Monday, March 21, 2016

A Day In This Life


So I got this picture from Jessie when we were on Dog Island. That's August, gumming on one of the carrots from my garden. And guess what happened the next day?
Yep.
A sharp tiny tooth poked through.
I had forgotten to write about this! How can this be? It's a milestone! So- here you are and it's official.
On Friday, March 18th, August Glinden cut his first tooth. In Lloyd at Mermer's house. 
We are so proud of him.
The boy still hasn't had any real food yet and is thriving quite well on mama milk but Jessie is talking about starting him out with a taste of avocado soon. I trust her judgment and intuition in this matter as I trust Lily in matters involving her babies. As I always used to tell mothers during the postpartum instructions when I worked at a birth center, no one on this earth has ever given birth to this particular baby and just as your body knew what to do to create and nurture this child, so will you know best how to take care of her or him. To listen to what others had to say and then to trust your gut.


Although it is quite obvious that Gus is ready to order from the menu at Japanica!

Oh, golly. It has been such a good day. I met up with Lily and her three and Jessie and Gus and we feasted on our Bento bowls, our sushi, our miso soup. And Gibson played with his Beomax.


I still don't really get that thing but Lord, does he love it.

Here's August with his mama.


And another one of me holding him. 


That boy will not sit still. He's a moving monkey and he wants everything. He's so strong and he likes to bounce and bounce and bounce. He was beyond himself with excitement today in the restaurant. He couldn't move his head fast enough to take everything in.


The lights, the pretty designs on the walls, his cousins, his mama, his auntie. You can just see that little mind figuring it all out. And sometimes he still rests his head up against mine, the sides of our faces pressed together and I die of sweetness. 

Magnolia slept all the way through lunch and I can't believe it but I didn't get one picture of her. Well, just take my word for it, she is getting fatter and lovelier and prettier and smilier every day. 

After lunch we all walked down to the Goodwill bookstore which has become our ritual after dining at either Japanica or the Indian restaurant. The lady who works there knows us so well now that she comments on how fast the babies are growing. We love that place. The boys each got a book and a movie and I bought a beautiful, if somewhat battered, old copy of "Little Women" for 99 cents. 




It's not that old, 1950, but I've never seen this edition and I joyfully welcome it to my collection. "Little Women" was the book that lit the fire of my unquenchable love for reading when I was about nine, I think. I already loved to read but when I opened the pages of the copy my grandmother gave to me and smelled that delicious inky smell and began to read about the four sisters who gave their humble Christmas dinner to a poor family, I was hooked forever. 
And if that wasn't good enough, on our way out, Lily spied a rather hideous stuffed dog and said, "Oh, look. I love the little collar that some kid put on it."
We both moved in to see it more carefully and realized that the "collar" was actually a small sterling silver bell tied with a velvet ribbon. 
Four dollars for the dog and the silver bell came with. 


When I shined it up, it looked like this and I realized that the little hanging link is made in the shape of a tiny belt. And as a bonus, Owen fell in love with the dog and I gave it to him. Of course. 

Lily and I were going to do some Publix shopping after all of that but Gibson, who has not been feeling well for a few days wanted to go home so Owen came with me and I had such a great time with my biggest boy. He was a very helpful shopper, pointing out to me the laundry detergent I should buy, assuring me that it got all of the stains out. He reminded me to buy sweet potatoes. He also said that since he is going back to school tomorrow, he might need a Lunchable and we picked one of those out for him and one for his brother. 
I know, I know! They're crap! But when you're a grandmother...
When I was taking him home, we stopped by the field where the donkey lives and he got out and posed with his new dog, named Rainbow, and here is what they looked like. 


My sweet boy. My precious first grandson. The one who named me. 
We discussed many things, that boy and I as we shopped and drove, including Obama's visit to Cuba and the Rolling Stones' upcoming gig there. Also how there was only one purple one in the package of Airheads I bought him. 
"It's like extra points to get a purple one!" he told me as I was trying to explain U.S. relations with Cuba. My car was infused with the scent of fake-fruit candy as he chewed and I loved it. 
We also talked about the meaning of Easter which I informed him had to do with rebirth and then gave him a small and age-appropriate Pagan version of what that means. The trees with their new leaves after looking dead all winter, the animals coming out again from their burrows and dens, the flowers, etc. No mention was made of any one's crucifixion or resurrection, I can assure you. 

You know what that boy told me today? 
That I am magical. 
"I am not," I told him. "I don't have magical powers."
"You have the magical power of love," he said. 

