them.
                                        
Pleasure One:  Three Year-Olds

Friday night I babysat, as usual, at a local synagogue.  I got to enjoy the presence of a three-year-old (my favorite preschool age).  He kept calling me "Sue" (his daycare worker's name) so I kept calling him by a different name,  just to tease him. 

He'd say, "Hi, Miss Sue!"  and I'd say, "Well, hello, Moses!"  and he'd get a funny look on his face.  I enjoyed reading a book to him with the song that ends, "Off we go!" and listen to him wait eagerly to join in on that part.

Little hands, little feet, little voices. Such a pleasure. And this boy is so very smart. I can't believe he knows all his letters and how easily he works puzzles.  God's design of little humans just amazes me all the time. And I'm so glad He made them with soft skin. What great joys from small things.

Pleasure Two:  Something Fixed in a Father-Son Moment

Saturday I had another great pleasure from a small thing.  For about a year and a half or more (I've lost track) we've had this dresser in the kitchen that has four drawers, but only three that would open. Grrr. 

We got it as a "manager's special."  Watch out for those, people. Just sayin.'   You could end up with something not-so-special that makes you want to manage the business end of a hammer right through its guts.

Anyhow,  I put on my New Year's 13 in '13 list  (as yet incomplete in my drafts folder)  to make that dresser useful again, starting by putting 8 working new knobs or pulls on it.  

When I mentioned it in earnest to my dear hubby, he took it upon himself to buy new pulls AND attach them, AND fix the broken runner that made drawer #3 wonky and #4 pull out without wrangling it/breaking a nail/using unwholesome words  emphasizing what a pain in the butt it is to have something useless in a prime spot/ that an unskilled bachelor someone who doesn't cook obviously designed this kitchen with only three built-in drawers.

One of the pleasures inherent in the dresser fix was that my handy hubby showed our youngest son how to affix washers to screws for a tight fit. Joel did two of them and was so proud of himself. I was proud of both men--old and young.  I had to take a picture on the sly of hubby fixing the dresser. My thought was, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing these hands, and the muscles in his arms that are still exciting to me  even though he's 51."  No, they're not the rippling biceps they were at 31,  but they have always been a source of thrill for me. Okay. I'll stop. I'm getting breathless thinking about him. Hahaha.

 And I for sure never get tired of watching father-son or father-daughter moments together. (I missed the father-son photo op.  Boo.)  

                                                      
Pleasure Three: How and What We Watched: Ray Lewis's Last Home Game

The third joy of the weekend was sitting alone, beside my hubby, in the basement,  in his old Ed Reed jersey (not the new one because I respected him enough not to risk spilling mustard on it).  We were watching the Ravens  in the playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts.  What made it more pleasant was knowing that all of our kids were gathered at our married son's house to watch it together. Ben and Dee's hospitality, and the kids enjoyment of each other's company in grown-up ways makes a mother and father happy.  Those times when we wondered if two certain siblings would ever be friends? My mom said ten years ago,  "Just wait. They will."  And she was right.

This game was huge because it was the last home game for Ray Lewis, the leader of men in football, who is retiring after 17 years--all 17 with the Baltimore Ravens. He has earned the respect of players, coaches, fans, opponents, and this year was difficult. He tore his tricep early in the season and was out until this last game. His comeback, complete with his signature dance after running through the tunnel, made grown men cry. I think there might have been water droplets in my hubby's eyes. There were in mine, but that's no surprise. I cry when I see total strangers hugging at the airport before a loved one catches a plane.  

To wrap up the pleasure of watching the game together? The Ravens beat the Colts, 24-9, so we get to watch Ray play again.  Perhaps  his team--OUR TEAM--will go all the way to the Superbowl !! Wouldn't that be the best send-off Baltimore could give its living legend?