April 01, 2013

Reunion

April 01, 2013/ kendratheadverb

What has changed since the Sousa family last visited us:- We no longer live in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - We have 1 more kid - They have 2 more kids - We no longer have a green Honda CR-V - They now drive a Honda, a mini-van kind of Honda - We are all more seasoned - Jose has new accessories

What hasn't changed since the Sousa family last visited us: - They are still the most lovely family and friends with whom we love to break bread - Jose is still speaking Portuguese to his kids - Maria is still teaching me how to jive with the working-outside-the-home parent rhythm - Their kids are still gorgeous - Jose and I still wax poetic about our abiding love of our respective Dairy Queen jobs in high school - We still give thanks for my wonderful bestie Lozz who first introduced me to Jose when he was her college RA!

THEN: OCTOBER 2008

TODAY: APRIL 2013

February 24, 2013

2 years 9 months

February 24, 2013/ kendratheadverb

Dear Little Man, You are learning and doing new things every day. Big deal. You're a kid. That's your job. Newslflash: your mother still thinks this is Summiting Everest amazing.

Especially because she is learning so much from you along the way...

You're teaching me how it is to play hard. To fight for the right to play. To beg, "Just one more minute, Mama," with your index finger pointed upward. I'm super bad at play. I'm cerebral. I need more play in my life.

You teach me to not be so self-preserving. You see a stack of blocks and you bulldoze them. You're not afraid. You don't even think about the feeling of seeing everything topple. You rejoice in it. Because it's fun. I need to be less preserving of everything around me. Dust to dust and all that.

You are the sneaky pete of our household. Sometimes I catch you, out of my peripheral, slithering up to your sister's lair wherein dollbabies and ponies await your exploration. I love your secret play, love overhearing you give character voices to the unicorns that are normally off-limits. And then you go back to the train table and shunt some trains like it ain't no thang.

You've been needing a LOT of discipline lately. Some creative countermanding of your cuteness has been in order. At times, you get put out on the porch. That's right. The rest of my directives and penalties were not proving effective. So, to the porch you go. To cool off. To have a sitdown with Daddy. To ponder. To pry your way back in. You are teaching me resolve. I am getting a preview of your future as our strong-willed son who is equally aware of his powers of adorableness.

Keep Calm and Teach On, my Little Man!

xoxo Mama

February 23, 2013

BCU Night

February 23, 2013/ kendratheadverb

Dear Students, There have only been a few times in my life when I was told I was "cool" or even "so cool" just for showing up at an event. The others included my brother's Boy Scout badge nights and clean-up crew at a Kiwanis pancake breakfast. And in those cases, I am pretty certain that "cool" was synonymous with "civic-minded" or "sad" or "somewhat pathetic."

Tonight you were the cool ones, though. You put on a really brilliant BCU night. I was informed, moved, entertained, proud by all of you. Wow. I wish everyone could have seen you looking so smart in your Cliff Huxtable sweaters and finery.

Here are a few moments, now etched in my mind's eye, forever.

Love, Prof. SL

P.S. Thank you to Mrs. Hargrove for being my slick date.

*** Georgia and Chanel (a.k.a Brooklynn)