Well, yesterday was our fifth wedding anniversary. It turned out better than I could have imagined, but for a few unavoidable snags. I'll get to the snags in a minute, though; first, I want to remember all the good parts.

Sam woke us up cheerily, and even though Eric was feeling pretty bad (his ear still hurts, even after two rounds of antibiotics, so he's been unable to use his apnea machine), we had a pleasant morning cuddling in the bed. I went downstairs to make us a quick breakfast of oatmeal and toast, which we all ate in bed.

We exchanged gifts then. Eric had tried to warn me that his was "pretty lame," but I was more than pleased to see that he'd made me a CD compilation of many of my favorite songs:

One Night in Bangkok (the Murray Head version)
Black Velvet (Alannah Myles)
Tubthumping (Chumbawumba)
Arms Wide Open (Creed)
Across the Universe (Fiona Apple's cover)
Runnin' Down a Dream (Tom Petty)
Always On My Mind (Pet Shop Boys)
You Don't Come Around Here No More (Tom Petty)
What Have I Done To Deserve This (Pet Shop Boys)
She's So High (Tal Bachman)
Just A Girl (No Doubt)
Spiderweb (No Doubt)
Take On Me (A-Ha)
Come On, Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners)
Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye)
Across the Universe (Beatles)
Tunak Tunak Tun (Daler Mendhi)

For my part, I had to give Eric his gift only half completed (Click on "Eric's pillow"). As it was, I had to bust my tail to get the front half knitted in a week. He really loves the first pillow I made, so he's happy to get one of his very own. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish the back part finished this week.

We listened to my CD and looked over out wedding album. Sam chuckled, but I don't think he really recognized us. "How is it," I asked Eric, "that I've managed to age ten years in five?"

"I've done it, too," he said. "I've got three chronic illnesses now."

"Those haven't changed your appearance. You still look the same as you did in these pictures, for the most part. I look about twelve years old in these shots!"

"No, you don't. You did have long hair back then, though."

(I really did; it was down to my butt, and I loved it. I cut it the year after we got married, I think, and I miss it. Maybe I'll grow it back. I haven't decided.)

We went out for a very enjoyable lunch at Red Lobster, still discussing what movie we were going to see. We had it narrowed down to The Lord of the Rings (at the cheap theater), Star Wars, Spiderman, or About A Boy. When you don't see a movie in the theaters for over a year, you want to make the most of it when you do, you know? We tried choosing between them at random, but we couldn't make ourselves stick to any of the decisions.

Dropped Sam off at my friend Betsy's house. Her little girls were excited to see Sam, and they happily drew him into play before we left. I was a little nervous, since he hadn't nursed well in all the excitement, and he was visibly exhausted but fighting sleep. Still, she had our cell phone number, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

At the theater, we finally decided to see Star Wars. It's become sort of a tradition, now; two years ago, we saw Episode I around our anniversary. We settled into a very crowded theater, made sure the cell phone was on vibrate mode, and prepared to enjoy some "grownup time." I couldn't help checking my watch every once in a while, wondering how Sam was faring, but I was able to enjoy myself and the movie very much. (I've got to say, though, that each one of these movies makes the future Luke Skywalker look more and more like the sorriest excuse in the galaxy for a Jedi.)

In the meantime, though, one of those "snags" was happening. Unbeknownst to us, a tornado warning was being issued for our area. While we sat peacefully in the theater, Sam was huddling on Betsy's lap, surrounded by her family, packed into her small "twister closet." He wasn't afraid, she later told me, but he did seem a bit "concerned" at first by the sound of the thunder. Large pieces of hail pelted the roof, rain fell in torrents, and everyone but us wondered whether a tornado was about to rip the roofs off of every house in the area.

Happily, no funnels touched down, and they were able to leave the closet after only a short period. When Eric and I came out of the theater and I called to check on Sam, the rain had already stopped and I was oblivious to the hazard we'd escaped. By that time, Sam was watching Betsy's daughters play in the bathtub and was still happy to be there without us. Eric and I stopped to get some ice cream, then we went to get him. He smiled, reached for me to nurse and hug...and then begged to get down and go back to playing with the girls. Little flirt.

His first time with a sitter was more eventful than perhaps I would have liked, but he came through with flying colors. What a trooper! He didn't want to leave, though, and cried all the way home until I got him to bed. Exhaustion finally caught up with him, I suppose.

So, Memorial Day weekend. If Eric feels better tomorrow, I think we're going to try to meet up with my brother in Ann Arbor. Keeping fingers crossed!