Week Four: Sitting on the Curb

Sara and Cameron visited this weekend. It was really great to see them in Pullman again, and to see how much their son, Evan, has grown! He's almost nine months old now, and to think that he was Will's size just nine months ago and now he's this huge, smiling, laughing baby. Of course Will himself was probably about the size of a grain of rice at that point, so I suppose he's come a long way as well.

They moved away aout a year ago - and have told us to never leave - there's no better place than Pullman. Now that they've returned as non-students, I think they've realized that you can't ever really go back, not to the way things were as you remember them. I love Pullman, it's a small college town, so there's lots to do, it's unique, and it's got this great college atomosphere. But... well, once you've graduated, the college kids just seem so young, you begin to really enjoy summer, when the town isn't crowded, and you realize that eighteen was just a really long time ago. So, while if I had to live in Pullman for the rest of my life, I'd be pretty happy, it is a wonderful place to raise children, we're still quite looking foward to moving on at this point. Where we'll end up? That is another story.

I took both kids to the farmers market on Saturday morning. This is one of Emily's very favorite things to do, she loves the music, the people, and I've even established a tradition of trying a new food every time we go. This time the new and exotic food was ... fruit kabab. Bannanas, Strawberries, and mangos on a stick - hey, at least I tried. But I love the farmers market. There's this really cool, organic energy there - buckets overflowing with green beans and peas, the smell of barbecue, fresh cut flowers, people walking out with their dogs, parents proudly toting around their little ones, and the kids. Now, I usually don't like other people's kids, especially in public, but at the farmer's market, they're all just new little people, absorbing all the sights and sounds, dancing to the music, fruit juice dripping down their chins, squealing with delight as they chase each other around on the toys. They're all just the embodiement of life, what it should be, I suppose. Emily is no different, which is why I like to take her. I sat on the curb with her and watched the band play, her little body wiggling along with the music, feeling the warmth of Will snoozing away in the sling across my chest.

It's those moments I hope my kids remember when they're older. I hope that the nagging, the yelling, the time outs all fade away, and what they're left with is a perfect Saturday morning, sitting on the curb.