Gold Medal

Today was our last day at eaw’s gym class for the season – we will be in Seattle next week, so will miss the actual graduation (apparently he would have received a little medal). Oh well – it will help me model my philosophy that the experience is the reward itself not the object that represents the experience (insert medal, title, grade, paycheck, review, etc.). I’ll see how long this “natural reward” system lasts…ask me during potty training. Regardless, the experience at the gym class was truly rewarding. We attended our first class in late January, days after returning to Columbus – it was the first time I felt like a family – a very natural family. No one wanted to see any official documents to prove I was his mom, and everyone got to know us together as mother and son. He was a charmer in the class, shy and coy. He started to reveal greater and greater independence as the weeks passed – straying further and further from me to try new things. He watched his peers and the other adults with attention, taking it all in. He was the last in the class to walk, and everyone cheered the week he walked into the room. I loved our hour together every Tuesday morning – it was a bright spot in a very long winter, much like a shiny gold medal...maybe I’ll get him a medal after all.

Memorial Day Weekend

We are all feeling better, and enjoyed a relaxing long Memorial Day weekend. A few images to capture the essence of the weekend...

A dog and her boy:

All those without sin may cast the first stone (notice Saturday morning cartoons, with eaw’s arm elbow deep in a bag of Teddy Graham’s for breakfast):
Laughing on the lawn with mom:
Odin loving the simple life:
Elvis and/or Woody Woodpecker impersonations in the bathtub:

It goes to eleven

eaw and I visited the Columbus Zoo today with a friend and her daughter whom we met through baby yoga. I was completely impressed with the zoo and look forward to returning in the future. Despite the ethical/philosophical conundrum a zoo represents, this particular zoo is huge, educational, culturally sensitive, wheelchair accessible, and donates all of the proceeds from the adjacent water park (which it owns) to animal preservation and environmental conservation. So, I didn’t mind shelling out my admission fee. eaw enjoyed himself thoroughly, offering every possible inflection of “oooh”. We spent a few hours visiting the animals, most remarkably the manatees and bats. We also heard the lion roar just a few feet from us, and survived some very aggressive geese while we picnicked. Although we saw many live animals, we only managed to get a shot with some sculptures. Not to worry, we will return and capture the live beasts on film.

In other news, mtw was given an electric guitar by our friend Darren in Philadelphia last weekend. This evening he invited a friend over to help string the guitar and get a few tips on playing while I enjoyed an evening out at a student dance performance at OSU. Turns out, eaw truly is a rock star and to quote “This is Spinal Tap:”

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?

Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.

Tunes, Transactions, Trucks, and Tummyaches

Here's a picture from the music session eaw and mtw held on mother's day - eaw continues to love music, new sounds, and the whole cause-and-effect deal. We had our last parent-and-me music class for the spring session today. eaw is very social and interactive in this setting, and has started imitating all the gestures in the songs that we sing. He especially loves rhythm sticks and tambourines - we've got to get him a drum set. It's been a long ten days since mother's day, and I have experienced the reality check mother's day, but am still fully satisfied. On Wednesday, we closed the house sale at New Queen. It still feels like a big loss. I hope the house serves its next owner as well as it served us.

On Friday, I experienced my first vomiting episode with eaw this past weekend. He got sick as soon as we stepped in the house from dropping mtw off at the airport - that's right - mtw missed it all. After the umpteenth phone call to Dr. Grandpa, futile attempts to push pedialyte, many baths, and as many loads of laundry, eaw settled down for the night. I thought he was better on Saturday morning, so dragged him to the dmv to register the car, and then stopped by a neighborhood event called "Touch-a-Truck." We will have to return under better conditions because it was awesome - firetrucks, bomb squad gear, ambulances, police cars, helicopters, cement trucks, cranes, tractors - all up close and personal. The kids are encouraged to touch, climb in/around, push horns, sound sirens, the works! eaw enjoyed himself although I could tell he was fading fast. We stayed only 20 minutes, and made it home just in time for him to get sick again. Poor little boy! By evening, he was pretty spent. Unfortunately, by evening, I was fully sick as well. I had to dig deep to get through Sunday. mtw was supportive from afar (he had a wonderful weekend in Philly playing at the Italian Market Festival - maybe he'll post some details for us), but we missed him sorely. eaw was a trooper on Sunday, coming up to lie next to me and letting me lie like a lump for most of the day. The dogs dragged us around the block a few times, and we somehow survived the day. The whole experience made me feel really isolated here - honestly, there was no one I could call to ask for help. I hope that improves over time. Dr. Grandpa received the brunt of it all, being the assist by proxy. I should probably chip in a little for his phone bill this month - thanks dad. We are on the upswing, smiles intact, although we are still eating mostly toast.

¡Día De la Madre Feliz!

eaw is the model child at his daycare - they, like all who come to know him, are enamored of his big brown eyes, bright smile, and sweet disposition. The other day, as I walked down the hall to his assigned room for pick up, Miss Sue (an amazing caregiver) leaned into the room to announce to the other caregivers that "eaw's mom is here." I stopped in my tracks at the profundity of that statement, fighting back tears to embrace this reality. I am a mom. I am somebody's mom. I am eaw's mom. I am in awe...

Miss Sue tells me that eaw has made me a special gift. I cannot hold the tears - she looks at me with understanding. I try to explain, "It is my first Mother's Day." She responds by crying with me, and hands me eaw's artwork:

Okay so I'm going to be brutally honest here...I have everything I ever wanted for mother's day. This holiday (for me in the past, and for countless women currently) has been emotionally painful, full of feelings of inadequacy and longing, grief and confusion. Today, I feel complete and grateful and hopeful and compassionate. Borrowing from the Quakers, today I am "holding in the light" some very specific mothers; as well as those mothers who desire, but cannot; those who mother through their creative contributions to the world; not to mention the mothers who have been and those yet-to-be.

Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child. -Buddha

Swinging ad nauseum

We have discovered a new favorite activity for eaw - the only problem is ending the swinging session - he loves the physical sensations and surprises. Personally, I can't wait until he is ready for the amusement parks...I have always been one for the roller coasters (thanks to J. Gunning and the jet star blue at Lagoon). Apparently, mtw cannot abide roller coasters, so he can hold all the valuables...

It's official (again) or rather, it's ohioan

Earlier this afternoon, the family headed to the Franklin County courthouse to meet with a magistrate (a very nice woman named Nancy). We had an appointment at the probate court in downtown Columbus to jump through one last hoop, lest the approval of two national governments should not suffice. Basically, it was Ohio's "thumbs up" that we are a family, and will generate a stateside (Ohio) birth certificate for eaw. It ended up being a really nice experience. The magistrate, representing the probate judge, took us into a hearing room, swore in mtw and myself, and informed us the session would be recorded for formal documentation. I would love to get my hands on our legal transcription as eaw offered a few "ooohs," "uh-ohs," and a well timed laugh to coincide with one of mtw's humorous comments. He even passed gas a few times - how do you transcribe that? [baby farts - ppffffttttt]. We apparently passed with flying colors, and eaw charmed the courthouse workers with his waves and smiles. The magistrate ended the interview with the statement that we were a match made in heaven. Heaven indeed, and thank heaven for little boys.

Fun with Mrs. Potatohead