All the Children

While Christian had soccer practice, the boys played at the playground on a typical windy March day.  Among all the screaming, laughing children was a lone figure named Ramona standing high up on the jungle gym.  The children ran around her to climb down the bars or slide down the slides.  Ramona was unsure what to do.  I remember I'd seen her before; she's a middle aged woman with the mentality of a shy child.

Gabriel complained that he couldn't find a friend to play with.  I told him to go ask someone to play with him.  It's so much fun watching how the kids interact with each other.  Finally, Gaby found another boy and he sidled up to him.  They stood shoulder to shoulder and Gaby turned to him slightly as he muttered, "Hi. I'm Gay-bee-ole." Gaby didn't look directly at him, but past the boy in hopes that he had found a friend.  Gaby's eyes were wide with anticipation, but no worries.  The boy gave his name and they were fast friends, two peas in a pod climbing up the bars together and chasing each other.

As I waited for Jojo to take his turn on the slide, Ramona gleefully slid down and as with any other child I enthusiastically said, "Whee! Oooh, you went down fast!"  Ramona stuck out her hand and introduced herself.  She spoke to me in both Spanish and English.  "Look what I have," and she pulled out her cell phone.  It was time for Ramona to leave.  I wondered, where are her parents?  And then I realized her parents must be very old or maybe even deceased.

I hope we meet again.

The Drama of it All..Updated

Christian has been running a high fever since Wednesday night and had to miss school as well as today's soccer game.  On Wednesday night when the fever began Christian was coming upstairs and felt a little dizzy and nauseous.  I thought maybe he was coming down with strep again.  He did not feel better the next day so I took him to the doctor.

At his age, the doctors we have seen usually talk to the kids directly to find out their symptoms.  I try not to "coach" Christian, but he talks ALOT and tells lots of stories. So I went over his symptoms to help him focus before we met with the doctor.

Sure enough, during the exam the doctor asked Christian how he had been feeling.  Christian was doing well until he go to the part about the dizzy spell:  "And then I went up the stairs to find my mom because I was feeling sick.  And then, and then what happened I started to see two of her and two of everything I saw...and then..."

The doctor asked him if he was seeing double right then.  "Yeah...and then what happened..." 

The doctor was concerned, but the nurse knew better and turned to me and smiled.  This was my cue to nip this in the bud, "Christian, how many of me do you see right now?" 

Christian said, "One...?"  I explained that Christian never saw double the night before and this was the first time hearing about such a symptom.   

At least he tested negative for strep.

P.S. Christian tested positive for strep last Monday.  Second time in the past two months!  I should've followed my instincts and asked the doctor to send the culture to the lab.

Onse upon a tyme

Christian brought home both of these stories that he wrote at school (click on each image to get a better view).  In the first story I like how he spelled 'vetaneryin'.  The second story he writes is about feeding his 'pets'.  I like his description of purchasing food at the supermarket and how his pets (the bird and hermit crab) point their fingers to and pay for the food they want.  No, his animals do not sleep with him on his bed.

Columbus & Other Adventures

American gothic turned on its head at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

A couple weekends ago I visited Mike in Columbus.  The boys stayed with my parents, so we had a very nice weekend.  We enjoyed all the samples of ice cream at Jeni's and it was hard for me to choose one exotic flavor, so I picked two (vanilla mixed with lilac).

One of the more charming neighborhoods to visit is German Village.  There were pubs, cobblestone streets, parks, and lots of walking areas.  I especially enjoyed The Book Loft and could have spent hours in the many little nooks, crannies, and corners viewing those wonderful books. 

The whole downtown area is great.  Here's the beginning of Short North.  The Ohio State University is located between Short North and Old North. What a huge campus! 

Mike surprised me with a fun evening at the Cloak and Dagger murder mystery dinner theatre. I felt better about the move after visiting the city and found that sense of peace that I was searching for. Below are some photos that Mike took of different places we'll visit in Ohio once we move.

