Wedding weekend

Boof’s middle sister got married this weekend and I was a bridesmaid. Potamus was the ring bearer and came down the aisle pulled in a little red waggon.

While at the wedding, I was on my best behavior. We were sitting at a table with an adoptive mom, and I sometimes can’t help myself at getting in a conversation about adoption and get all worked up into an emotional frenzy. This time, my sanity was aided by the 10 piece mariachi band playing from the stage, and so I did my best to avoid all talk of children/family (despite the fact that Potamus was the ring bearer!). I felt proud that I didn’t engage, but Lord knows biting my tongue is hard!

Godspeed: A Musical Review

In high school I had the pleasure of seeing The Dixie Chicks open at The Gorge for Tim McGraw. My dad was in radio, and he got us tickets that summer, where we sat in 100 degree sun on folding metal chairs feeling hoity toity (and sweltering) compared to the minions up on the grassy free-for-all seating. While we were there for Tim, I was blown away by The Dixie Chicks and have loved them ever since. One summer, at camp, we did a skit to “Earl’s Gotta Die,” which I still laugh about with my friend to this day. So driving down the road, listening to that aforementioned burned CD, I was startled to find a Dixie Chick song that I hadn’t heard before: Godspeed, another song that made me cry, with the lyrics that cut right through all of my warrior walls:

Dragon tales and the “water is wide”
Pirate’s sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

The rocket racer’s all tuckered out
Superman’s in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, will find the mouse
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God hears “Amen,” wherever we are
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Godspeed
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

The imagery takes me forward twenty something years, imaging myself dancing with Potamus at his wedding. I’m somehow both a young mother and an old mother at the same time, both recognizing the sweetness of the moment now, where I breathe in his fading baby smell as he sleeps, and aching for the stillness of his brand-newborn days. I project myself into the future, twenty, thirty, years, with maybe a bigger pouchy stomach, but an even more tender heart from the millions of moments of mother-love that will change me. And I imagine it just being Boof and I in the house again, Scummy the dog long dead, Potamus grown with a partner of his own, maybe children or dogs or neither, and I miss this moment, the one I’m in right now.

Godspeed little Potamus.
Sweet dreams little Potamus.

 

Wedding Festivities

When we weren’t dodging religous or political conversations, this weekend was full of many happy memories as we celebrated Boof’s sister’s marriage. She and her husband met in law school and have been together for over 5 years, so he already felt like a part of the family! They got married in the church she grew up in, and the reception was held at the Columbia Tower! Since the groom was from Georgia, she wanted to give his family and friends an experience of Seattle, complete with views of Mt. Rainier, the sound, AND the city! Nowhere does this better than the Columbia Tower! And my parents had a great time taking care of Potamus! All in all, an exhausting, but great weekend!
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Riding The Ducks (tour of Seattle) pre-wedding festivities:

The grandparents (aka awesome babysitters):

Bridesmaids (and my other sister-in-law)

The happy couple:

A view of the city:

Sleeping Baby:

Late Night Ridiculousness:

assorted box of things stored in the attic of my mind

• Potamus crawled yesterday (8/28). He is 8 months and 1 week old and had been whining and trying to scoot for over a month and then suddenly, trying to reach a metal measuring cup, he did it. Inch by inch, with a chicken’wing type gait, he did it. And then he did it again. And then he performed on cue for the camera. And today he won’t stop…crawling after cords, and the dog’s bone, and anything that catches his goldfish like attention span.

• I haven’t gotten more than 2 hours of sleep in a row for at least a month..probably more. While Potamus has never been a good sleeper, the longest stretch ever being 5 hours (happened once), but he used to faithfully go 3 or 4 in the first part of the night and then slowly disintegrate to 2 or 45 minutes. Now he is sleeping for 2 at a time if I’m lucky. I might or might not be a basket case…or at least on the verge of basket case in the very near future.

• I have 2 interviews in the next week. One for my ultimate dream job, the other for my next-to-ultimate dream job. Good vibes for me, please!

• We’ve side-carred the crib and I keep thinking “hot damn, why didn’t we do this earlier?” While the arms-reach co-sleeper was great for storing things like my cell phone and stuffed animals, Potamus barely ever went down there without a fight…some nights he’d make it there until midnight, most it was until 10pm and then he’d end up in bed with us (something I am fine with, until baby feet end up in my ribs).
• Boof is dating accounting firms. I hope it lands in a sweet job, but I do enjoy having him around the house again.
• The drive over Snoqualmie Pass was beautiful, but sad because the leaves are already turning yellow. Is it fall already?
• My parents are coming into town tomorrow to watch Potamus while we deal with wedding festivities this weekend for Boof’s little sister. I hope it goes smoothly, but 4 adults, 1 baby and 3 dogs under our tiny roof is bound to put some pressure on an already stressed system.