angelbirdflies

I love hands. They say so much about a person and a life. Here are three photos of some of my favorite hands(my father's and my sons'), seeing them causes my heart to expand with a deep awe-inspired breath of life....

Happy half birthday to our Bodhi-boy. I had no idea that any single person could be so full of joy, life and energy! WHEW~ He had such fun making his requested pink half cake and then to add to the fun he had a special date with Baba and Mojo! Now if you ask him how old he is, he will proudly announce, "My body, two and half years old".

Spent. This is the third week of summer vacation and my cup still feels utterly empty. Not a desperate emptiness, just a quiet lack of fullness, inspiration and nourishment. I find myself wanting to stare for long moments at the play of sunlight on a lilac leaf, or the cottonwood as it winds a feathery dance toward the grassy floor. My ears strain after bird calls trailing in flight and bathe in the gentle sound of rain fall on a tin roof. My arms savor the weight of my son's sleep weary body in a post-nap embrace. The taste of watermelon bursts its juicy, red sweetness over a thirsty tongue filling me with a fleeting rapture. I want to slow it down, to extend the simple moments of life so that I can breathe into them without rushing on. Perhaps this is all I ever need, to sink into the simple beauty that surrounds me and BREATHE.

Check out the new scooter!!!!!! Bodhi keeps wandering the house collecting odds and ends, proclaiming, "I am going on a trip and you are gonna miss me". Obviously the result of so many loved ones coming and going in and out of his young life.

So what have we been up to? My lil' sister, China, and her love, Raphael, came for a visit. How wonderful to see family! Particularly my niece who is still safely growing in her mama's belly. We went for a beautiful hike for Father's day, just outside of Evergreen. Along the path we found an abundance of mushrooms, Wildflowers, And even a sword tree!!!

Here is a glimpse into the daily comings and goings with a Montessori flair: Here Bodhi is practicing one-to-one correspondence with numerals 1-3. He is really enamored with the process of counting and usually yells "Again, again mommy", whenever we finish the sets. I made him a felt oven on which to do his cooking and thus far he is proving an excellent and tenacious chef. Whenever real hunger knocks on the belly, we have this rotating snack shelf. Here is an example of a cereal making work with raisins, cheerios and a small pitcher for his almond milk. He loves this new level of independence. When his snack is prepared he finds a seat at his new dining area and eats. Here he is enjoying some popcorn with blueberries and almond cheese, an original Bodhi recipe. Bodhi has always been enamored with the process of opening and closing things. Here is a work designed with that in mind: And some tong transferring to strengthen the hand. Bodhi prefers to work with this one on...

Bodhi made mischief of one kind... and another... Until his mother called him WILD THING! My little Max, keeps me on my toes.

So I've been going a little crazy around the house, sewing everything that isn't bolted down, rearranging, reorganizing, and otherwise busying myself out of my bummer. Whenever school lets up for the summer, all my pent up creativity comes rushing to the surface in a temporary flood. Eventually my heart and life become reacquainted with the creative freedom of summer and a fertile growing period ensues. Here are a few examples: This is Bodhi's new room, complete with a big boy bed! I remade my old duvet cover into a duvet for his bed, a napping blanket paired with gold velvet (at the base of the bed) and a little quilt for his babies bed. The bed itself was made by cutting in half our changing table. The top half became a baby bed, The bottom half became the work station behind Bodhi. Then we made a little Montessori set up for my growing boy. We have several manipulatives, a knobbed world map and a few geography support materials, a 1-3 preliminary math activity and...

Summer has officially begun, Owen left for two months to Illinois. It was a sweet goodbye, without the usual kick-in-the-gut-launch toward his other home. This time there was a shared poignancy to the leaving, we both have accepted the conditionality of our circumstance and have come to terms with the taste of disappointment. As he walked down the loading dock, older and taller than the last time, my throat cramped with the familiar vice of missing. I left the airport and promptly began a frenzy of cleaning...cupboards, closets, drawers, bedding... you name it and it is spotless. Now I sit, surrounded by shining surfaces, and cry.

We discovered this beautiful hik e a few miles outside of Boulder and I would love to relay what a perfectly lovely time we had, but it was a roller coaster. Owen had a complete meltdown during the first mile, then he recovered in time for Bodhi's big breakdown for the second mile and then mama carried the little sleeper the remaining two miles back to the car. But in spite of all that, or perhaps because of it, we had a wonderful time meeting a new trail.