Just Because

I don't know that I'll ever be able to capture the sound that goes with this face, or that I'll ever get a non-blurry picture, for that matter. The sound is that particular laugh that only happens on very rare occasions - or when someone says "fart".


At this stage in my life, I think it's my very favorite sound. Pure joy. How great is it that we have the capability to make that distinctive sound when something funny happens! Just try not to smile when you hear a kid laugh with their whole being.

Celebrating Erick

This has been one of those weeks - preceded by one of those months - where Erick and I seem to catch each other coming and going. A little tired. Getting rundown. Trading stories and information. Not really able to spend much time looking each other in the eye without the inevitable, "Oh, did you remember to...?"

And today is his birthday. It's a full day for us, and we won't all be home together until it's almost time for Sophia to go to bed.

But I know Erick will feel celebrated (especially when we're doing whatever he wants tomorrow) because even when we have these weeks and months, which are inevitable in the 21st century American family, they don't weaken the bond that we share. I don't have a fear that once we get the time that we need together, we'll have to start from a different place.

This year, Erick and I will officially have spent more of our lives together (17 and counting) than we spent apart (17 even). That doesn't mean, necessarily, that we cannot fail. But it means we've already failed and come back. It means we know how to cope when being made crazy by one another. It means that he knows which of the crazy shit that I say deserves a response and which deserves a chuckle and an, "I just love you."

There is never a day (I actually sat here to think about whether or not this statement was true, and it is, to the best of my failed memory.) that I am not grateful for the day Erick was born. Maybe I'm not grateful in that specificity. I'm grateful every day, and it's his birthday. Get it? I love the guy. I need him. More than that, when I have spare time to look into someone's eyes and have a conversation, I want it to be him.

So, happy birthday to my partner. Thanks for growing with and near me.

Second Grade

I have several posts that need to be made at some point, but the one that I cannot afford to abandon is the first day of school. Some day, Sophia will look through the archives of the blog and want to put together each and every one of these memories. I would hate to let one slip through the cracks just because I'm tired. 

I am tired, by the way. Although I really couldn't tell you why. I assume it has something to do with not enough sleep, but that hardly seems credible. 

Anyway, school started last Wednesday for Sophia. She is now in the second grade at Captain Elementary. Her teacher is Ms. McD. And, apparently, Ms. McD is the coolest teacher at the school. This is what I gather when I tell people who Sophia's teacher is, and everyone responds with, "Oh. Wow. Sophia is going to have a fabulous year." 

What I have learned so far about second grade, however, is that there is less talking allowed. So, there's that. You can imagine how my Sophia and her classroom BFF feel about this heightened enforcement.

This BFF of Sophia's did not end up in her classroom this year, and Sophia was shocked to see that they are no longer the same height. She actually made me take a series of pictures with their backs together just to be sure.

It does promise to be a good year. I'm excited for Sophia to really get back into the swing of things. Other things that are different this year are: spelling tests, harder math and the principal. So, wish her luck!

Best of Busyness

Since we got back from vacation, we've been busy. We have spent a lot of time at the zoo, as we tend to do in the summer.

Once with these guys:

Once with these Seattle guys:

And we're never very far from Forest Park, especially when the weather is going to insist on being so lovely.

We've also had fun of our own. Just packing it all in before summer comes to an end.