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Various and Sundry Things

Various and Sundry Things

Isabella didn’t wake up until 7. Very nice. I woke up at about 5:30 and dozed lightly until then. But at least I didn’t have to get up.

She was hungry this morning. Very hungry. She devoured a couple small bowls of Cheerios while I snoozed on the couch. Then I gave her a small bowl of blueberries and a hunk of cheese. She was still hungry and so I gave her half a dozen strawberries. Then she was pulling on the refrigerator door, saying “gogur, gogur” (potentially confusing because it almost sounds like “go, go”, which means go for a walk; but the physical context helps) so I gave her most of a container of banana yogurt. Maybe it’s a growth spurt.

After I had my breakfast (leftover tortellini soup, yum!) we went for a walk. Our upstairs neighbor told me on Saturday afternoon that she’d spent the day helping to put in a new playground at the local school. I was quite excited since I’ve been lamenting the lack of a good playground in the neighborhood. So I decided to walk over and check it out. Caution tape was still flying everywhere and whatever surface they plan to put under the equipment hasn’t been laid yet; but it still looked glorious gleaming freshly in the sunlight. Not one but two colorful climbing complexes with bridges and slides and tunnels and who knows what all. Poor Bella wanted to get out and explore; but I kept her contained to the stroller for her own safety.

I chatted with an old man who was standing there. He told me his daughter was on the organizing committee and that he’d helped put things together on Friday and Saturday. While we were talking he noticed one piece that had been put in backwards so that the interactive spinning piece was on the outside, hanging in the air rather than on the inside where kids could reach it to play with. Oh well. 

After a pleasant conversation, Bella and I continued down to the sports fields where I figured she could run safely. I put her down on the damp grass and she stood and stared for a minute or so and then took off running. She crossed the entire soccer field and made her way to the baseball diamond where we met a Greek family, a mother, father and 18 month old boy. I had a pleasant chat with the mother who told me they been in the US for about 2 years and that they much preferred Phoenix to the Boston area. I told her I’d been to Athens, where she was from, when I was in college and her husband misunderstood and asked where in Athens I’d lived. They were disappointed to find I didn’t know any Greek; but were doing very well holding their own in conversational English.

I tend to be a very shy person and would almost never initiate a conversation with a complete stranger on the street. I’ve noticed, though, that having a baby with me makes it ten times more likely that a conversation will happen anyway. Because of Bella I’ve met so many more of our neighbors in the short time that we’ve lived here than I would have in a year on my own.

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1 comment
  • Melanie,
    Thank you for your kinds words. Yes, these days will pass, and then you’ll wonder (oh, cliche of cliches!) how they passed so quickly.  My youngest is now five years old, and we’re in a new stage of life. It has many joys, of course, but the baby days—so unique and holy and precious—are gone.  It’s easy to say “enjoy those days” when I’m no longer the one who’s chronically sleep-deprived or feeling nauseated 24/7 … but if “enjoy” isn’t quite the right word, perhaps “treasure” is …. for these days with your baby are indeed a treasure, and there’s no other time in life quite like them.

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