Entering His 30s...I present to you, Isaac Gresham.

I met Isaac when he was 17. He used to pick me up for high school in his little white integra and carry my cheerleading box to football games.

We met in art class when he said he liked my painting. I thought it was really ugly.

Yesterday, he turned 30, like a lot of people have done. But it felt strange to me than someone else turning 30 because he's mine. He's my family. I carried his bloodline. And it's a reality for me that we are getting older and my time is coming soon.

Yes, doom is upon me.

As we ventured out to DC to our French hotel (they said "Bonjour" and called me "Madame!") I was ready for an evening past midnight, AT LEAST.

It did not happen.

We were in bed by 11:30.

As we sat there at Le Bar in the Sofitel DC sipping our cocktails, we both felt naseous, parched, and tired.

It appeared dinner and the play alone wore us out. We are getting old. Dang.

In spite of our party poopedness, we did have a great time...here are a few pics to highlight our much anticipated night out. 

Getting ready. We made it just in the nick of time. Had to backtrack from Woodbridge and take 66 because 95 was a bottleneck, AS USUAL. We made it just in the nick of time to get dressed and prance down 16th Street to the St. Regis hotel, just blocks from the White House.

Adour at the St. Regis.

I think he liked the restaurant just a little bit. Although I did make him take this pic.

Pondering D.C. 

I was adoring our French complimentary desserts. The plated assortment reminded me of the treats Carrie would eat in Paris on "Sex and the City." The only thing missing were our cigarettes...LOL.

Headed to see "The Home of the Solider."

  

Complimentary smoothies at the Bistro.

French Press Coffee....YUM.

 

Complimentary croissants and baguettes.

Birthday boy. 

 

 YES IT IS.

Later on Sunday I went to visit Carrie.

And Aunt Lori and my cousins from Ohio were there.

Haven't seen them since they were wee little!

 

I love July - it is my favorite month of the year. And I'll tell you why in my next post. Here's to a great Fourth, celebrating America's independence!

Five Things I Have Learned From Motherhood

It makes me stronger. Duh! What woman wouldn't be after labor?

We carry the weight of a child for nine months - nauseous and cranky and swollen, peeing every five minutes - and then we bring a being into the world. It's truly amazing, to think that two people can do that: make that little dot that becomes a person.

And then when he becomes five and seven and nine months old, we carry them around like a 15lb knapsack on our hip. Suddenly the pickle jar seems easy to open, compared.

And we have to watch him cry after we say no, and learn to love him all the while. Strength.

It makes me more confident. Some people (I won't name names, but she is the writer of this blog) still lack a good amount of this. No matter what we did in the past to self-help it, it couldn't be found.

Now that I'm a mother, I see the world differently. The sense of protection over my heart has enlarged with another human being under its wing. I'm learning that life around me is meaningless as long as he's alright. Because he needs me. And that's enough to build the confidence I must have in this role.

It makes me more aware. Aware of throw-up I have stepped in and my bra hanging out in public from Levi pulling my shirt down. And ladies' earlobes being stretched to their shoulders by pulled earrings from little hands.

I always wondered about this part of motherhood - if I would know when enough was enough by him unto others. Or how I would know when to tell him to stop pulling leaves off people's plants. I think I'm learning.

It makes me aware of other people.

It makes me slow down. Isaac always tells me I'm doing things at 100 miles an hour, warp speed, etc. And he's right. I can literally feel myself rushing through things...

"he needs to hurry up and eat his bottle or he will be off schedule," 
"I need to get him to sleep so hurry up and bounce him all over creation to make him dreary (meanwhile he throws up)," 
"I NEED to get him this $5 pool I saw at Wal-mart - we have to go NOW," 
"I have to wash his bottles because none of them are clean but he's crying so hurry up and wash one (and then 10 of them - the small ones I don't need - all fall on the floor because I'm rummaging through the cupboard to see if there's one in the back I missed." 

SLOW DOWN. Lighter is the key and gentler should be the mother's touch. And a GRANDMOTHER'S touch is even gentler.

Peeing alone is a vacation. Enough said.