November 18, 2002 - Monday
Yesterday when we went to our local warehouse club store we quite pleasantly found that the store had recently added a new fleet of extra wide shopping carriages with two child seats instead of the usual one. Harry and Jeremy got to sit side by side and seemed to get quite a kick out of it for the entire time.

(That, in and of itself, is probably worth its own paragraph. The idea that our two boys really seem to like each other, at least for now, is really quite heartening to see in any of its incarnations, be it playing together in Harry's room, playing in our closet pulling pants off the hangers, sitting on the new chair, or sharing snacks in the back seat of the car. One of the grocery stores their mother takes the boys to has a few very special carts with big plastic cars off the front that the boys can sit in together and, with two fake steering wheels, can pretend to drive around the store. Those are always a big hit, as well, especially with Jeremy.)

Today, however, the boys and I made a brief visit to an office superstore to pick up chalk and erasers for the big chalkboard in our basement and that store does not have any fancy carts. Until yesterday, Harry would have gotten in the main part of the cart, while Jeremy would sit in the child's seat. I don't think Harry's ever truly liked that arrangement, but rather he always seemed to understand it as the way things have to work out and did it without objection. And, while Harry immediately said he wanted to sit together in the front with Jeremy today, I think he would have graciously accepted the old fate if it had come to that. But, this store has wide aisles and late afternoon on Monday hardly seemed like a busy time, so I just got two carts and pushed and pulled both boys at once. Harry seemed to think that was just as fun. Although, I have to say that the must poignant moment of the outing to me came in the form of a simple, yet knowing smile from another man who I must assume was another father. "Yep, you just do what it takes," he seemed to imply in that passing glance.


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