Hot to Trot

Saturday was an example of how I should not be allowed out of the house by myself any longer. I drove to a Red Line station. I glanced to ensure no pocket change was visible in any cup holders. Off to a decent start.

Forgot Charlie Card pass for train riding (strike one), but had proper change for purchase of to and fro ticket.

Arrived at Yelp Event at Mizu Salon. Dramatically underdressed compared to chic minions (strike two).

Glanced at chic early twirtysomethings. Received defensive glances back as if they thought I was examining their outfits all So this is what the young people are wearing out disco dancing these days! Which is, actually, exactly what I was thinking, but not snobbishly, rather earnestly, because, as we have established, I think REI fleece vest paired with every.single.outfit is haute couture. (strikes three through eleventy seven).

I then tried to initiate convo-chatter with the only two people I recognized and evidently that should be a new challenge in Cranium because both exchanges resulted in my finding a cupcake and finding a corner and finding myself the girl alone in the corner with the cupcake and icing all over her face. (strike infinity).

The only bright light was finding my friend Melissa and talking hysterically about the cuteness of Baby Girl which made me feel like I needed to leave immediately.

So in my huff to leave, I spilled ice all over the lobby of the salon. I then, feeling bad for self, bought a sale shirt at ATay and a book at B&N and lo! Where the nelly be-eth my car keys?

(Strikey McStrikerforker.)

I retraced every step, made mates with every security personnel at mall place. Found keys where left them in salon.

Back on train. Busy people watching. Miss stop at worse possible turnaround point. (STEEE-RIKE).

Find car, no pocket change stolen. Pick up last minute grocery items. Receive txt from Loverpants GETTING WORRIED, arrive home in one piece.

What, you are begging to know, were my favorite people doing while mama bird flew the coop?

Just chillin'...

Also noteworthy is the cranking of neck the wee one does every time I unleash the camera. It's new, it's cute, it's inexplicable.

Madiganecdote

Saturday, during potluck after church, Baby Girl sidled over to a boy who is easily a head taller than she, and certainly a year older. Compelled by an inner voice that shouted giddily, "It's Girl Scout cookie time!", she reached for the Thin Mint in the boy's hand and wrestled it right out of his clutches. Then she looked up at him as if to say, Seriously? You didn't even fight me for it, chump.

The boy's face immediately scrunched up, the mouth opened wide to bear his full set of 2 year-old teeth, the arms shot straight down along his hips like straws shaking in anger. A little cry crescendoed so that soon everyone in the room looked over to see the little boy falling apart and Baby Girl still standing with the Thin Mint, wondering if it was time yet to take a bite or was she going to have to inevitably give it back.

The boy's mother rushed over, reminding him there was no need to be bullied by a pipsqueak over a cookie.

Baby Girl stood still as though waiting for further instruction.

And I sat at a potluck table, powerless to rebuke or intercede as the tears streamed out of my eyes in a bellyaching fit of laughter.  I had become that parent.

***

To think she was still resisting tummy time one year ago.

Full of It

Glee. It is a 2nd grade spelling word. Double consonant. Long double "e." It's sort of a throwaway word. A synonym for happiness, but why use "glee" when you can just use "happiness"? The difference, I feel, is in the actual pronunciation. You have to smile when you say glee. It's hard to get out the glee without the smile. It's almost onomatopoeic. Glee!!!!!

Still, it's kind of a disgusting word, isn't it? Glee? It's worse than a Mr. Roger's expression. It falls dangerously in Barney territory, and that, frankly, is a scary zone where everyone appears to have done a great deal of things with balloons and whippets. It's one of those words that rhymes with way too many other words and lands squarely in giddy songs about trees and bees and knees and downhill skis.

But yesterday? Honestly. For a few moments, I experienced this tingly feeling of contentment that I could only characterize as gleeful. I felt glee because my life was just the way it was. I was just sitting on the hard floor, laden with exerballs and goldfish cracker crumbs, reading a book to Baby Girl whilst smelling the mix of yogurt and Johnson's shampoo in her hair and I felt such glee.

***

The people I admire most are not the ones that do earth-shattering things with their time and talents or the ones that are just cozy with what they have, but those that do both. They take what they're given and never stagnate, and continue to grow grow grow, but even when every proverbial Uno hand is a wild card Draw Four and the color changes to precisely the color they don't have in their hands at all, they never stop hoping and they never shirk the feelings of glee whenever they may come, which is usually the unlikeliest of yogurt-shampoo scented of times.

***

Yes, my kid is carrying a basket with a basket inside.