Tracking October
Mentally take a step back and leave routine behind. Look to the left, now to the right. One foot in front of the other, breathe in a full breath because the blessing of vacation is around. My footfalls pounded the pavement amongst an array of fall colors shimmering in the morning sun. The mountains of Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley were all around and I slowed my pace. Deer ran by, dew covered fall leaves and browning grass. Crisp, cold, clean air, oh how it slows time to a sleepy tick…
…Then I returned to our vacation home with the welcome cries of a hungry six month old (it had been a whole two hours since last she ate! Can we say never-ending 6th month growth spurt) and that moment of silence, of awe and thankfulness of my surroundings were quickly readjusted to the ever faster pace of motherhood. There is a balance between the two – alone time and well, not alone. Vacation is a time when even more so one it allowed the freedom to dump the kids on ones mother (thanks Oma!) and literally run for the hills. So that’s what I did most mornings on our family vacation and it was beautiful.
We also determined to make our way to the local farmer’s markets where Ryder, with the help of Papa, perused the lollypop selection with that of a wine tasting judge – handling, turning, churning each in his mou…ok, no we didn’t let him go that far! What kind of mother do you think I am? -Even if I was on vacation! In all seriousness, that redhead, regardless of the endless old lady swoons and sweet compliments of the local farmers he was focused to choose a bright orange tootsie pop and when asked “would you like another?” he said, “no, I already have one.” (Seriously, where did this kid come from? As a kid I would have either kept the second as back up or sold it to my older brother for a profit). But before I could finish the thought Rory nearly back flipped off my hip with ninja speed and agility to grab that pop before it had a chance to hit the bin. Thankfully her mother is just as quick, “Sorry kid, maybe you should consider growing teeth first.” To which she eyed me like a hawk, “Just you wait lady. Just. You. Wait. Two words, ‘still nursing’.” (Don’t feel sorry for her, she got homemade applesauce that we made from the farmer’s market vittles and she ate the whole vat before the week was done…like three gallons, I swear!).
Rory enjoyed the applesauce fed to her under the trees, tapping her toes to the swish of the wind blown leaves. Or chasing Ryder around the living room floor with slithery agility that no train on its track can out toot. Ryder showed Rory how to complete a number puzzle (she nearly eight nine) and Ryder built some of the best wooden train communities I’d ever seen. We made puppet shows with plastic figurines and read the same darn books over and over and, yep, over on the kitchen counter while waiting for birthday cupcakes to bake for Oma’s birthday. We watched snow fall (happy birthday mom! Snow on your birthday, that’s a first!) as we packed our bags for home and wiped tears as Ryder cried with great concern as to who would “sit with Oma on the back porch in the morning!?” (Because it was vacation and memorable routines like playing an iPhone while Oma reads her Nook, both bundled tight as the autumn winds blew, for hours on end).
Many great memories, in addition to vacation, were made in October. Before vacation began we adventured to Pennsylvania for Grandma’s birthday (Great Grandma Mack to Ryder and Rory). Sunday morning’s breakfast in the hotel lobby was worth the five whole minutes it took to hit the elevator button “’1’ Ryder, yes, that’s if we have an emergency, don’t hit that one…well because, just hit ‘1’”. You would have thought we were a baby convention or a small circus on parade. Rory ate cheerios, a gallon (nearly) of pumpkin food (thanks family for the pumpkin patch adventure the week before and uncle Charlie for making the slop for your famished niece), and apple sauce…Ryder nearly ate a dozen muffins, my right arm, and a box of cheerios to which his cousin Eli finished off with ease after his four jars of chow (ok, I’m exaggerating, but you should have seen the amazed faces of the other travelers. Maybe its because we have darn cute kids or maybe its because they all knew if there was a pie eating contest the Mack family was going to win).
There is a great perk to kids eating their fill; they sleep a long, very long, time. Its pretty bad when I am the one asking “Are we there yet?” and the six month old looks at me, “Maybe you should read more about the odd shape of West Virginia and why we just crossed it, that kept you busy for a good hour.” Thanks kid.
Until next time!