It Lives On

I was mid sway in that bounce-rock-swing motion that only a mommy can master the art of, his body molded around my waist and little legs a danglin’ off to the side as he began the first round of the groggy inhale-exhale routine that takes him from fighting sleep to embracing it, when my phone did that little ding.

My mind was already swimming in a pool fiercely being filled with designing and writing projects, emails to answer, deadlines fast approaching, shoots to edit, and laundry to wash, but for awhile, for those moments of sashaying my little one back and forth, like a pendulum dancing to the tick tock of the clock, all was but forgotten.

Then I picked up my phone.

But, alas, this story has a good ending. Promise.  Actually, this is where it gets even better. Because in those moments of just him and I, where that part of my heart that stretched and grew it’s way around him as he was first placed in my arms was beating to the tune of his breathy sighs, the other part let out it’s very own pitter patter as I read the email.

We’re going to be featuring the details of your daughter’s Wonderland party tomorrow.

I was suddenly taken back to that day. The day of imminent rain. Rain that held off until it could become a beautiful finale to the perfect party. The day where a fete of pink and ribbons and bunnies engulfed every corner of our yard. The day my girl knew was for her. And that day lives on.

City Cradle Design, you rocked my day with that email, and I can’t wait to see the feature!

In the meantime we’ve been feathering the nest a bit from the outside-in, satiating our hunger for fall.

October’s cool breeze has been shaking the first few leaves free from our tree’s ever loosening grasp and sending them shivering and twisting to the ground where they’ve been collecting in wait for little fingers to happily clench.  As my girl and I were taking on a fun little project of pumpkins, a gold paint and gesso mixture, and random strokes of the paintbrush, my littlest little (now full-on crawling!) explored the chilled ground beneath us, even bringing a few of fall’s souvenirs back into the house with him. I later had to pry a smooshed leaf from his determined grip.

But my little bundle of energy was eager to oblige this creative outlet, and that equals one happy girl.

Thanks, Kate, for the idea, though ours is much less “Martha Stewart” than yours and more “DIY Beginner Craft Project.”

And I’m just taking it all in…