Barter System

Tab will be working in New York City again this week. I drive him to the train station before 7 in the morning while Vickie, our neighbor, stays with the kids. Fortunately, the train station is close by, and I'm back home in less than fifteen minutes. I miss Tab when he's in NYC; we aren't able to chat on the phone several times during the day as we usually do. It is strange to think that he's so far away.

In the afternoons, Stephanie shows up shortly before Stephen and I leave to pick up Daniel at school for swimming lessons. I've told Stephanie that she doesn't need to stay with Matthew every afternoon, but she wants to do it. When we get home from swimming, Stephanie joins us for dinner, sticks around for the boys' bedtime routine, and finally goes home around 9:30 It's only been two days, but her constant presence is already starting to make me a little tense.

And we still have another week and a half of swimming lessons to go.

Speaking of swimming lessons, Stephen is doing pretty well in level 4. Back when Stephen was getting close to moving up, Tab had asked Keri, one of the level 4 teachers, if she would teach him. Keri is one of our favorite instructors there; she taught Daniel last year back when he was starting out. She agreed and took Stephen on as one of her students when he moved up to that level.

In talking to Keri over the past few months, we've learned that she is an aspiring artist. Keri's high school art teacher is an old friend of Tab's and he advised Keri to ask Tab to photograph her portfolio. At first Keri was a little hesitant to do so, fearing that she wouldn't be able to afford Tab's fees.

"Tell you what," Tab said to her, "maybe we could work out a barter."

Keri happily accepted the offer. Today she gave me her portfolio to take to Tab and we made tentative arrangements for her to give private lessons to Matthew next month after his cast is removed. With Keri's help, Matthew may be able to catch up to Stephen despite his broken arm.

"Hello, Maximus!" I greeted Stephen.

"I'm not Maximus!"

"Well your hair cut makes you look like him."

"Whose Maximus, Mama?" Daniel asked.

"The gladiator in the movie Mama and Daddy saw awhile ago," I answered. "Strength and honor, Maximus!" I say to Stephen, saluting him with a raised fist.

"Stop it, Mama."

It's fun to be the one doing the teasing instead of the referee, for a change.

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