It really IS Spring. A week ago today I chickened out and decided not to journey to Breitenbush in the snow. Five days ago it was snowing in Portland. A magical day. Today the thermometer at home reads 64.4! My daughter insisted she didn't need to bring a coat on our outing today and she was right about that. It was only 50 degrees when we left the house but it soon warmed up. She had on her new board shorts, t-shirt and tennies along with knee hi socks (her "soccer" socks).
I love home days. So does she. Who doesn't!? Okay, I'm lucky enough to love my work, but who wouldn't love a day at home without a schedule?
One of our morning activities was to feed the cats. Leo is nearing 15 and Chloe will be 18 this month (4/26). Indigo wanted to give them a few treats so I suggested 5 or 6 for Leo (Chloe doesn't like them). She said, "How about 3 for Chloe and 3 for Leo, that makes 6." I said, "How do you know that?" and she replied, "I don't know, I just do." Yep, 3 and 3 makes 6.
I emailed my new friend Jennifer to confirm our meet up time at Urban Grind and she replied. First her email came through 3 times and then a few minutes later (maybe 3 minutes?!), her reply came in 3 more times. I shared this with Jennifer and she wasn't at all surprised. Threes and sixes have been coming up for her a lot (33, 66, etc.). Cool.
Indigo just now shouted out, "Mama, it's 6:00 o'clock!!" Here I go again with my, "How do you know that?", and she replies, "Because mama, the little hand is on the 6, see??!!" Oh yeah, of course. It's hard to keep up with her sometimes.
My heart is really happy today. I have been discovering more of my tribe and it feels like home, feels real good. Thanks, friends.
This is me at one year old (not sure how many months old). The photo was taken in front of my great aunt and uncle's apartment building, which is near the Memorial Coliseum/Rose 
Quarter.
The cutie in red is Indigo at 19 months old in our backyard garden.
I sleep upside down (or right side up?) and my daughter holds on tightly to my feet as she drifts off to sleep. I try to gently pull my feet away and slip out of her room without her noticing. She holds on tighter through her deep sleep breathing and doesn't let go. Eventually I am able to slip my feet from her loving grip and quietly tip toe out of her room.
While she is holding on I remind myself to just be, to breathe, to take in this moment, this snapshot in time.
I don't know how we began this ritual of having her hold my feet while she drifts off to sleep. She doesn't need this every night, but sometimes makes the request to hold my feet. I hold hers too. It's grounding and comforting and loving.
My mom used to massage my tiny ears as I drifted off to sleep. I share in sleep rituals with my own daughter now and sing the same lullabies (Baby boats . . . ). Thank you, mom.
"Mama, you are the best mama I have ever had. Are those the sweetest words you've ever heard?"
Yes, those are definitely the sweetest words I've ever heard.
I do my best to soak in every moment of this love affair with my 3 year old darling daughter. How long will she be enamored with her mama?
She also tells me things like, "Just go in the other room, mama" as she rolls her eyes at me, or, "Just go ahead and go mama."
The other day she said something to my dp like, "when is mama gonna blow up her computer?" I guess this is a clue that I'm spending too much time focused on my computer when I could be focusing on more important things like relationships and deep connection.
