Movement

I love movement.

I love watching movement.

Gymnastics is one of my favorite sports for that reason. The movement is so controlled and beautiful. I love watching acrobats. When we had season passes to Sea World we would always watch the show with the divers and acrobats. Their movement requires so much strength. I love watching basketball. The movement is explosive. I love watching people dance.

When I'm present and not caught up in the puzzlings of my mind, I watch people move. I watch partly because of my training as a Massage Therapist and I watch largely because I think movement is beautiful. I have a whole philosophy regarding our movements and their relationship to our life.

Movement is life.

I like to watch O move. She totters, she spins, she dances, she jumps, she runs. She is gaining more control of her body. She is gaining more confidence with her abilities. She is daring and cautious. She is distracted. I'm happy I get to observe how she moves through her world.

Holding

This picture moves me.

I stole it from some random site I stumbled upon ages ago. I didn't save the name so I can't give the picture it's due credit and I can't visit it again to read the story. But, I had to have it.

It calls to mind memories of my Dad and his heart surgeries. Of Marianne and her mastectomy, labor and death. A and her husband. M and his new life. H and her illness.

I made up a story to go with it.

That is my hand holding the others. Offering comfort and being present. I feel this for my friends/family when they ache, when they feel all alone, when they are uncertain. I want to just be with them and support them. I want them to know we are in it together because I love them.

Luna Penelope

I knew you as Megan.

I recently saw a picture of you. You've grown so much. You are beautiful. Seeing it tugged at my heart. It made me feel grateful.

You came into my life with as much notice as you left, one day. The 15 weeks we had together were filled with adventures and lessons. You turned me into a "mommy". Because of you, I learned that just because it's "gerber" doesn't mean it tastes good. I learned airports with a 2 year old was a whole new world for me. I learned hugs and snuggles are as magical as band aids, and that children really need love and attention, not just toys to play with.

I miss you. I think of you often. I love you and I hope your life is secure and you are happy. I hope that one day, we can meet again and I can tell you about our glorious 15 weeks together. I want to show you pictures and tell you the stories that go a long with them. I hope to be a friend.

O that I love

How could you not love a kid who puts their spare pair of underwear on their head, by themselves?

O is such a loving little creature. She always reaches for her friends hand to hold when she is playing. She hugs and giggles. I love that she reachs out to hold my hand. I love it when she wants me to do things with her. One morning I told her I needed a morning hug and since then she's reminded me without fail.

One of my favorite times is putting her to bed. Not only because it holds the promise of time to myself or time with LT once she is asleep, but because she is so affectionate. I'll lay down with her to pat her back and she'll roll around to face me and scrunch her nose up to mine and giggle. I love to see those big brown eyes full of mischief staring at me.

Yep, when she's older, she'll love me for posting these pictures.

The National Book Festival 2010

The National Book Festival is an annual event that is put on by the Library of Congress. This year it was held on Sept. 25th. O and I braved the metro and headed to the national mall to take it all in. I think we spent a majority of our time at the PBS Kids tent. Partly because of the entertainment and partly to stay out of the sun. It was HOT!!! We saw Miss Rosa and met the author of Martha Speaks. During the question and answer part of "Martha Speaks" O made sure she got her two cents in. AND, O had her picture taken with some of the cool characters too.

This year I went for O, but, next year, I'm brining LT so we can trade off with O. There were some authors there I would have loved to have met and heard their presentations. Suzanne Collins being one of them. I know my mum would have flipped out, FLIPPED OUT had she known about it and been here. She's a voracious reader and I think 50% of the presenting authors are people she reads.

On the metro, ready to go!

DUCK from Word World

Hey, it's Martha

I have no clue who this character is, but we took a picture anyway.

DOG from Word World

The Cat in the Hat

O didn't want to pose with him. He was really animated and I think it freaked her out a little.

CLIFFORD!! O has loved Clifford for a long time.

Susan Meddaugh and Martha.

O asking her Q.

We received an autographed copy of a Martha Speaks book for O. What a great way to get kids interested in reading.

Pre-School and dressing up.

O started Pre-School at the beginning of September. I decided to participate in a co-op pre-school with some of the moms in my ward. We have 8 little ones and we meet twice a week. The lesson usually lasts an hour and then the moms chat while the kids play.

I also signed her up for a pre-school at the Methodist church. They meet three times a week for a couple of hours so that means O had school everyday. Once we started, O was THRILLED to be going to "school". I was THRILLED to have some semblance of a schedule. We've lived day to day since we moved here in March. I think we are happy having a routine again.