And so it's been an almost perfect day in my life. I have felt so light and happy that it's scary. When I dropped Owen off at home Magnolia was nursing and after she'd finished, I burped her and as I held her to my shoulder, I told Lily that there was nothing on earth that felt so natural and right as that sweet weight of a baby on me. 
And then I handed her back to her mama and kissed them all good-bye and came home to this place I love so much and now the sun is setting and I have my Goodwill cashmere back on and my husband is on his way to auction and he left me another love note this morning. 

Listen- there is one thing that I will stand by as Truth after sixty-one years on this planet:
The more love you make, the more love there is. 
Which is all the magic I can imagine or ever hope for.
I am pretty sure that Marmee would agree, although she would probably put it in different terms and bring in "A Pilgrim's Progress" somewhere. She was a woman of her time and I am a woman of mine.
Still. The message is the same. 

Love...Ms. Moon









14 comments:

  1. This was perfection...the day and the post. ♡

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  2. Ach. Little Women is perfect for this. All of your children and grandchildren are just full of goodness. Owen never fails to astonish me. Gus's delight in the world around him is a joy.

    I love the silver bell!

    More pictues of the baby girl, please, I can't get enough of her.

    I forgot to comment on the wedding photo of Jessie feeding Magnolia, but I meant to - your casual mention and picture set off a whirl of delight. Will you please tell those girls I think they're supermamas?

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  3. Oh - you have to watch the Beymax film. It's incredibly sweet and sad.

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  4. Ah Little Women. The paragon of comfort reading! And amen to what you say about love. Owen in right, you do have magical powers! Isn't it awesome that you could have a grandson, a little man whose understanding of the world is so comprehensive and so enlightened?

    -invisigal

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  5. Magical power of love....my heart literally skipped a bit when I read that! Do you realize that you have and continue to instill the magic of love in all those perfect grandbabies? Why, Mary Moon, you are wealthy beyond belief! And those grandbabies? A lifetime of love from Mer and Poppy! What could be better??

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  6. My heart skipped a beat as well at Owen's words. He's a little lover that one. I loved seeing his picture today. In the pictures of you with August, you look so pretty. I'm glad you have lots of grand kids. You are such a great Mer and your girls are perfect mamas. I want them to have more for selfish reasons!! I will come be MerMer's nanny.

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  7. I think your little silver bell is the charm off an old baby teething toy. Google vintage sterling silver bell baby teether" and you'll see what I mean. I thought you might like knowing that :)

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  8. I look forward to days like these!

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  9. Yes. Love, love, and more love.

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  10. Oh and Baymax makes a lot more sense if you watch the movie, which is interesting. My youngest has that toy too and loves it as well.

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  11. What a sweet, sweet way to begin my day. I thank you.

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  12. well, he's quite right you know. you do have the magic power of love. and the Beomax is from a very cute animated movie which I saw with one of my teenage grandkids because that was the only thing playing either of us was interested in seeing. and that August is so cute.

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  13. What a great day! Yay for August and his tooth! And for Gibson with his Beomax (whatever it is) and Owen with Rainbow, and you with your book and your silver bell. Wonder what the story is behind that bell? I feel certain there is one. Someday I really need to go to Japanica!

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  14. Jennifer- Like Mary Poppins- practically perfect. The day, at least.

    Jo- Even when the Marches had sorrows or fears, they managed to keep on with life, didn't they? I learned so much from them.
    My daughters are amazing mothers. Thank you for noting that picture. It is one of my favorites.

    Invisigal- He never ceases to astound me, that one. The other day I was helping him fix a hamburger and he told me to put "all of the condiments" on the bottom bun. I wondered- when did he learn that word? How does this happen? And now I get to watch as his brother and sister and cousin grow too. It's so amazing.

    Catrina- I hope that whatever they remember of me, these babies, that it is all touched with love. All of it.

    Joanne- I need to spend more one-on-one time with my Owen. I think we both need that. And then, with all of the babies! And I have a feeling there will be more!

    Lisal- You are so right! I knew one of the readers here would know. Thank you! I might make a little stuffed toy and sew the bell onto it for Magnolia.

    Angella- You won't believe the sweetness. You just won't.

    Mwa- So much love. Golly. I'm just overblessed. And I seriously doubt I'll ever watch that movie but who knows?

    Marty Damon- And I thank you for YOUR words!

    Ellen Abbott- Well, if I do have the power of love, it's because I drown in it daily. August is a hoot, isn't he? He's so precious.

    Steve Reed- It's a teething bell! How perfect! Yes. We must take you to Japnica! You will like it!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.