The first child who stole my heart, my beautiful and fascinating godson turns five this week. We threw him a pirate-themed birthday party last night- or should i say, my sister threw him one because she literally did everything. From the face painting to the flags and even the treasure chest cake, she pulled off a really great party. Makes me so excited about all the birthdays I will get to celebrate with my little dude. Happy Birthday Angelo. Love nouna.x
The fact that June Carter found the courage to divorce in 1956 speaks volumes to me. Can you imagine what that must’ve been like? This is 2012 and where I come from, divorce is still a taboo! I had heard of June Carter before watching Walk The Line but it was during that first viewing of one of my now all-time favorite movies that it hit me. What a talent, yes …but what a personality! What a character! I fell in love with her strength and the way she stood by her man through gut-wrenching times. Times you hope you never have to encounter. It is safe to say that a lot of Johnny Cash would not be had June not taken on the role of his guardian angel. In my eyes, she was a pioneer, a person who spoke the truth and did what felt right for her and her children. She never lost focus. I admire that in a person very much.
Furniture shopping. Lots of reading. Walks to the schoolyard. And an amazing new app discovery.
One of the books I’ve been dying to finish is John Holt’s Learning All The Time. I picked up the name after doing a bit of research on the matter of learning. Not the ABC 123 kind of learning but a different kind. The honest kind. The no pressure kind.
Now Georgie’s becoming more and more aware of his surroundings and beginning to need more stimulation, I worry that what I am providing is not enough. I hear about parents teaching their kids to recite the alphabet by the age of two! This scares me. Not just because it’s feckin freaky but also because I secretly feel inadequate and stupid for allowing my child to play with the dog instead of shoving a book up his nose. I’m not belittling anyone here but that just doesn’t seem natural to me. The same way the schooling system doesn’t. Why are we making learning an obligation instead of a basic instinct?
Agia Napa was chosen as the perfect location to spend time on our own. Georgie, it was decided, would spend a whole week with his grandparents in the mountains. Two more days than the time we flew to Brussels, which meant I was dreading the separation anxiety attack. Oddly, it never came. Perhaps because I knew he was within distance therefore could see him if I felt like it- and of course, assuming I was willing to drive for three hours. On the third day we did just that. We visited him for the day, which completely threw him off because that evening, after we had left, he threw a couple of tantrums and wouldn’t settle down after his bath. With good reason though. Seven days is a long time to be away from my child. I began feeling anxious, guilty and depressed last night, before we picked him up. I had enjoyed myself thoroughly and was so very proud of finishing two books while lazying around on the beach and snorkeling… but-excuse the pun- I was like a fish out of water. But somehow I managed to do exactly what I wanted to do. It was truly a relaxing time spent with good friends and nights out. Candlelight dinners and late evening departures from the beach. Boutique hotels and long chats.Movies at midnight and Oreos! …to papa! Would you believe me if i told you THIS kept me going all day? Probably my favorite part of the whole week. Now let’s get back to business. . . easier said than done.