when is the moon not a moon?

To a two year old, a moon has a real physical presence. She sees it when she is taken to the car at night. She sees it in story books, where it can take crescent shapes or shine down in full disc form. Sometimes she sees it in broad daylight. There is a moon out there, she knows that.

Yesterday, when I was driving her to the farmhouse, Snowdrop asked from her perch in the back seat of the car -- grandma, is that a moon??

Well she may wonder! It was one of those gray days where occasionally the cloud cover thins a little, revealing a sun that is mostly, but not entirely hidden from view.

I explained to her in great detail why it isn't the moon at all and in so doing, I was so reminded of an exchange I had with an old friend, back in the days when my wee older daughter first saw a very bright moon.... outside an airplane window. I spent many words explaining the universe to her then. My friend, who herself had at least three times as many kids as I did, laughed: with the first one, you explain the wonders of the galaxy. With the later ones, you point and and say "moon" and move on.

I think grandmas may well be of help here. To us, each child (and the one after and the one before) is like a unique gift of fresh experiences and vibrant young life. You want to know about the moon? Wow! I'm so happy you asked...


Today, as I look out at the sky and I see again that sun behind the clouds, I think of Snowdrop's puzzled question. It's a sun, of course. But eerily moonlike in its presentation.






When I am not traveling, Ed and I always eat breakfast together. Always. I'm sure you think I over-insist on this. I mean, give the guy a break already! Do you always wake up at the same time?? (The answer is no, but I will wait for breakfast, even if on some days, that wait can be long...)

Today, we did not eat breakfast together.

I'm not superstitious. It was a fine day anyway. But, Ed had to be at work quite early and I had my appointments to attend to and so we air kissed and hurried to our respective morning obligations.

My breakfast was late, small, and alone. (Well, nearly alone!)






In November, weather sets the day. But this day sent too many mixed messages: warmer than yesterday (by just a handful of degrees, but when you're talking about small numbers, a handful can be a lot), a promise of some rain, but then maybe not, or maybe yes? I can't make plans!






I know that there are better ways to spend one's time on a cold and iffy November day (like, for example, working to finish my Great Writing Project), nonetheless, I fritter the morning on studying kid clothes for summer wear online.

When I show up to pick up Snowdrop, they tell me that she is still napping and they have decided to leave her to her sleep.

It's a really nice school that will bend things just a smidge to accommodate the child. I sit out by her cubby, waiting for her to wake up.



When finally she is up and ready to go, I see that there is enough of a decent weather vibe, that I can offer her a stroll to the park playground again. And this makes her very happy.

(Pushing her pretend children on the swing...)






But, inevitably, the drops of rain do come down and so I hustle her back to the car.






And eventually to the farmhouse (where she makes a pot of hot soup for the whole lot of us!)






Drippy days, cheerful child, long stories, no moon, warm soup. When packaged together, they form a quite beautiful day.