Pretty Shiny Things

6 notes

You are two years old. You have three band aides on your knees, hardly covering the multitude of scrapes and scabs that criss-cross your legs. I call you a tough cookie, and you are. You know all of your colors and shapes. I draw a wild assortment on our paved driveway - arrow, half circle, pentagon - and you point at each of them and yell their names for the whole neighborhood to hear. You do not stop talking. Every day there is a new word, a new phrase, something you must have picked up from us. You tried to trick me into hand feeding you cereal today and said, “Help me, momma. Just do it.” You are a good momma to your toys. You feed them, put them to sleep, and administer medicine with an old syringe. You want them to be buckled up in the car, too. You want them to have soup and juice, too. You will not settle for imaginary soup and juice. You love the Ramones and Devo and the sea chanty songs your dad and I sing as lullabies. Tomorrow you will wake up to streamers and balloons and a new play kitchen. We will ask you how old you are and you will proudly tell us. We will sing happy birthday and take you out for frozen yogurt and go to the park. You are two years old, and I don’t know how we got here. But I’m so glad we did.

You are two years old.

You have three band aides on your knees, hardly covering the multitude of scrapes and scabs that criss-cross your legs. I call you a tough cookie, and you are.

You know all of your colors and shapes. I draw a wild assortment on our paved driveway - arrow, half circle, pentagon - and you point at each of them and yell their names for the whole neighborhood to hear.

You do not stop talking. Every day there is a new word, a new phrase, something you must have picked up from us. You tried to trick me into hand feeding you cereal today and said, “Help me, momma. Just do it.”

You are a good momma to your toys. You feed them, put them to sleep, and administer medicine with an old syringe. You want them to be buckled up in the car, too. You want them to have soup and juice, too. You will not settle for imaginary soup and juice.

You love the Ramones and Devo and the sea chanty songs your dad and I sing as lullabies.

Tomorrow you will wake up to streamers and balloons and a new play kitchen. We will ask you how old you are and you will proudly tell us. We will sing happy birthday and take you out for frozen yogurt and go to the park.

You are two years old, and I don’t know how we got here. But I’m so glad we did.

2 notes

Marigolds I called my mother and asked about them. Did we grow them in Germany, in Arizona? Today we planted them and you plucked the yellow buds, one for each of us. I held the plump flower in my hand and split it open, the black seeds spilling from my palm. The smell brought me back- To Germany? To Arizona? The smell of my childhood. Marigolds. In every garden my mother has ever planted. I held my hand up to your nose, I let the seeds fall into your upturned hands. I wanted your life to smell like mine. So that one day you will plant marigolds for your daughter And I will get a call about a smell that took you back to this very day.

Marigolds

I called my mother and asked
about them.
Did we grow them in Germany, in Arizona?
Today we planted them and you plucked the yellow buds,
one for each of us.
I held the plump flower in my hand
and split it open,
the black seeds spilling from my palm.
The smell brought me back-
To Germany? To Arizona?
The smell of my childhood.
Marigolds.
In every garden my mother has ever planted.
I held my hand up to your nose,
I let the seeds fall into your upturned hands.
I wanted your life to smell like mine.
So that one day you will plant marigolds for your daughter
And I will get a call
about a smell that took you back
to this very day.

1 note

Dear Ally, I wouldn’t share him with just any sister wife. Happy birthday!

Dear Ally,

I wouldn’t share him with just any sister wife.

Happy birthday!

2 notes

Mother’s Day is May 12th. Steve Martin is playing here May 25th. Mother’s Day has been rescheduled to May 25th.

Mother’s Day is May 12th.

Steve Martin is playing here May 25th.

Mother’s Day has been rescheduled to May 25th.