This morning I ordered him a backpack for Kindergarten. My options were preschool, small, large, rolling. I rolled over the images, magnifying the different sizes while my mind reeled back to the first time he used his preschool size pack. We were boarding a flight, a few months before he would actually begin school. He was shaking with excitement to get on the plane, so anxious to wear his backpack and find his own seat on the aircraft. Such a big boy moment. We got in the boarding line and I handed our tickets to the agent. At the top of the jetway we paused briefly as I helped him loop his arms through the straps. His head held high, he walked forward a few steps then fell over backwards and suspended, the weight of the pack bringing him down like a bird carried away in the wind.
This morning as I typed Theo and chose a font and the color orange for the monogram on the small shark backpack, it was me who felt like a struggling bird in an emotional current.
It rained last evening. It rained and the air wore a chill. I sat on the front steps with goosebumps and a glass of red wine. Calm set in. Butterflies fluttered about. Robins flew from roof to tree, wet earthy worms dangling from their beaks. Windows pitched open, the sounds of my little ones and their dad and bath time happiness spilling out into the air above me. I fetched my camera and walked.
Chef Theo's Basil Soup
They just showered me with kisses. The garage door closes. I can hear the car turning away from our house. I have the afternoon to myself.
::: The giveaway is still open, spread the word! I will be back on Monday to announce the winner. :::