Hocking Falls

The past month and a half has been a little tough:  My mom was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer and soon will begin treatment once the results of the tests are released.  She had a lumpectomy almost three weeks ago and is doing real well.  It seems the cancer only spread to one of 16 lymph nodes removed, and according to my brother's friend who is a pathologist and who reviewed the report from my mom's surgeon, it was an aggressive cancer. Mom is determined to get through the treatments (radiation and/or chemo) to help us when we move to Columbus this summer, so as to exactly when we'll move remains to be seen. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
 

Mom doesn't slow down!  She and Dad took care of the boys when I was gone and she even cleaned my house (much to my embarrassment). She never worries about the future; her strength and good attitude have always helped her through any bump in the road. And she has lots of friends who give her support and that makes a difference. 

Downtown Columbus the night of the Big Moon

When I left for Columbus my parents told me to have an open mind.  I've been sick with worry all this time with the move, Mike's traveling, and now Mom that I was upset about leaving. Sometimes we want things to stay the same, but nothing is static.

Cincinnati

Mike's co-worker always reminds him that everything is temporary.

Let nothing trouble you,

let nothing frighten you.

All things are passing;

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things.

He who possesses God lacks nothing:

God alone suffices.

St. Teresa of Avila

There's Smart...



All dressed up for his 5th birthday last month! His chose his outfit himself. Gaby wanted a Batman tie for his birthday, but, alas, it is a difficult article of clothing to find.

 This morning Gaby reminded me that a special show was going to be on March 29th.  I asked him how he knew that, and Gaby said that he had seen it on television. I told him he was smart.  Gaby replied, "There's smart, and there's Kmart smart!" 





A Batman cake that stained our fingers and teeth blue. The first non-truck cake Gaby has chosen - ever.

This Makes Gaby Giggle

Uncle Pecos always made us laugh when we'd see him on Tom and Jerry after school. Gaby got excited when this episode came on today.  "Hey, that funny show is on! Watch it with me, Mommy!"  Gaby loves how he plays the guitar, taps his boot, and blows his whiskers as he stutters through the 'cram-bowl' song. Where have all the good voice actors gone -- the ones who played those with disabilities with such heartwarming sweetness? 

Bittersweet

Mike finally found a job -- in Columbus, OH.  It's a bittersweet ending to 2010 to know that I have a short time left here in Albuquerque, but I'm getting excited about our new adventure. I really haven't been able to wrap my mind around it, though. I thought we were here to stay after eight years of roaming around on the other side of the country.  My cousin Sherrie called the other day and mentioned the lack of news on this blog and was wondering if it was true that we were moving.  It will be good to live close to her family in Michigan.  We'll also live close to Mike's family in Tennessee, Indiana, and Michigan.

I'm so proud of Mike, though.  He weathered through a tough year and we made it to the other side.

Mike started work this week and will be able to come visit once a month until we leave in June. Before he left last week we sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow".  He stopped in St. Louis and took advantage of going up to the arch the day the tornadoes swept through Arkansas.  Just as my dad called me with concern about Mike's whereabouts, I received a text message from Mike telling me that he was on top of the arch but that they were being instructed to go back to the bottom because it was swaying.  "Because there's a tornado headed your way!!!" I wanted to shout.  In the meantime, the Weather Channel was saying that a tornado watch was in effect in St. Louis until 3:00 PM.  But he was able to leave quickly before the city was shut down and head east to Indiana ahead of the storm as it continued northeast.

I feel like everything is whirling by so fast like a twister -- the children are growing so fast and I rarely have a video camera handy to capture their voices, their songs, their sweetness through the lens.  I feel the clock ticking and I worry that I will miss too much.  I want more time.  Time stands still when I focus on the now.

Time stands still

I'm not looking back

But I want to look around me now

See more of the people

And the places that surround me now.

Freeze this moment

A little bit longer

Make each sensation

A little bit stronger

Experience slips away.

I turn my face to the sun

Close my eyes

Let my defenses down

All those wounds

That I can't get unwound.

I let my past go too fast

No time to pause

If I could slow it all down

Like some captain

Whose ship runs aground

I can wait until the tide

Comes around.

-Rush

Time Stands Still