The Whole of the Moon

Oh!! Some people see "it". Like the couple on House Hunters who were living life backwards - surfing in Nicaragua while they were young. Like my beloved waxist who found her niche, and ran with it in a so-naturally-stylish way that you wish you could be like her. My friend who has it all worked out even when he doesn't. Like countless people you meet or run across in some situation or another...

The Waterboys summed it up so beautifully:

I saw the crescent

You saw the whole of the moon

I spoke about wings
you just flew
I wondered, I guessed, and I tried
you just knew

(listen to this song if you never have before - it's #3 on my playlist currently)

Glass half-full, glass half-empty. Hit or miss, they make it seem effortless.
Sometimes it is hard to find the beauty in the world or to retain your faith in humanity. I don't want to be that person who has lost her faith. A conversation came up recently at work: In an animal shelter is is pretty damn easy to find all manner of reasons to lose faith in humanity. And many have...over and over and over again...yet most of us get up and go to work and find the good in humanity and the determination within ourselves to make the world a better place - even if that world is only the world of one abused dog or decrepit cat. Everyone has their way and their contribution. Ultimately, there is so much good to people. We all need reminders of this from time-to-time, don't we? We find them, our heroes. Our role-models. Our mentors. Our reminder or an example of someone who keeps reaching and stretching and striving to see the whole of the moon. The whole of the moon!

I have to say that I feel like I am seeing the whole of the moon lately. I've re-entered a beautiful, cosmic phase where things are just plain working out. So many wonderful things are happening to me and to people around me. And I am so grateful for all of us.



I traded days last week - took off Tuesday and worked on Friday - so that I could get into surgery. This is one thing that is working out. Oh, man did it feel good. I do love surgery and the spark of energy it gave me. That little jolt will carry me until some more substantial changes can take place. Simply fantastic.

The traded days meant that the three solid days I usually get with my girl didn't happen. I missed this concentrated time to connect with her. My time-o-meter is all out-of-whack. If I may say it: it is 100% completely clear to me why people chose to parent as their number one job. There really is something to be said for being able to spend long periods of time with your child. Magic happens out of the most seemingly mundane moments.  I learned last week that this magic can take place in between work too. We had some good fun, my Heart and me.

She can now make marks on the  chalkboard. I know this doesn't seem like much but if you knew the plans in my head to be in a constant state of creation with my girl....it has begun! I am like a kid on Christmas eve!




Look, Auntie Heather and Maria - my first pony!!! I need to find a way to be geographically closer to my horse friends so that my girl can learn early and well to know horses.




Our first ever trip to ToysRUs.Next time, I will get the coffee before I go. She was on fire, that one. you would think we didn't have toys for her at home....








My little musician fell in love with this in the store. She kept going back to it. It wasn't cheap but I rationalized the purchase in the thinking that she can use it for a long time in the future. Again, I go to the primal urge to encourage her to be musical, artistic, expressive - to tap into her own expression. However that blossoms, I am prepared to provide the possible outlets and then support, support, support!!





On Saturday morning we went to Habitot in Berkley. This is only our second time at a "children's museum" - a phrase that was completely foreign to me but a few months ago. I can't see us getting a year membership or anything (nature is too inviting) but these establishments have their place in the world of modern parenting. If nothing else, I came home ripe with ideas of new things to do at home. Ada had fun - two covered-in-paint outfits later, she was fast asleep in the car before we even made it to the Bay Bridge to come home.

The water-play is such a favorite. I realized that I have yards of oil cloth left over from re-covering the chairs - I see it becoming a little apron like the one above for all sorts of fun stuff.

Apparently Ada has an inclination toward ground control for NASA. See the spacesuits in the background?

I love how Tim is hunched over here. He had so much fun showing her stuff, "Ada! Look!! This makes noise and stuff!!"

At the end of the day we all looked like this:




And then there's this proud one. Friday was his last day of IR. We had a carpet picnic and just said "hello" to each other. So nice given the sparse time we have had over the past month. Oh, and his wedding ring was found so we are both proudly adorned once again.






And so I have a custard in the fridge  waiting to become ice cream. I have half-finished blankets waiting to warm babies and half-sewn birdies waiting to be clutched by teeny-tiny hands. I have a final gift from my Mom in the kitchen waiting to do it's work in our lives. Work is good. My daughter is healthy and breathing and beautiful. I enjoy a loving marriage. I have been blessed enough to know some of the most amazing people on this planet. I get to enjoy a surprise trip. Oh, life is good.  I am a blessed girl.