gifts
beautiful photographs by our friend, photographer Aaron Farrington
Billy calls me Scrooge every December and he has reason. From November on, I feel as stuffed as after my Thanksgiving Tofu dinner, and a bit shell-shocked. I get overwhelmed opening the mailbox, bloated with catalogs, and by the long lines at the mall; and the way Santa’s beard hangs crookedly on his face.
But I am just a little excited this year because of William. He is ripe for Christmastime, the way he is coming into himself. He sings “Grandma” and “Papa” each time we pass the portrait of my parents, as if they will jump from the frame to embrace him. He calls “Mimi” (his name for Grandma Hunt) every time a phone rings, any phone at all–the phone at the post office, the phone in the pocket of the person in line in front of us, as if every single thing is a gift just for him.
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Filed under writing | Comment (1)being there
Photo by my dad
William names the fruit on the conveyor at the grocers. The pretty check out girl flirts with him, trying to decode his baby talk. She tells me it’s funny how mother’s always understand their babes. It’s true: William’s first words are more like impressions, often tricky as riddles.
What I never knew before was that this understanding isn’t biology or magic. It’s just the being there as your babe discovers how vowels and consonants roll around in his mouth. It’s just hearing him repeat his renditions as often as a catchy song hook, while tugging at your hand.
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Filed under writing | Comment (1)stinker
William was a homemade minimalist skunk for Halloween
Photos by Jocelyn and Billy
People told us to go to the lawn at UVA for trick-or-treating, so we went, trolling for a parking in the traffic of students and frazzled parents of young children. We parked a mile away and strollered our little stinker to the campus, trailing behind a bedraggled princess waving a plastic magic wand.
Like always the grounds of the university were immaculate; even the leaves lay in patterns as if they have been arranged. Everything was in place except for the masses of kids and families, dressed as Old-Navy pirates, and CVS pumpkins converging on the walkways to the lawn; one father called out heartily, “It’s a zoo in there!” as he shepherded his young son back out.
Laughing we pushed forward. Waiting our turn on the ramp for the strollers, we watched another dad hurry out with bucking toddlers melting down in his arms, the baby boy’s face a hot mess of candy and saliva and tears.
Even so, when we finally made it to the lawn, William had a good old time. Unaware of the candy, he ran around in circles on the lawn, excited as a teenager at their first rock show by the hordes of children. I followed in my broke-down witch hat, careful not to lose him in the crowds.
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my daily challenge
Photos by my dad, Michael
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