Here she is on her first day at the co-op. C was looking at her mom taking a picture at the same time. She was very proud of and attached to her glue stick and foam brush.

You can see the cut on her top lip in this picture.

She will certainly have a scar from the "Blinds vs. O" incident.

There are many, many more outfits yet to be photographed.

BOWLING!!

One night we went bowling with our friends. It was a first of O and she was enjoying herself until she chased after the ball and fell on the slick lane. Fortunately, she'd already bowled a couple of frames before she took her spill. I'm trying to remember why she chased after the ball. I think she didn't like how it was rolling or something. We were able to coax her to bowl some more balls but several days later, she told me she doesn't like bowling. So sad.

Here she is ready to send off her first ball.

Waiting patiently to see what happens.

Body movement helps the ball even once it's been released.

Ankle stretches are essential in order to avoid injury.

Flipping the hair always makes for better bowling.

Picking Berries

One Saturday afternoon, not too long ago, I kidnapped a friend for O and we went to a local farm to pick raspberries. O and W were troopers in the hot, hot sun and picked and picked until they couldn't pick anymore. That was only five minutes into our adventure but we did end up picking loads of raspberries. We also went to the flower patch and picked flowers too.

Making silly faces

The fan at the end was a hit.

Matt

His name still brings a smile to my face. I feel so blessed to know him, to have dated him. I was so infatuated, then again, how could you not be by someone who called you his "red-headed pixie-faced yum-yum". We saw or talked to each other every day. I took him to Pocatello and he took me to Toole. He made me giddy. He made me laugh. He looked gruff and yet, he was so gentle. He has his own special place in my heart, always will.

On Monday, his wife shared news that knocked me over, I'm still reeling. When we were together, he always joked about his head being fat. It turns out, it is too fat, it has too much fluid. Due to chronic hydrocephalus, he is expected to develop dementia and loose his memory in as little as 1 to 2 years.

I can't take it in. He is so young. His family is so young. A child was born this year. I can't fathom what they are experiencing. And then, I wonder, how would I do it if LT had the same diagnosis. I can't imagine it. It's unbelievable.

M and A, I am praying for a miracle.

One of these books is not like the other.

One morning, this is how I found Os room. I must say, we are doing our best to geek her out. Can you tell? LT is quite proud she asks for his Trig book.

Blogging

I feel so overwhelmed with all of posts I want to share on my blog. There are more posts than I have time to compose. I want my family and friends to actually know about what's going on with us rather than just see a photo journal of what's shakin'. For some reason, I spend more time being picky about how I want to share things than actually sharing them. SO, I end up months behind and then I get overwhelmed with what I want to share and find myself here. Therefore, instead of giving each topic the proper and intended story, I'm sharing the bare bones just to bring myself and YOU up to date.

Thursdays, Part 3

I have to say, the day at the Smithsonian topped the list of my summer favorites. O was THRILLED to ride the metro to DC and she had a good time at the museum. I laughed when I noticed her reaction to the size of the dinosaurs. We've told her they are HUGE and the book "The Dinosaur in my Backyard" talks about their size too. But she wasn't prepared. She paused walking and said, wide eyed, "Whoa". It was great.

While there we played with microscopes, bugs crawled on us and we watched a tarantula eat. O helped put together a skeleton too. It wore us out and we were ready to get back on the Metro and head home. I already posted the video of me bribing O with a cookie to keep her awake. Check it out again, you'll laugh.

And yes, the Washington Monument is coming out of the top of my head.

The train ride in.

My really cool friend who put it all together.

We are so cute together.

O loving science.

Whoa

At least she's not afraid.

I even got in on the action. That is a cockroach. Yep, I'm brave.

This was in the forensics lab. A very cool place in the museum.

Just worn out.

Thursdays, Part 2

I already mentioned a really cool friend of mine put together Thursday outings for the summer. we had a fun time exploring our new home and the sights around it. I LOVE living in MD. Seriously, I couldn't be happier here. I have been told to hold on to that thought to keep me warm during the winter season, but my guts tell me winter won't change how I feel about living here. Anyway, back to the Thursday outings. On adventure took us to the College Park Aviation Museum. O tried out being a pilot and even made a plane.

Another of the Thursday adventures was a Teddy Bear Picnic. It was a lovely, humid and HOT day, but the kids didn't mind. Their big smiles and red faces tell the story.
We also explored the Goddard Space Center. Truly, O was more interested in climbing on things than looking around.

Yep, she likes to pose.