7 years

Last night, I told the kids the story of G-bear's birth.  They all wanted to hear it again.  I was struck by how much I remember (more than I told them), and how clearly. The silly feeling of laying with acupuncture needles in my ears to induce labor, walking for miles and miles, the onset of labor right at the sound of Prairie Home Companion, Yo Yo Ma playing Bach cello suites as she was born, the work, the moments of fear, and when she came out (posterior!), the overwhelming love and joy.  I even remember, after getting a bath, and drinking Mom's amazing spinach-lemon soup, watching Napoleon Dynamite while all 4 of us cuddled on the living room floor (2 girls asleep).  

 It's been 7 years, and it's one of those things where time is irrelevant.  It's unbelievable and yet so believable.  To me, it seems like this girl, full of spirit and emotion and passion has been showing herself to us from day 1.  We absolutely love how the character bursts out of her.  We love how adoring she is, and how easily she relates to people.  We love her sharp, quick mind.  We love her musical (and auditory) sense. We love the way she has always seemed connected to things that are other-worldly.  We are excited to watch her grow into herself more and more.  

For her 7th birthday, G-bear had her first slumber party.  It was lots of fun.  Lucky for Moo, G-bear adores some older kids and invited some of Moo's friends too.  Giggle subsided not long after 10, and began again not long after 6.  Well worth it!

Our wonderful, adoring, generous neighbor made the cake again this year, and it was (of course) fabulous!  

Mothers

I'm honoring these mothers today.  My mom, who not only gave me life itself, but filled it will wonder and love, and taught me what true love for a child is.  My mother-in-law, who has taught me that much of the best parenting happens through setting an example.  I am ever-grateful for both of them!

Happy Day of Mothers!

Guitar concert

It was beautiful tonight, despite the hurdles we jumped to get there and be there (Moo throwing up in the parking garage, Bug peeing on the lobby floor).  There were literally hundreds of beautiful children playing beautiful music in a beautiful auditorium.  We saw violins, violas, cellos, basses, flutes, and guitars, and pianos.

G-bear and I still periodically have the conversation that goes something like this: "Mama, when I said I wanted to learn guitar, I meant, like rock-and-roll." "Well, that's fine for later, but this kind of guitar learning will help you to be a really great rock-and-roll player."

In these moments, though, she is proud of what she has learned, and to be a part of it all.  She loves being surrounded by her friends and watching other friends from the audience.  When I mentioned the emotion I feel when she recognizes this, a friend (who seems to have verses of beauty readily available in his memory) quoted Frost, saying:

She is as in a field, a silken tent...

strictly held by none, is loosely bound

by countless silken ties of love and thought

Tooth

Yes, this is about a lost tooth.  Not a first, but a second is apparently just about as exciting.  But there's something else I want to remember about this.  When G-bear was a baby, she felt her emotions very strongly (just as she does now).  I remember when she was in the little baby carrier, and she would kick her two legs simultaneously either for sheer joy or for undeniable anger.  As she grew, and learned to stand and to walk and to jump, jumping up and down enthusiastically was her way of expressing these emotions.  It was like she was that baby in the carrier, and someone had put her on the ground, and she jumped instead of kicked.

And now, yes, she still does.  When she's really mad, she jumps up and down.  When she's thrilled, the same.  The other day, when I walked up to school, I heard her voice calling, "Mama! Mama!" over the hill, and right towards me.  As soon as she was close enough not to be running, she jumped up and down.  I had already guessed it was the joy version.  "I lost a tooth!  I lost a tooth!"  Sure enough, tooth number 2 was in a tiny little treasure chest her teacher gave her.

Which reminds me, I don't know if I ever recorded the moment when G-bear lost her first tooth.  I'll just say that Mark and I were just beginning to sing a song in front of a bunch of people when it happened, and in the middle of the song, the lyrics go, "So much love in their little missing teeth!"