Guitar Hero

Have you ever dreamed about sitting around a campfire on the beach with all your close friends and being the cool person who whips out her guitar and then suddenly everyone spontaneously joins in a sing-a-long of "No Woman, No Cry?"  Or maybe its your backyard fire pit with your fam and the sing-a-long is a little more "The Wheels on the Bus" oriented.

At any rate, I have this dream.

You could definitely say that I come by it honestly.  Yes, I can read music and took piano lessons for approximately 47 years, but the real tie-in lies with my parents.  Of course.

When my sister and I were very little, my dad was the mandolin and occasional bass player for the Rising Creek Bluegrass Band.  Then, when we got a bit older, both he and my mom (who plays guitar) formed a bluegrass / folk band with their friends called The Heartland String Band.  (They would practice at our house on regular basis, which was pure heaven, because it was the only time Doritos were ever allowed in the house.  I freakin' loved "band night.")  Now they are in a new folk band that is all the rage in Western Kansas nursing homes, Rotary Club meetings and UCC churches.  (I think their name is "What's for Dinner," but it could also be "Just for Fun."  Or maybe it's "Rusty Nail"...  I can't keep up.)

So not only have my parents always been in some type of band, but my mom has played classical guitar for approximately 2/3 of her life.  I have really fond memories of playing with the latches on her guitar case as she plucked away at note after note, sending scales, arpeggios and classical melodies throughout our house.

And now, after telling my parents about my interest in playing the guitar, I am the proud "owner" of my mother's vintage Yamaha 3/4 classical guitar.  (It's on permanent loan until I decide to take up the marimba.)

See you at the campfire!

Traveling Mercies

As many (all?) of you know, we just got back from a trip to Puerto Rico to visit Geno's familia.  Traveling long distances with a 16 month old is no small feat, but thanks to the makers of items like ziploc bags, white noise iPhone apps and press-on window shades, we made it through.

We flew with Mateo last year to Virginia Beach, so he had technically been on a plane before, but this trip was definitely longer and more of an adventure given his squirminess and mobility.  In advance of our flight I did a lot of research, both in talking to friends and looking up random tips online, in order to make the trip as smooth as possible.  Almost all of the advice I received got put to use, so thanks pals for your wisdom.

In that same vein, here are some ideas and observations that I'd like to share for whatever they are worth:

• Whole milk is practically impossible to find in an airport.  I love that fast food restaurants are all about fighting obesity (ha), but what's wrong with a fatty milk option when you're selling fatty sandwiches and fries?  Once again, Starbucks, you brought peace to my family.
• Ziploc, ziploc, ziploc.  I can't remember who suggested to me the brilliant idea of putting a single diaper, small package of wipes and bio-bag in a ziploc to bring into the tiny airplane restrooms for a diaper change, but you deserve a Nobel prize of some sort.  (Making things work in cramped spaces is an art, so it was probably one of my NYC friends.)
• Even if you're going to a very, very hot place, bring many different types of pajamas.  You just never know what kind of crazy air-conditioning antics might occur.

It definitely took a lot of effort to be well prepared to travel with Mateo, but I can't say enough about how much it was worth.  This trip could very well have been the most amazing I've ever been on, in part because of how much Mateo *loved* it.  There is something incomparable about seeing joy and excitement in the face of your child.  Next stop, New Zealand.

15 & 16 Months

Dear Mateo,

Apologies for the missed month, but I figured you knew where to find me if you really needed a timely synopsis of May.

So, wow, you are NOT a baby, kid.  You are a full on walking, talking, stumbling, bumbling toddler.  In May you finally let go of our hands and decided to go all solo-biped on us.  Like all little ones, your initial walking was very zombie like.  Check this out:

But now, wow- look at you go!

You LOVE to be outside, and perish the thought of wind, rain or thunder getting in the way of you be afuera.  Thank goodness the weather has been relatively cooperative, because I'm personally not so in to being on a playground during thunderstorms.  (By the way, you sleep through thunder.  It shocks me.)

I think one of the reasons you like being outside so much is because it tends to be where the people action is...  You have been very social since you were born, but now that you can run after other children, you want to interact even more.  There was one moment, (captured nowhere on film or video, but forever in my heart), where at a picnic with friends you walked on over to a group of 10 year olds and just stood in a circle with them, hanging out.  It slayed me.  

And speaking of friends and family, we were so lucky to get an extended visit from your grandparents in June.  You were all over them, and got to spend some truly quality time doing things like hanging out on the playground and petting caged animals. 

As we head into July, we're gearing up for a BIG trip to Puerto Rico to visit your great-grandmother and lots of cousins.  I'm afraid that the plane ride may be more of a challenge than last year's trip to Virginia Beach when you were just 5 months, but hopefully we can sufficiently distract you with promises of all-you-can-eat rice & beans.  I'm also hopeful that the airline will believe me that you're just 16 months old, because holy cow, you have long legs, my friend.

Here's to another month, my love.

Mamamamamama