Little & Big

afternoon snack adventure

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trip to Florida

Clearwater Beach, Florida.  Long weekend.  85 degrees and sunny. 

Perfect. 

(Except I wasn't ready to leave.)

Obama (historic moment)

I have to write more about our experience seeing Barack Obama.  I posted about it on Facebook, but I simply have to say more.

Wow.

Here we are at 11:45 on Friday, just joining the line to get in. (The ENORMOUS line.)

It was cold, and the line was long.  There were throngs of people.  But we made it.

Here's the end, at 1:05.  With the stamps on our hands.

(I just have to post these, just to PROVE we were there!)

And once we were in, there was more waiting. And quite a crowd.

There were speeches by our two fabulous Senators, Patrick Leahy & Bernie Sanders plus Gov Peter Shumlin.  I think they're all three marvelous.  More than that, I LOVE them.   Tremendous minds, big hearts, and incredible stick-to-it-ive-ness. 

And, speaking of love, here HE is:

(It's fuzzy, I know.  It could be anyone!  I know.  They wouldn't let us take bigger cameras in, so this was taken with a cell phone.  Trust me.  It's him.)

When he finally came onstage the room went WILD.  If you could have caught and harnessed that energy, you would have shot through the roof.  Wild.  And wonderful.

We weren't far from him really.  The President of the United States.  When I got really present to what I was seeing and hearing, I was moved to tears.  There he was, his articulate, inspiring, funny, powerful self, not 25 yards away from me.  Me! And President Barack Obama.

I had little brother on my hip for much of the time (all 55 pounds of him) so he could see too.  There we stood, his warm cheek pressed into mine, transfixed.  (That is, until he got bored, and jumped down to play with a blonde baby.  To his credit he continued to clap enthusiastically whenever it was time.)  I remained transfixed.  Hollering and clapping and weeping.

Here's a tiny clip of video to provce it was really true:

 
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing 

If you EVER have the chance to see him live, do it.  Even if you're in the stands with 10,000 people.  Do it.  Even if you don't believe in his ideas.  Do it!  That man has such presence, he could fill any space, no matter how enormous. 

the rocket

Big brother was given a build-a-rocket kit for Christmas.  And last week was the first week it was warm enough to give it a try. 

And we gave it a try.  After try.  After try. 

First it exploded in our hands.  Then it tipped and blasted along the ground.  Then, once we got the timing right, we couldn't get it to go more than 8-10 feet up.

Then the Daddy stepped in. 

Here are pics from his first effort:

                            vinegar + baking soda = rocket fuel

That was better!  But it wasn't good enough for big brother.

So we gave it One Last Try.  And I captured it on video:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing 

Rock on!

more magic in the woods

                                        "the sword in the stone"

                                                            resting

magic things (in the woods)

a snowy walk in Montreal

from an overnight adventure with friends to see the Festival des Lumieres.

 

play

I'm thinking a lot about what it means to play.  It's our big New Year's Resolution.  "Play.  A lot." 

So what is that exactly?

David wrote about it on the Sparkle blog here and here.  And he's a good one for playing.  He likes to think of life's activities as games.  He's always ready to engage in some silliness.

But me?  I can be pretty silly too.  My favorite current silliness is playing chase with my cat.  We go back and forth through the house, hiding and jumping out and skittering about.  It's so silly that even David will say "boys, your mom is chasing the kitty again."

But here's what I just noticed:  I'm online looking at sites and blogs that might offer opportunities to feature Sparkle.  And I get on a site I just love.  And I'm perusing the entries and admiring the photos and getting to know the bloggers work, and just having a grand time.  And then I freeze up.  "You're supposed to be working!" scolds my brain.  And I click off the site as fast as I can. 

But then I realize "hey!  I WAS working!"   And of all impossible things:  I was having a great time too! 

This may sound a bit ridicuous, but this has been my model for work:  to "work" means I put in all of my effort.  I grit my teeth and raise my shoulders and hunker down.  And there's too much to do to stop for long.  WORK.  Until you're done.  Every t crossed and i dotted.  WORK. Or until your eyes are crossing.  WORK.

And then when it's over I go WHEW.  I can finally take a break.  I'll knit for 15 minutes before I GET BACK TO IT.

I tell you what:  I'm ready to let that model go. 

Next, I'm going to have lunch with my older son and take a sledding break.  And I'm going to post a photo to prove it.

 

christmas tree by horse-drawn wagon. (really.)

                                         (notice the dog; he rode back with us.)

This afternoon.  Just before it got dark.  This is what we did.  Christmas tree farm to ourselves.  Beautiful afternoon.  The moon high in the clear, late afternoon sky.  And all of us winding our way through the trees trying to find just the perfect one.

Amazing.

And we found the perfect one.  Now situated happily in our little home.

(Enormous thanks to TW for sending us there -- what a gift.)

You can do it too: Russell's Tree Farm in Starksboro.  (If you go on a weekday like we did, call for an appointment.)

an afternoon in a place I love (with fellas I love doing things I love)

(Decatur, Texas.  Last week.) 

Lovely trip home for Thanksgiving.  Lots of family, lots of good food.  Cousins running about.  Lots of love.

And then the moments above: a trip to the Ranch with my Dad and the boys.  And some time with the horses.  Watching my dad work with his best mare.  And then some time just sitting on the porch, talking.  Simple but very very rich.