Birthday Boy

Hm. Never a Dull Moment Around Here.

We've just been in for some neck X-rays for my oldest son, who fell seven feet from the monkey bars today straight on his head.  Ouch.  Heads/necks stress me out, always have.  But it looks like he will be okay, at least there is nothing broken (could have been so much worse!). Whew!  And now I get to enjoy his sparkling company (not joking!  he is a fun kid to be around) a little extra today.

Did I forget to mention this is our third visit in three days to the same doc (for well checks, why did I schedule them on different days?).   At least we know the doc isn't wearing the same shirt to work every day.  Really important to know.  We have also now seen almost the entire Night at the Museum 2.  Now we're going to have to rent it.  It was making my daughter (yesterday) and I laugh really hard.

So glad he is ok.  Sure makes me appreciate lots of things.

Park Thoughts on Spring Break

You know, I have sure enjoyed planning out and executing some cultural events this year.  But when it comes right down to it, for me, the unscheduled times are just as refreshing and oh so needed sometimes.

We enjoyed a day visiting my mom over spring break, and I lugged my camera along to an impromptu park visit.  I love that my kids love to play and be together.  Trust me, we still have our moments, but I have been pleasantly surprised as a mother at how well my kids get along.  I love that they were all choosing to play together in some of these shots.  And yes, I would love to know what is going on in their minds, especially as I look back on some of these photos.  :)

Maybe that is just it...we all need time to wonder.  I love that at one point someone in each one of these photos is in his/her own little world, just wondering about something!  When do we lose that?  One of the beauties of childhood is discovery, and I've decided that discovery is aided times a million when one is outside.  (Agree or not?)

So glad my kids haven't outgrown parks yet.  I sure haven't.

 Um, like this girl's thoughts ^^.  I am often wondering.

 This slide was so super fast!  But fun.

Oh yeah, and just to keep it real?  These photos don't capture how I had to ditch my shoes to sprint down the hill after my four year old, who suddenly decided to book it back to Grandma's (that girl can run!) while I called, shouted, shouted louder, shouted frantically louder for her to STOP!  I thought she couldn't hear me. A lovey-dovey couple in the park were staring at me as if I were possessed.  But I did catch her right before she crossed a busy road, whew!  And it turns out she heard me all along, she just wanted to go to Grandma's.  :)  Maybe she thought if she got within Grandma's radius she would be protected from all foul happenings, including her mother's.

If you enjoyed this, check out this beautiful family under some gorgeous magnolia trees in Central Park.  Ah. So weird, but I'm tempted to print a couple of these off and frame them they are so beautiful.

How about you?  Formal activities or informal ones?  Or both in different ways?

Science Friday and Other Assorted Goings On

(this photo from our Lord of the Dance night...)

So sorry!  I was going to blog on Friday, but I was absent.  Just know it was for a good cause. :)

We (as in my husband and I, and the eldest two kiddos) attended a taping of NPR's Science Friday.  SO exciting!  It was really, really good.  Unlike our rather disappointing experience of a few weeks before when we attended Lord of the Dance (not nearly as good as Riverdance in my opinion, and there was a part that really embarrassed my kids, and made my father-in-law loudly exclaim-- "Now that's what I like to see!"  when a group of dancers summarily removed most of their clothing, lol).   If you tune in on Friday (broadcast times can be found on the link posted above), probably about 20 minutes toward the end of the two hour show, you can hear my son ask Ira Flatow a question (his question was regarding the James Webb satellite under construction, and whether it will also look to places the universe is expanding).  Wahoo!

Spring Break...After a Break

Enjoy some unedited photos (busy day!  I'll explain later) from the second half of our museum day.   Can you tell the littlest one was in heaven (with his old-man pant leg)?  Just a sandwich at a park.

On this day we were peacefully eating lunch while little ones sallied forth to see the birds, when Ava re-appeared with what looked like oatmeal all over her bum .  What?  Then a minute later E. came over with it on his pant leg (the good one) and all over his shoe.  Gross, gross, gross.  I looked close to the waters edge expecting to see a large pit of soggy bread or something.  Oh no, it was about the size of a dinner plate.  How in the world did not one but two of my kids, fall into said disgusting pile of mush, huh?  Beats me.

