Next comes talking...oh dear!

I should be better at updating these things, but (drumroll, please)...

Miles is walking! Woohoo!!

It's been nearly three weeks now, so yes, I have been pretty bad about sharing news. I'm sorry. Anyway, it wasn't a huge momentous thing, like he took a step and he was suddenly walking. He's been taking a step or two, then four, then seven at a time for quite a while. Finally, on a Wednesday it happened. He was taking those steps but instead of plopping down on the rug like usual he just...kept going! Casey and I were both there to witness in amazement our baby becoming a toddler. For Casey it was all happiness and advancement toward Miles' someday adulthood. For me, the mama, it was very bittersweet, giving my heart one more reason to ache as I watch that funny little boy actually...walk...away.

I should still say that I am very happy that Miles can walk, and I am so very proud, of course. But you other moms out there know just what I'm talking about. You know that ache that comes with so many things, good or bad, and it's something we have been blessed (or cursed?) with. I am only just beginning to understand things about my mother that I could never have possibly comprehended had I never had a child. And if you are reading this, Mom...I don't know how you've done this four times. You are my hero.

To all the great dads out there...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Early Father's Day Thoughts

Today I thought of a moment I shared with a friend years ago, and I wanted to share it here. This is the kind of thing I want to do more often on Trace Talks, because I remember little things here and there and would love to recount the stories, but then the moment passes and I forget...but this time I'm not letting it go so easy!

This is a very quick and simple story, and it was over in seconds, but the fact that it remains such a strong memory says a lot about how deeply it touched me. I was with one of my best and dearest friends, Amy (who was also my freshman college roommate), and we were driving down a road together. As we came to a neighborhood intersection, we both glanced over and saw one of the most endearing moments we have ever witnessed.

A little girl, not more than five or six, was skipping happily down the road. Holding her hand, and skipping just as enthusiastically, was her dad. He must have just come home from work, because he was wearing nice pants, dress shoes, plus a shirt and tie. And there he was, not a thought about looking silly or crazy or whatever...he was caught up in the moment with his little girl, sharing in the simple pleasure of skipping. I don't have a doubt in my mind that she will recall that moment with a joyful heart for the rest of her life.

As we watched, Amy and I made exclamations of "Oh, look!" and "How sweet!" And we turned to one another as we talked about it, and both of us had tears in our eyes. That is because we both know how precious a daddy's love is to a little girl. I'm sure Amy has fond memories of things her father has done with her and for her, and so do I. They are memories I will treasure always.

Bizarro

Something really strange happened the other day. Casey and I saw Spider-Man 3 at the movie theater. No, that's not exactly the strange part, although it is rare that we go to the movies. What was interesting and peculiar, and what had me 'weirded out' for an entire evening was this...

On a whim this past Wednesday, I had a thought that I'd like to surprise Casey by setting up a babysitter for the following day and then taking him to the matinee of Spider-Man. I thought of that particular movie because it's the type you really have to see in the theater, with all of the special effects and such. Plus, we had both talked about trying to see it sometime. Surprising Casey like this was not something I normally do, so it was fun being all sneaky about it.

I called one of our college students, a really sweet girl who had looked after Miles several times before, and asked if she would be able to come over and watch him for a few hours the next day. I told her about my plan, and she told me she'd be able to take care of Miles. After the phone call, I went into the living room and said to Casey, "Make sure you clear your schedule tomorrow from about twelve-thirty to three." He asked why, and I just smiled and said that I was going to treat him. Then I told him who would be coming over to watch Miles.

At that point Casey said, "You might as well tell me what you're planning."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because...I was planning on asking her [the babysitter] to come over tomorrow so I could take you to see Spider-Man."

Those who know Casey and I well, and have known us since we first met, are familiar with the connection we have had -- not just a thing where you finish the other person's sentences, but such an exact same type of humor and thinking that it is really difficult to fathom at times. Let me give you some examples:

The summer before Casey and I started dating, we were building our friendship through e-mail, as he was living in another state at that time. One evening, I had just polished off a quarter-gallon of my favorite ice cream -- mint chocolate chip. A little later I was sitting at the computer, checking my messages, and there was one from Case. It went on with the usual stuff, but at the end he had added a P.S., and all that he had typed was, "Mint chocolate chip ice cream." I sat back in my chair and said "Whoa!" under my breath. I asked him later why he had added that, and he didn't have a reason for it.

Another e-mail oddity that occurred that same summer was when I had rented and watched a movie and really loved it. Not more than a few days later, I got an e-mail from Casey telling me that I had to go and rent that movie. I wrote and told him that I had, and in fact we watched it again last night and had some great laughs.

But this Spider-Man thing...it had me weirded out, you know? I told my dad about it, and he wasn't all that surprised. He said that kind of thing happens when you have that kind of connection with the person you love, and that it is a really special thing. And yes, it is a special thing. Casey and I get a kick out of all the funny ways we think of the exact same lines from a TV show or a song. It's one of the things that always brings us back to how special and unique we are, and how we fit together so well.

Still...Spider-Man...dude...

Friday's Feast

Feast One Hundred & Forty-One -- April 27, 2007

Appetizer
How fast can you type?

I think my fastest ever was about 88 words per minute. But I knew someone who could type 120 wpm on a manual typewriter...whew!

Soup
What is your favorite online game?

I haven't played a lot of them, but I really like Bookworm...or is it Literati? Something to do with words.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?

I'm not so comfortable with these types of questions. Either I sell myself short because I don't want to sound arrogant, or...I sound arrogant. I could say what my IQ score is, but I don't want to do that either. Sigh...I'll just be as humble as possible and say that I am an eleven, ha!

Main Course
Name three of your best teachers from your school years.

Mrs. Brown, my third grade teacher -- best ever. I could never say anything bad about her. She was like an angel. Then there was Mrs. Woodfin, my second grade teacher. She read a chapter from Charlotte's Web to us every Friday, and I followed along in my own copy. I just loved that! One of my other favorites was my history teacher my junior year of high school, but I can't remember her name...she was so encouraging.

Dessert
What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?

There is an annual arts festival tomorrow in our town, lots of good food and music and arts, that sort of thing. I am looking forward to seeing how Miles enjoys it, especially if we go to the petting zoo.