Balancing Act

 

Our Little Miss Personality

It is 10:35pm, the end of a beautiful late spring day and the beginning of a much needed weekend. Lately Greg and I have fallen into a bit of a pattern in which whomever reads Lila to sleep also succumbs to slumber. As I went to give them both a good night kiss I found myself skipping a breath and wanting to stop time – Greg snoring, Lila sound asleep- blissfully unaware – arms sprawled- her little body dwarfed by his- both so peaceful.  As we celebrate spring I savor these moments and freeze them in my mind.  In these days when we rush to capture everything in pictures I write these words instead to remind me, remind us, and to create the path that will take me back to these magical days.  I feel Lila growing- feel us all growing so quickly.  Lila has her first loose tooth- she will be one of the last girls on the Kindergarten classroom “tooth chart”- she is elated- I want to glue it back in. 

Possible last baby tooth grin

I have promised myself time and again that I will never be that mother who reminds the younger one that “it all goes so fast.”  So why then can’t I stop the mental clock counting down until Lila will no longer literally entwine herself into me and tell me she just, “wants to be with me?”   Paradoxically instead of holding on I push.

Take Your Children to Work Day with Dad

We literally took the training wheels off earlier this month- my idea- we wax and wane.  Perhaps my quest to push Lila to find her balance is inspired by two of my most powerful and conjoined memories.   As we have begun talking to Lila about learning to ride her bike, I am transported back to the man who taught me the skill once learned we never forget, and to the little boy I taught the same skill that is such a symbolic rite of passage for both those who learn to ride and for those who run beside.
 

Wheels are off!

 

 

 

 

Some forty years ago, my grandfather went up and down a suburban Chicago street with no sidewalks shouting after me to “fall into a ditch” with each passing car.  Some eight years later on another Midwestern street, this one with sidewalks, my 5 year old cousin and I took that Schwinn Pixie around and around the same block, stopping on corners to recalibrate.  After what seemed like a marathon, Paul found his balance just as his Mom pulled in the driveway.

So here we play in this circle game, the wheels on the bike go round and round…the two men,  who are the cornerstones of my bicycle balance beam, now live only in my memory but that memory is a mighty force.  It is that memory that propels me to both hold tight to Lila and ultimately push her away, knowing that as I let go, Lila will fall, but she will get up, recalibrate and ultimately find her balance, fueled by all that has gone before and all that awaits. 

 

What’s New:



Sweet Sally



After a long wait and finally accepting that her Dad’s allergies limit our pet acquisitions, last month we welcomed our first furry friend to the family. Sally Virginia, our new guinea pig with one brown and one pink ear, has snuggled her way right into our hearts.  She had taken up residence on our sun porch and squeals with delight when Lila walks in the door.

Lila is closing in on her final month of Kindergarten.  An amazing year with the inspirational teaching of Ms. Culbert.  KC "Kindergarten Culbert" has just completed their study of woodland animals- Lila will amaze you with her bunny facts and the stuffed bunny we crafted – both presented to the class.  After a castle module complete with 3D models and princess marionettes the girls are now on adventures to the American Southwest and the Navajos.

We stumbled upon an episode of The Kid’s Bakeoff on the Food Network and our little chef is now obsessed with “recipes.”  We had a false start with a rogue “egg cake” but now that Lila appreciates the importance of measurement accuracy in baking she is off to the cake wars- with a delicious Strawberry and Angel Food under her belt.  In addition to sweetening her own lunch box with her tasty treats, Lila’s teacher benefits as well as Lila always brings a slice of her newest creation to Mrs. Culbert.

The sweetest part of baking

Lila has had a busy season of testing her skills in the dance studio, on the squash court, in the swimming pool and weekends of figuring out her field hockey dribble. We are not sure where she will ultimately land but we are proud of our girl for giving it her all.

 

Lila has hit the “4s”  44” inches and 40 lbs. to be exact,

“Lilaisms”:  “Down In Town” (downtown), "Sorvet” (sorbet)