It was with a tear in my eye that I set up these blocks again for the Friday shoot. This was the last "weeks" shot...since next week I'll be spelling out a new phrase - One Year.
Gulp.
I had the great fortune to meet Kathy and her son Shane at a local coffee shop when our babies were only a few months old. They share the same birthday...but that's where their common traits end. Whilst Shane giggles all day long, Nora tends to lift an eyebrow in suspicion. While Shane is biting his friends lately, Nora is offering open-mouthed kisses. As Shane sleeps in his car seat, Nora screams and kicks in hers.
Here are the two of them in some of the best shots. Negotiating the tricky idea of sharing.
*Nora likes the concept.
*But quickly changes her mind.
*little angels
*their first coffee chat
We also had a fabulous time at Pretend City.
"Future Dancing Star"
The remainder of the weekend found both Daniel and I yearning for a quiet weekend home alone. We wanted to relax and take Nora on bike rides. Pack picnics and walk to the marina. Enjoy a late breakfast at our favorite restaurant. Forget the car and running errands and about impending visitors...just the three of us. We soaked in the calm and took deep breaths as we must this week dive into the big birthday party preparations. Below are some of my favorite moments.
The couch session of listening to "oldies" is fantastic. Lulu is obsessed with cell phones and amazed by music. I won't give her my phone but Daniel and others sometimes indulge her pleading...this leads to persistent grabbing and screaming and crying when the phone needs to be repossessed. But it also creates beautiful moments when she is so utterly smitten...so completely thrilled with the phone and the music emanating from it that you have to just sit back and smile.
*here she is wanting the phone*
*after losing the phone*
"Dancing feet" *Note her dancing feet. My Grandpa Thurm used to circle his feel while playing the guitar. "Why the Supremes are not so"
On 9/11 we both spoke of our sadness and memories on the anniversary of the attacks and the wars waged to avenge them. On that historic morning, I was standing barefoot on a blue plastic chair in my classroom at Compton High. It was my second week and I was launching "Othello" to my 10th graders that day. I had covered the board with memorable quotes from the play and had a whizbang lesson prepared to capture their attention. Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" swirled in the air. My hands danced back and forth switching colors of thick whiteboard markers.
Shortly after the first plane hit, a fellow teacher...with decades of teaching under his belt...entered quickly...calling out with a tense voice.
Did you hear?
Hear what?
A plane hit the World Trade Center in New York.
What?
Turn on your radio.
**I turned off Miles and turned on NPR. I didn't immediately understand what I was hearing. Neither did the announcers, necessarily. I would be standing with markers and no shoes as the second plane was announced as hitting the second tower.**
I did not teach "Othello" that day. Our school, only a few blocks from a large county courthouse, would have extremely low attendance due to justifiable parental nerves. I don't remember what we "learned" that day; I do know that I listened to my students talk...and for hours we spoke or sat or cried. I drove home late in the evening...wrapping my mind around what it meant, what would I do with students the next day, wanting not to be alone in my apartment. Driving past flickering candles in windows along the street.
So, 10 years later, my family set out with a picnic and a frisbee. We walked to the marina and with a gentle breeze and glistening water in the distance, we laughed at Nora's "walking" prowess, enjoyed apples and carrots and pickles...and a canteen of vodka with
pomegranate juice. Overhead, military planes flew in formation. Nora waved. It was a memorable day.
Play time with my girl. "The tease" "Making a run for it" "Just to prove it wasn't a one-shot deal"
OMG, I don't have time to watch it all right now, but what a great post. It's great seeing Nora wearing the Love Your Mother shirt that used to fit Becca.
Nora's twisting feet are ADORABLE!
We've never let our kids play with our cell phones, but I know lots of parents do. It's funny that even things that are "off" are so entertaining to kids huh?
I was sitting in a classroom on the WSU campus the morning of 9/11. We were talking about nutrition and disease, but I cannot recall the specific topic. It was my Nutritional Pathophysiology class, with just 8-10 grad students. The professor asked us if we'd heard about a plane hitting the towers, but this was before it was clear what happened. By the time I'd gotten home after that, we knew.
I'll return soon to finish watching the wonderful movies. Much Love, Aunt Kathy and crew
Posted by: Aunt Kathy & Uncle Shane | September 13, 2011 at 07:38 AM