There will come a time when Snowdrop will have moved on, away from her love of pink. Indeed, I saw tiny indications yesterday when, after rhapsodizing about pink for a goodly few minutes, she paused and said -- I also do love purple. It wasn't said with her usual "loooove," but it was put out there as a hint of things to come.
But for now, on this Valentine's Day, she still really loves to love pink.
The whole pinkness of her current bubble of dreams makes me think back to the play of colors in my younger years. As a mom, I never cared for any of it: pink dresses and lunch boxes with unicorns, fairies and princesses, pink carpets, pink towels sheets and quilts -- I stayed away from it all.
And then something happened. It started in the garden. I grew to really love pink day lilies. And roses. And lilacs and apple blossoms, asters and cosmos blooms. Pink sweet peas, pink peonies. Oh, not to the exclusion of everything else, but surely in copious amounts.
From there it was just a hop skip into the occasional pink sweater, then t-shirt, then a dusty pink pair of corduroys (I got those ten years ago and they now have a big knee hole, but I still wear them... for example on this day). And when I began to shop for Snowdrop, I found to my great surprise that pink can indeed be beautiful. I don't especially look for it, but across the ocean, pink is omnipresent in children's clothing and when I bring back anything pink the girl is always very very happy. It's so so beautiful!
So here we are, on this gorgeous day of pink hearts and love and no, not just a Hallmark love -- but stuff that creeps in on a morning of bluejay skies and warming temperatures, emotions that swell when you think of kids and grandkids, genuine smiles that come from glancing on the sweetest card ever from Ed, and when you hear from friends far far away... love, love, love. How can you not love a day that is, in the middle of February no less, so totally pink?!
The cheepers would agree: it is a fine day. Too much snow for them, but hey, the icicles are dripping away in the heat of the sun and the last I glanced, the temps are a couple of degrees above freezing!
We have breakfast in the sunroom. Of course.
And we ski. On the disc golf course, because it faces the south and when things begin to melt, that lovely landscape will be the first to lose its snow cover.
A selfie. Of course! It's Valentine's Day!
The beautiful weather continues into the afternoon. Indeed, when I pick up Snowdrop, she complains that the sun is too bright! I don't remember those words -- not since summer!
She traipses through the snow piles and I am tempted, oh so tempted just to play with her now, outside, absence of jacket or mitts notwithstanding. I mean, it's 41F (5C)!
But we have stuff to do. Valentine's Day books to read...
And a ballet class to get to.
But first, that Valentine macaron on a stick!
We arrive at the dance class in plenty of time. I am so proud of us!
And as before, I join the string of parents and grandparents that watch from behind a one way window. I see that Snowdrop is gaining confidence. She understands now the rules, the procedures, the protocols.
She tries everything.
And it pleases me no end that she isn't pushy. But nor does she retreat.
Their story for the day's dance is Little Red Riding Hood and I think that perhaps this will not play well with the little girl. But the story must have been tempered to the sensibilities of the most impressionable little ones, because she minds not at all, and trots off to dance with a roomful of other red hooded girls.
The free form dance...
Her smile speaks plenty.
And today the class ends with a Hershey's chocolate kiss.
In the evening, Ed has his volley ball game, but before he goes off to play, we eat a tiny lobster tail with potatoes and a voluminous salad. And we split that piece of chocolate, saved just for this day.
Oh, to let go of the details of the news! To wish for a better day for those whose days didn't end with a piece of chocolate, to say nothing of a four ounce wee lobster tail, split in two. Pink hopes for a kinder gentler world, a healthier happier outcome for all.
With love.
But for now, on this Valentine's Day, she still really loves to love pink.
The whole pinkness of her current bubble of dreams makes me think back to the play of colors in my younger years. As a mom, I never cared for any of it: pink dresses and lunch boxes with unicorns, fairies and princesses, pink carpets, pink towels sheets and quilts -- I stayed away from it all.
And then something happened. It started in the garden. I grew to really love pink day lilies. And roses. And lilacs and apple blossoms, asters and cosmos blooms. Pink sweet peas, pink peonies. Oh, not to the exclusion of everything else, but surely in copious amounts.
From there it was just a hop skip into the occasional pink sweater, then t-shirt, then a dusty pink pair of corduroys (I got those ten years ago and they now have a big knee hole, but I still wear them... for example on this day). And when I began to shop for Snowdrop, I found to my great surprise that pink can indeed be beautiful. I don't especially look for it, but across the ocean, pink is omnipresent in children's clothing and when I bring back anything pink the girl is always very very happy. It's so so beautiful!
So here we are, on this gorgeous day of pink hearts and love and no, not just a Hallmark love -- but stuff that creeps in on a morning of bluejay skies and warming temperatures, emotions that swell when you think of kids and grandkids, genuine smiles that come from glancing on the sweetest card ever from Ed, and when you hear from friends far far away... love, love, love. How can you not love a day that is, in the middle of February no less, so totally pink?!
The cheepers would agree: it is a fine day. Too much snow for them, but hey, the icicles are dripping away in the heat of the sun and the last I glanced, the temps are a couple of degrees above freezing!
We have breakfast in the sunroom. Of course.
And we ski. On the disc golf course, because it faces the south and when things begin to melt, that lovely landscape will be the first to lose its snow cover.
A selfie. Of course! It's Valentine's Day!
The beautiful weather continues into the afternoon. Indeed, when I pick up Snowdrop, she complains that the sun is too bright! I don't remember those words -- not since summer!
She traipses through the snow piles and I am tempted, oh so tempted just to play with her now, outside, absence of jacket or mitts notwithstanding. I mean, it's 41F (5C)!
But we have stuff to do. Valentine's Day books to read...
And a ballet class to get to.
But first, that Valentine macaron on a stick!
We arrive at the dance class in plenty of time. I am so proud of us!
And as before, I join the string of parents and grandparents that watch from behind a one way window. I see that Snowdrop is gaining confidence. She understands now the rules, the procedures, the protocols.
She tries everything.
And it pleases me no end that she isn't pushy. But nor does she retreat.
Their story for the day's dance is Little Red Riding Hood and I think that perhaps this will not play well with the little girl. But the story must have been tempered to the sensibilities of the most impressionable little ones, because she minds not at all, and trots off to dance with a roomful of other red hooded girls.
The free form dance...
Her smile speaks plenty.
And today the class ends with a Hershey's chocolate kiss.
In the evening, Ed has his volley ball game, but before he goes off to play, we eat a tiny lobster tail with potatoes and a voluminous salad. And we split that piece of chocolate, saved just for this day.
Oh, to let go of the details of the news! To wish for a better day for those whose days didn't end with a piece of chocolate, to say nothing of a four ounce wee lobster tail, split in two. Pink hopes for a kinder gentler world, a healthier happier outcome for all.
With love.
