Hold you like a baby-o.*

Tonight you were so tired. With the time change and the dark, rainy night, you fell fast asleep on our way home. Sweet girl. You finally had dinner and then asked me to "hold you like a baby-o" in the purple chair. You did hit a second wind, though, but bedtime was almost blissful in comparison to other, recent nights.

You and Dad picked me up at school tonight; you actually came inside. Seeing you in the door to my classroom made my heart perk up. The curls under your hat looked so...innocent...compared to some of the fashions I see coming through the door. You sat in one of the desks happily coloring. Finally, you tired of that work. I looked over at you and found you slumped down, with this perfectly bored expression. It took my breath away, for it matched an attitude sitting there just two hours earlier -- a window? I (naively) hope not.

I'm tired too -- why is it always so late with these? I think this pattern is why I don't write when I'm not motivated by this group effort (and fabulous! prizes!). Like every New Year, I'm going to make a resolution to stop phoning it in here. If for no one else, I need to do it for the future you (and me?).

xo

*The 'baby-0' comes from a favorite Woody Guthrie song.