One More Ode to a Good Grandpa

I visited my grandparents home on Thursday as planned, to be greeted by my sister, who told me my grandpa had passed less than an hour before.  It was hard to say that last goodbye, but it was also good to see him at peace.  His face, at rest, made all sorts of thoughts go through my mind.  One is that his face is so familiar to me-- one of the earliest faces ingrained on my memory, one that has been to birthdays and baptisms and special days, given hugs to my little girl self and my grown up self and welcomed my children.

Just a month before his passing, I walked into my grandparent's garage all  alone. Even though they live in a different home than they did when I was growing up, the smell of their garage smelled just like it did when I was a little girl.  It brought back some potent memories.  I calmed my usual rushing self and just stood there in their garage and took in the smell and let myself reminisce about happy cousin days and sleepovers and my grandma's strawberry jam.  I let it soak in.  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my grandparents around forever, but for now I just wanted to remember.  Little did I know that a month later I would be saying goodbye.  Before he passed I wrote down a very rudimentary collection of words to help me remember, since I won't always have their garage to smell.  :)   As you'll notice, many of the memories aren't directly related to him, but it was his was an abiding presence that helped make them possible. It's not very refined, but here goes:

Grandpa

Old green truck
In a clean-swept
Musty garage.
Brown tweed chair
And
an old-fashioned Doris Day movie.
Knee-high grass
Crunching beneath our feet
As a dark,
Robust younger you
Called sheep--
They're running to you,
Skitting from me (darn).
Red brick
Roundabouts on cousin Sundays,
Fabled ditches,
Banana-colored longboards
And red,
Ranged in a line
Raced on rear ends
Over click-cracks
Under a tipsy
Orange moon.
Swings,
Picnics,
Cushy additions,
Jennie's mystical
Orange-lighted room
Complete with organ.
Sleepy movies,
Snoring,
Jam on toast in
Jammies,
Red strawberry
Vinyl chairs,
Juice in tiny
Clinking glasses
Poured shallow with little
Tut-tuts.
Ball games.
Big(ger) family.
Long-forged rolls.
Thanksgiving,
Cherry pies,
Busy family coming and going.
Delighted hugs.
Smith smiles.
Sad goodbyes.
Advice.
Driving directions.
Don't-touch-that's.
Carrying my little ones
With pride and happy
Whooshes across a new
Threshold.
Family baptisms.
Corralling the greats now.
Faithful.
Birthdays,
Recitals,
Blessings,
Baptisms.
Remembering

Popcorn at a brown bar,
Cousins abounding,
The smell of
Yellow scrapbooks,
Grandma's house.
Grandpa's too.
In his big chair,
Tired,
Overseeing.
But inside--
Someone thinking, measuring,
remembering.

Quiet.

No more hunting,
no more sheep.
Children gone.
Stalwart,
Suffering.
A longing for home
Shines back from the
Resided chair.
It's time to let you go
There.
Your knees and your sheep will thank you.
So will hungry mother's arms, ever waiting.
But we're lingering,
Not knowing what to say,
Just that we'll
Miss the long-gone days of
The musty garage,
the movies,
Even the snoring.
I look at your peaceful face
And remember how
You wrapped me in
Grandpa arms,
Happy to see this little girl.
You go now,
Grandpa,
And wait for me there,
Till I've done what I came here
To do.
Then you can catch me in your arms
Like old days.
Get your sheep ready--
Maybe we can finally make
Them like me.


FYI- I added some photos on to the last post.  See you tomorrow!  

Fond Farewell

 It was a real treat to have my sister and her husband here from New York and my paternal grandmother as well.

We said goodbye to my grandpa on the 15th of April, with a beautiful service, as nice as any I've been to.  Each of his six children spoke and I loved each talk, as I learned some things about my grandfather that I didn't know before.  The grandkids and great-grandkids sang a song, and I was able to hold it together in spite of not being able to hold it together during the practice (my cousins voices!  Who knew they were so beautiful?  Especially the men....their singing really touched me and reminded me of  the invaluable legacy of a good man)  Even though it was difficult to say goodbye, the entire day was a fitting tribute to a long life well-lived.  I felt a lot of peace.  Thanks to everybody for the kind support!  It means a lot.