then sometimes, we just like to sit down together for a piece of chocolate cake

the blueberries were just a start

(Eat your heart out Martha Stewart.)  I haven’t had a weekend this domestic in a long while.

In addition to trying my hand at a brand new recipe (i.e. Double-Berry Butter Cake with Vanilla Rum Custard or [the second option] Lemon Whip), I finally made a start at commemorating last summer’s beach trip (via photo-album).

I’ve only completed a fourth of the book, but I’m loving the album already!  Here are a few of my favorite pics:

memorial day weekend, cont’d …

 

… with two of my favs.  (even if one of ‘em is, at times, a fussy-fav.)

little ethan’s been sick …

That’s right.  My nephew even had a small tumble (that prevented him from walking for a couple of days and traveling with me to visit “the Grandmas” for Mother’s Day).  I made the trip to Wichita and back by myself.  It was sad for both of us — more sad for me.

Today, I paid sick little Ethan a visit.  (Though back to walking about, he’s still pretty congested with whatever else he’s fighting.)  Ethan, Bj, & I celebrated “mamma” (my sis) with dinner out.  After two minutes in a hot-commodity high chair … we were told that Ethan would have to give it up to another table.  (Apparently, that waitress had “first dibs” — though we’d been seated for 20 minutes, Ethan on our laps.)  Anyhow, it was another hard break.  (Ethan cried.)   It was frustrating for both of us — more frustrating for me.

Toward the end of dinner, after pretty poor service throughout (I guess the highchair hiccup was kind of symbolic) … Mom, Dad, and “Aunt Na-Na” (Nettie’s harder to say) were pulling out all the stops.  There were bits of cheese & snack-puffs for dinner on the plate; animated & choreographed numbers with Elmo & Ernie on the side; colorful books and (yes, even sharp) dining utensils in hand.  We were rounding out the second verse of “where is thumbkin?” (all three adults, hand-motions fully-engaged) when a waitress interrupted the moment with a question that, come to think of it, seemed more for us than for her …

“Is everything okay here?”

All three of the grown-ups sort of looked around the table (thumbs-still-dancing) and assured her: we’re just fine, thank you.  I looked at Ethan.  It was a little embarrassing for both of us–more embarrassing for me.

It’s funny to me how kids — even with their brutal honesty — are somehow more resiliant to life’s changing circumstances.  So often, I refuse to face reality head-on, yet seem to be “harder-hit” when called to flex.  Maybe it has something to do with my own delusions of control?

Ah, the gift of these little ones.  (I love ‘em even when their smelly & sick; something only a mom or dad … or insanely smitten Aunt Na-Na could say.)

Happy Mother’s Day to me.

cheers to the compassionate among us …

(And that darn sweet 16-month-old nephew of mine.)

 

i think it might be getting serious

Mom & Dad are away celebrating their last six years of marriage.
I’m “holding down the fort” … celebrating their last 15 months.

brown-house reunion

I spent the weekend in Atlanta with my three grad-school rooommates.  We had an amazing time!  We’re very different from one another, yet enjoy — immensely — keeping company together.  (This is hard to understand, much less explain.) 

I’m incredibly honored to be in friendship with such courageous and beautiful women.  I’ll continue my week in Atlanta, taking some vacation and gearing up for a conference of sorts this weekend.  More later …

storytime with mikaydon and timothy

happy birthday, ethan cole

How well I remember meeting you for the very first time … one year ago today.  Ethan, the more I know of you, the more I am delighted and intrigued.  Can’t wait to see (even more) the person you’ve been made-to-be.  Love … sss-sss as the snake, mfch-mfch as the beaver, oof-oof as the dog, (high as the sky, deep as the ocean) AND with all my heart. –Aunt Nettie