Happily Hugging

I did a check in with the boys today - about the blog and things they want me to write about.

Kuba piped up - "write about how Anders and I are happily hugging."

That about sums it up.

The Obama Portraits

  The biggest highlight of our trip to Washington DC was visiting the National Portrait Gallery and viewing the recently unveiledObama portraits.  
I think we all felt so much excitement about the portraits.
They were just stunning. 

Amy Sherald's portrait of Michelle Obama 

Kehinde Wiley's portrait of President Barack Obama 

The Trip to Washington DC

The Monuments and Memorials 

The Washington Monument in the palm of our hands

The Washington Monument in the distance 

The Lincoln Memorial 

The Vietnam Memorial 

The World War II Memorial 

The Capital Building

The White House 

Walking the Streets of DC

 

Vermont Senator Leahy's Office 

The Smithsonian Museums 

The Hirshhorn Museum 

The African American Museum of History and  Culture 

The Museum of Natural History 

We spent a few days in Washington DC this week with our good friends,

Sue and Abbey and their daughters Remy and Ellis. 

The first day we walked ten miles and took in a gazillion sites.  

It was such a fun day.  

The second day of our trip, a bomb cyclone hit the east coast and the city was shut down.

All the Smithsonian Museums were closed.

The National buildings were also closed.  

Luckily, our Vermont State Senator's office was open and we got a very private tour.  

We were so lucky to have such a close look- it just so happened that our Vt. Senator's office was able to connect with the one Leahy employee in that day and she gave us the tour.

We spend the rest of the day dodging fallen trees, searching for a movie theater that had power,

and then finally making do with games and movies at our home base.

We hoped to wake early on Saturday and go to the National Zoo, but alas,

everything was closed again on Saturday.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.  

Noticing

Things are changing here in this life with boys

recently I've noticed it

My teenager is becoming more teenagerish 

I can even see it here in these photos

Kuba, hamming it up like always - playful, goofy, silly, just like a ten year old

Anders on the other hand, who is now thirteen

not so much

looking at these pictures I see his resistance or indifference or exhaustion? 

But I see it and I feel it and I remember it and I can almost name it

But not quite

the exiting of childhood?  
AH.  It's a sad thing to type

 I have always been invested in being playful 

(but perhaps I wasn't as a teenager)

So to see this slight change is a tweeny bit emotional for me.

I think I feel a little grief about it

It seems as if the nature of play changes when you are leaving childhood

or does it?

Imaginary games, believing in the unknown, unseen, imagined

the feeling that everything is yours...not off limits

and then the self-consciousness of play sets in

or what is seen as child's play
It feels like it could diminish some of the joy and freedom of life

and it's something I am thinking about right now as I see my teenager

who is less playful

more removed?

more something...that's for sure

And as he embarks on his thirteen year around the sun

I, his mother, am going to be there to remind

nudge

invite

entice

and model for him 

 the joy of playing and investing in life

as much as I can 

But maybe he doesn't need me

He has Kuba

 

T H I R T E E N

Anders has been working on a destroyed ipad mini for about a year.  We finally decided to update and give him one without a thousand cracks in the screen. Our real goal is to get a dog.

What a year 13 will be! 

Happy 13th Birthday Anders! 

Birthday Eve

It all started with a simple waffle

And then it turned into

.

.

.

the

WAFFLE 

BIRTHDAY

P A R T Y

Anders and his friends ate tons of waffles

(see above for the individualized waffles)

 and then wrestled around on the floor

before heading out to see...

the BLACK PANTHER 

T'Challa: "We must find a way to look after each other, as if we were one single tribe"

You only turn 13 once.  

It Was Valentine's Day Yesterday

But I was so busy working, and sharing valentines, and celebrating, and having dinner with friends that I didn't get a chance to share my feelings - about LOVE.

It's now Thursday, the day after my favorite holiday and really - my heart is bursting.
Bursting with LOVE and gratitude. 
I am so lucky to have many people in my life that bring me to my knees simply because my heart is sworn to them forever and ever and ever.  
Lucky because I can feel so deeply vulnerable in this love.
Lucky because LOVE is huge and spreads and welcomes and offers refuge and safety and space to anyone who wants it.   If you are willing to give and take.
Lucky to know I am completely willing.
Lucky because the older I get, the more sure I am about how I feel about giving.  
Lucky because I know the reason for being here on this planet
-in this lifetime
-with these people.
Lucky because I know we only get one lifetime.
Lucky because I know it's important to love and to love big.
Like a bonfire, burning up completely, leaving no trace of myself.