This was one of the most beautiful moments of my recent trip back home — Aveline, completely unprompted, leaning forward to gently kiss her great-great grandma on the cheek. I can’t believe I was holding my camera when this happened!
Tag: family
“Pick an orange, children!”
More than a decade ago, during an extended-family vacation to Florida, we stopped at an orange grove on the way to the ocean. Rather than gathering around an orange tree for a photo opp like my Michigan Grandma wanted, we cousins were running every which way. In an effort to round us up, she kept repeating, “Pick an orange, children! Pick an orange!” It was chaotic at the time, and honestly not very funny at all. But once parts of the family had moved to places like California and Florida, where orange groves aren’t exactly exotic, the “Pick an orange” situation grew comical and became a family joke.
So, here’s Uncle Chet in Grandma’s yard in Michigan, saying, “Pick an apple, Aveline! Pick an apple! No oranges here. Just apples.” I was laughing so hard.
Here’s to carrying on legendary family jokes to the next generation.
Around the Yard in the Summertime
My parents’ yard is just gorgeous. I love the brilliant flowers and the spreading trees. And don’t my dad’s hands look absolutely perfect holding Aveline?
The One Where Aveline Wears a Bandana
It’s summer. I can smell it in the fresh air blowing in through the open French doors as I sit drinking my coffee out of a cobalt mug. I can see it in the wind that blows through Sierra’s long silky fur, and I can taste it in the tender lettuce greens heaped high on my plate.
We’re on a mini-vacation, Aveline and I. We’ve survived the “flying with an infant” thing (second time in Aveline’s short five months!) and now we’re resting getting spoiled at my parents’ home.
Josiah is at home, working hard. I miss him. I wish he were here with us, to experience the cool temperatures and the incredible peace that is everywhere in this restful place. Aveline will tell him all about it, I am sure, in her delicate voice and unmistakably Italian hand gestures.
We took a little stroll around the yard the other day, soaking in the quietness and the trees.
Letters to Aveline: Thoughts While You’re Asleep (30 Day June Photo Challenge – Day 23 – Black and White)
[Click photo to view a larger version.]
Dear Aveline,
You’re quite a character. You’ve discovered grunting, and while it may not be very ladylike, it makes me laugh. You look so seriously at your toys, swat your little hands at them, and grunt as if to warn them that they’re about to be devoured by your nomming little mouth.
You have a beautiful voice. You love to talk, and daddy and I love to listen to you. You look at us, gently reach out your hands to touch our face, and speak delicate words in a language which only you understand. What will we hear, when we can finally understand you? What of the world around you will you reinterpret to us through your words? Will you tell us of the way the light dances across your quilt in the afternoon, leaving those diamonds of sunshine you’re always trying to pick up? What names will you give to your favorite stuffed toys?
You enjoy your mealtimes so very much. I tell you God gives food to the little birdies outside, and God paints the pretty colors onto all the flowers. I tell you God gives us the food we have, and we thank him for everything He’s given us. You kick your legs excitedly when I lift you into the highchair — unless you’re feeling impatient, in which case you stiffen your legs, arch your back and let out a squawk or two or ten. Avocado is your favorite, without a doubt. Yesterday you branched out and happily ate some sweet potato, but made horrible faces at the green beans. Today was a different story. Today, you launched an all-out war against the sweet potato. As if yelling and smacking your palms against the highchair tray wasn’t dramatic enough, you pursed your lips and sprayed me with sweet potato puree. I had to laugh. You looked so indignant.
You’re always moving, always reaching for something. You’ve just discovered you can lift yourself up on your hands and knees and rock. This doesn’t satisfy you for long; you want to go places. Usually you default to your favorite method of locomotion, continuous rolling. Nothing is safe from your curiosity, really. You can roll across the living room floor at an alarming rate. Much to daddy’s chagrin, you unplug the xbox controllers on what seems to be a daily basis. The curtains have all been shortened as you can’t resist the tempting, billowing fabric. Figuring out ways to pull your books off the lowest shelf seems to be a favorite.
Lately, you and I have been going to the pool in the afternoon. I stand in the water and hold you, and you grin from ear to ear and splash the water with your feet. Sometimes you stop, your feet still and your fingers gripping me. You peek out from under your lacey sunhat hesitantly, trying to understand what the other pool-goers are doing. If someone accidentally splashes you, you scrunch your face into a wrinkly grimace and hold on to me more tightly. Today, you fell asleep on my shoulder on the walk back to the house.
You’re a treasure, beautiful girl, a gift from God. Daddy and I love you so very much.
Love,
Your Mama
30 Day June Photo Challenge – Day 8 – Sunset
I missed yesterday’s photo (high angle shot). I lovingly blame a growth-spurting Aveline, who went on a sleep strike and ate hourly for fifteen hours. So you can imagine I’m quite glad to see tonight’s photo, a setting sun. It means bedtime is right around the corner. For how napless my bebe is, she lays her little head down obediently every single night and falls right asleep.
And every single night, I marvel at how incredibly blessed I am and how rich our life is. Like right now, for instance. Aveline is sitting on my lap, holding on to a wash cloth in one hand and beating on the desk with her other hand. She says, “Ahhh. Hahhh. Ahhh. Gahh. Eeeehaa.” while looking over at Josiah, who is sitting next to me clicking away at his computer. I think she’s singing along with Cary Brothers, who is softly crooning, “There is something about you baby so right / I wouldn’t be here without you baby tonight / If ever our love was concealed / No one can say that we didn’t feel a million things / And a perfect dream of life.”
Josiah gets up, walks into the kitchen and switches the light on. I hear the clink of dishes as he unloads the dishwasher. Aveline drops the washcloth to the floor and sticks her tiny foot up on the desk between my hands, still babbling away in her precious little voice.
“You’re the secret I keep, I just wanna be the one, I just wanna sing this song with you.”
[Click photo to view a larger version.]
sleep
the dishwasher surges and pauses, a mechanical ode to the ocean’s pulsing tide. my spoon scoops up the last bit of milk off the bottom of my cobalt cereal bowl. behind me, i hear josiah laugh and talk into the headset as the xbox goes beepbopboopbeep.
aveline is asleep. my eyes feel like sandpaper. her sleeping moments have been scarce, these last few days. i flip my just-washed hair back over my shoulder, and a few drops of water drip off onto the pink fabric of my pajama pants. i reach for my water glass and drink deeply. i sigh, satisfied.
my eyes can not stay open much longer. i hear the click of the tv behind my turning off, and hear josiah’s footsteps across the grey carpeted floor. i rub my eyes. sleep will come soon.
oh life, you are beautiful.
happy mother’s day
this year, with a little tiny daughter of my own, i truly say the words happy mother’s day with more conviction, awe and admiration than ever before. so, happy mother’s day, mom. you’re the best mum a girl could ever dream of.
mom & i, great grandma/pa, grandpa in oaxaca, mexico
mom, dad, andy & me in europe. greece, maybe? i’m not quite sure.
The Oaxacaborn Blog 