It’s one-word title week here at Texas T-bone!
Even when we’re standing still, we’re spinning. The earth is moving, blood is circulating, the second hand never stops. Some of us are moved by motion ... mashed accelerators pushing us beyond the legal limit, legs pumping round and round on a bicycle, gravel crunching below fast feet, cutting loose earthly bondage and soaring through the air. Others prefer to stay as still as possible. But time won’t stop, so you might as well succumb to the motion.
I’ve been a couch potato today – this being Monday, a day off from work and one that lets me be home with the Cutlet. Normally we’d venture out, find a playground to frolic on, find a grocery store to fill our bare cupboards, find something to do that doesn’t involve watching furry red monsters or talking vegetables on the TV.
Instead, it was raining. All morning long. Hard. So hard that it wasn’t worth stepping outside. The living room was our playground, and we played with the toys he picked out. The air was cooler, so I turned off the air conditioning and opened half of the french doors leading to the back yard, pulling the screen across the opening. We sat and watched the rain, and I made up a song about the weather.
It’s raining, it’s raining, water falling on you
It’s raining, it’s raining, what are you going to do?
Umbrella, umbrella, keeps you from the rain
It’s raining, it's raining, watch it go down the drain.
He liked it. We went onto the front porch and I let him dip his feet into the pooling runoff that covered the front sidewalk. He thought that was great, but like any 21-month-old who discovers something great, he threw a little fit when I took him inside.
We shared an apple, and I tried to get him to eat a few chunks of pizza, but he wasn’t in the mood. Finally, after resorting to a video just so I could eat, he fell asleep on the floor of the living room. I figure if he can fall asleep on that matted carpet with very little padding remaining underneath, when we get new, fluffier flooring in there he’ll conk out seconds after his head touches it.
I didn’t experience much physical motion today. What did move me was the forward motion of time, the realization that my son is growing up way too fast, and the fact that I savor these typical Mondays when it’s just me and him for most of the day.
Maybe it won’t be raining tomorrow morning and I can go for a jog before being stopped by the inevitable motion of the daily grind. But no matter what goes on tomorrow, I doubt it will be nearly as moving as today.
What moves you?
What moves me? Hmmm, many things. I have enjoyed the rain today, and would have cuddled up to read but for the standard post-report card teacher meeting. I have to say that the thing that moves me most is when I catch my children being kind to one another. It's one of those rare moments that you have to stop and savor, but you can't say anything for fear they will say, "Mo-OM!" Reading about you spending time with your son made me miss my daughter, who's in K this year (she's the last one to go). She and I would hang out together and watch "Dora the Explorer" and have a "girlie" lunch of flower sandwiches and tea. They grow up MUCH too fast *sniff*
To me, it sounds like you had a perfect day. And they really do grow up so fast. My son would no longer be happy on the porch getting his feet wet.
But he's still a lot of fun.
Cas
motion.... mmmmm i like motion.
happy monday sweetie.
Similar things move me...this weekend it was getting away to a beach house for the long weekend and, though it was cloudy, enjoying playing down by the water with my 2 year old (even in our sweatshirts).
Seeing his smiling face even in those muted beach colors that the clouds offered, were just as gorgeous as any sunset over the water.
He is beginning to understand his parents' obsession with the ocean. Of course, the fact that he sleeps better at the beach may have had something to do with our great weekend too.
Spent the weekend on the move going to visit daughter who is sophomore in college :) The sweet moments you spend now will forge a bond that makes possible all the sweet moments to come. Lovely fall weather here in MO--mid 30s at 6 a.m. and 65 at 3 p.m.
Sounds wonderful. I spent all of Monday on the train coming back from Philadelphia, where I did spend a lovely long weekend, but where I realized that I'm coming down with something like the flu...
The second hand can INDEED stop. We just have to learn how to do it. Sounds like you're getting the hang of it.
Forget about the Earth spinning--bring it down closer; how about matter and anti-matter particles colliding...that's a good start. Talk about violent motion.
What moves me: Beethoven, Bukowski, Hemingway, Kafka, Fante, Schopenhauer, Nietzche, Miles, Coltrane, Bird, Cheever, Poe, Van Gogh, Pollock, Einstein, Scorsese, Copolla, Aronofski, Medeski, Martin & Wood, James Brown, Marvin, Aretha, Coldplay, Teenage Fanclub, and oh....I don't have anymore time.
...oh, and of course: John Updike.