04 November 2009

sunshine and crispy leaves

today we went to our favorite park. we had just dropped off papa at the airport and suddenly it felt more like just you n' me than our usual afternoons together. it was unbelievably sunny. so we had a spontaneous picnic lunch in the park, just you n' me. sharing a burrito on a bench, a first. like we discussed, our goal is to take advantage of the swings every chance we get before the blankets of snow arrive. after our burrito bites, we moseyed over to the playground.

your small shoes and little jacket somehow make you look so big. your willing smile and tiny teeth all lined up make me happy to the core. you are so cheerful these days. maybe it's your new-found freedom of walking, five steps at a time. or maybe it's your molars. or your dapper haircut. i marvel at your chipper chit chat throughout the day. (you may have inherited your mama's gift for gab.) and your expressions. they are full of life.

you climb 3 steps to turn the captain's wheel, i play peek-a-boo behind the bars, you swing and kick your legs with a mighty smile, and you worship the big boys who play hot lava with wooden sticks. they jump across the equipment with talk of attacks and spies. you can't keep your eyes off of them. i can picture you doing the same when you are their age. i can't wait to hear your big ideas in your little voice, tumbling from your imagination.

later, you n' me found ourselves walking along the chain link fence, which surrounds the baseball diamond, to crunch the leaf piles beneath our feet. you loved every minute of our leaf adventures, stopping only to examine the crispy specimen curled between metal and space within the fence. holding onto one until you reached another. i found a few myself which are now pressed between the pages of a book.

i loved watching you today. free to roam and crunch leaves and babble your conversation and bounce the fence back and forth in wild excitement. so little and perfect. exploring the big wide world. you are without fear. with wide eyes and curious fingers. we took the afternoon at a slow pace, nowhere to go, no errands to run nor places to be. just you n' me walking around a baseball diamond. someday i may in fact be watching you on the other side of that fence as you strut up to bat in little league. with your uniform and cleats.

i have a wide open space in my heart for you to grow up in. yet i am saving space that keeps you little forever in my mind.

today you are you. and i'm thankful, ever thankful to be your mama.

15 comments:

sonya audrey said...

So sweet marta. :) It sounds like you two had a lovely day + made a lovely little memory.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully written, I can easily picture what you described...and think back to my similar days, wishing I had written them down. It's refreshing to read about a mother who loves being with her little one, instead of the endless complaints about rushing off to work amid the hassle of packing the kids off to daycare, "balancing" (ha) both worlds.
Sandy in GA
PS My "little" one, with whom I enjoyed days in the park, is flying home for my birthday this weekend.

katrina lauren said...

oh marta! so beautiful...i can picture just how your day was...perfect! i love that you saved a few leaves for yourself...when you find them again one day you can go back and read this to remember every moment; that is special!
xo.
k

[eeny] said...

Marta, I just read your words about that beautiful day with cute little Benji with a big smile on my face. I hope one day I will be able to write lovely things like that about my future kids.
Do you write stories like those down only on your blog? Or have you ever thought about writing them in a book to give to Benji when he is older?

Jake said...

See? It's ok if Dan travels...you've got a new man of the house.

kate reymann said...

So sweet. I have tears in my eyes. My kiddo is 12 and 1/2 months old and it is such a sweet age.

Travelin'Oma said...

These memories are being written in Benji's heart and soul. He may not recall the details when he's older, but he'll be endowed with the joy of living.

talesofahummingbird said...

i love that you are teaching benji to embrace the joyful moments in life...or maybe our little ones teach US that gift? i too love watching my little man explore the big, big world at a nice slow pace and still be so exhillarated by what he sees. thanks for writing this, what a great day you shared.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post Marta :)

I really love your writing, it's refresing to read your posts on a daily basis!

The Robinsons said...

Marta...you are such an incredible writer, and even more, and incredible mother...you so eloquently put into words everything I feel as a mother and I love reading everyday so that I can put my feelings into words that I know you will express for me! Miss you!

summer said...

pure goodness, this is.
i have to echo what i just said to you elsewhere.. you are the top-notch mom. i am diligently taking notes.

Kerry said...

"your big ideas in your little voice" -- I love that. That is exactly where my 5-year-old is now and it is wonderful and hilarious.

And this entire post made me even happier about the new baby, arriving in 6 months. I get to do it all over again, yay!

Abby said...

How I wish I could write as beautifully as you. What an amazing post, brought tears to my eyes. You capture the moment so perfectly that I could see you and little benj at the park. He is so lucky to have such a wonderful mother.

Amanda said...

these memories are small but they are the ones that you'll cherish the most.

i'm echoing what summer said: I'm taking notes from you.

caitlin said...

simply love this.

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