For whatever reason, Eden has always had a bit of trouble with her pants; they won’t stay up. Because of this we are always seeing glimpses of her little bum, specifically her crack. I think it was Torey who coined the phrase, “coin slot” to describe Eden’s plumber bum and soon it became everyone’s habit to yell that when catching a glimpse or when grabbing the child to pull up her pants. Fortunately I found several pairs of jeans that fit and, for the most part, her days of bum flashing are over.

I wish I could say the same for the rest of the family.

This morning Paul and I walked Jack. It wasn’t as terrible as the other day, but it was still treacherous. We needed to walk very slowly and still we lost our footing, the other catching the one about to go down. Since it was Saturday the road was very quiet. And, though it was a pain to be so cautious, it still felt great to be outside. It is pleasant to start our day together, walking in the woods, beside our handsome and cheerful dog. It’s beautiful.

There is a point along the trail that is unfiinished where a boardwalk is being constructed. It’s quite a long stretch where we have to walk quite close to the road right before a curve. Too often cars comes barrelling around the bend and we have to rush into the rough trail or run ahead to where it is completed. It was a frustration and annoyance when we were walking through mud, but now that it’s covered with ice it’s a danger. To make matters worse, on the return we are walking with traffic, so we try to move as quickly as possible, while straining to hear cars coming behind us. Walking side by side, at that point, is impossible.

All along this morning Paul kept getting ahead of me. We tried to walk together wherever we could, but I kept falling back. I’m still hurting from my fall the other day and I’m sure I’m moving more slowly. When we reached the part of the trail that is unfinished Paul was probably twenty feet ahead of me. Trying to walk as fast as I felt safe, I was busy watching my step and listening for anything behind when an SUV approached. And Paul fell.

As the SUV sped past I gasped and he landed sitting, his sweatpants tugged down, exposing his bum.

“Are you OK?” I shouted.

“I’m fine.” He said, getting up quickly and beginning to walk.

He was still a good ways ahead of me and moving fast. He didn’t even bother to brush the snow off his pants.

“You feeling kinda silly falling down and flashing your crack at half the village?” I said.

“Did I?”

“Oh yeah. And that was no coin slot, my friend. I could have run a credit card down that line!”

And then we both burst out laughing. Another car passed and I don’t know what we must have looked like; a man walking his dog, with a woman in a giant parka walking a respectful ten paces behind, both of us almost crying we were laughing so hard. I love that.

I love him.