Thrity-six years ago, on September 15th, the young man on the left was the result of the fruits of my labor!
This week Jimmy and his wife are visiting us in Louisiana with the results of the fruits of Angie’s labor last January.
Which is why this blog is so short.
I have major snuggling to do!
Photo credit to my daughter-in-law, Angie, for the sweet photo of Morrison at the plane window.
I was in DC this past week watching this little guy.
As a result, I wasn’t out much past dark with thoughts of street lights on my mind.
Instead, these are the shadows that street lights cast through the window shades of my Airbnb. Lovely designs that undulated with the passing of car lights.
For this challenge, that’s going to have to be enough.
A week’s worth of snuggles, smiles and slobbery, open-mouth kisses was worth not spending much time on this week’s blog post!
Although I gave birth to one of these Kowalski men 35 years ago and have been married to the other for more than 40 years, these are both scenarios that I considered unlikely.
I had hoped and prayed for the first one.
This next one came completely out of the blue. At 60, my husband is learning to play an instrument.
We’re all enveloped in something from time to time. It’s not always good.
But this, THIS is the best kind of envelopment.
Grandpa and grandson, completely lost in the moment, and in the love between them.
Enveloped in sheer joy.
Other things may change us but we start and end with the family.
~Anthony Brandt
Family. What a loaded word!
It can evoke a virtual tornado of swirling emotions and we all have different concepts of what a family is, what it means, and how it shaped us.
My beautiful mom left us in 2006 and Dad joined her in 2008. The year Dad died I became a grandparent and this was the valentine I created the following Valentine’s Day as I reflected on those two very life-changing events.
Part of the experience of the valentine is opening it up to find the layers and although it will be hard to convey this on a 2 dimensional blog but I will attempt!
The front:
When you open the card these are the first two pages you see:
Followed by:
With this being in the very center:
When you open up the ribbon you find this:
The pop-up heart that would have absolutely delighted my dad!
To see the valentine I created to honor my mother after her death please click here.
There’s something magical about being four years old.
You find wonder in so many places.
My grandson recently commented to his dad, when he was flushing the toilet, about the bubbles that were created as the water was swirled away. He called them life joys.
This weekend he was totally lost in the joy of movement when we passed a fountain. There was another gentleman there breakdancing and the two of them engaged in a sort of exuberant ballet. There was so much joy in those few moments.
From now on, when I see bubbles I’ll be reminded of life’s joys. And, I will be reminded to look for them in unexpected places!
Hmmmm……the kiss. It can get so complicated.
But this kiss, this one is pure and unfettered.
A father kissing his son.
A mother kissing her baby.
A sibling kissing his little brother.
I’ve had the absolute pleasure of kissing these sweet cheeks and this sweet head for an entire week. His big brother lived with us for his first year so lots of that was going on four years ago but my kissing ratio with this little guy has been in a deficit. This week I’m trying to catch up. Who could resist? Certainly not this grandma!
Unless faced with this! I think I’ll wait until after his bath….
Ahhhh…..love. We know it in so many ways.
We first experience it unconditionally from our parents. Many of us still remember the euphoric feeling of a new love. If we are so blessed, we find it in the all-consuming miracle of our children. If we’re lucky enough and work at it diligently we know the love that many years together matures into. Friendships encompass love. We love our sports teams, our favorite foods, a well-worn pair of jeans, cities we’ve lived in, and certain songs.
My newest love is watching my husband in his role of grandfather. I watched him change when he became a father but I wasn’t prepared for the transformation that took place when his grandsons came into his life.
We had the pleasure of having our first grandson live with us for his first twelve months and very early on Jim earned the title of “Grandpa Loco” from our daughter-in-law. It was quickly evident that there was nothing Jim wouldn’t do for Judah, to include buying the best baby backpack available and taking him on long walks through the woods. There was no line Jim wouldn’t cross when it came to this baby. He was a crazy-in-love grandpa.
LoLo and Judah, February 2009
When Judah started talking the hard c sound was difficult for him to pronounce and so Jim became Grandpa LoLo or simply, LoLo.
February 2012
The feeling between these two guys is mutual. When we Skype Judah is happy enough to talk to me but his face literally explodes with happiness when LoLo appears on the computer screen. If Jim is TDY we have to warn Judah before the Skype call goes through that his grandpa isn’t home. Advance notice softens the blow.
And, if the relationship between one grandson and his grandpa isn’t enough, there’s always his little brother to double the love!
LoLo and Xander, May 2012
The bonus is that all of this causes Grandma JuJu to fall in love with Grandpa LoLo all over again every time she sees these guys together.
Details….this week’s P52 Photo Challenge
These were the details of my life on Tuesday, March 27, 2012.
A phone call at 5:01 a.m. that woke me out of a sound sleep.
384 miles in the car in just over 6 hours with 3 pit stops.
2 hours later, 100% effaced and 10 centimeters dilated.
3 pushes and a birth at 5:21 p.m.
5 weeks early.
6 lbs. 3 ozs.
18 inches long.
Xander is born…our second grandson!
Sometimes life is all about the details.
pauses&clicks 