Piece by Piece.

Mom didn't really understand the meaning of love (and pain) until I showed up.  Like, at all.  Well, with Pompom too obviously, but I was the first one so I'm extra special (and extra loud, if that matters).  She never understood the mind and body's capacity to love another human being, but when our cheeks first touched (after we begrudgingly came out), she was done.  She can still feel it she says (but maybe she's just loosing her mind)...

The depth of emotion, in both directions, is literally indescribable in words...so the first week after I was born, she just cried. A LOT.

What IS love anyway? "A profound tender, passionate affection for another person?" Or maybe, "a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child or friend?"  My personal definition??? Hum...

I'd go with...feeling as if every part of your soul connects with another soul (whatever that soul occupies), that can be felt as timeless and unconditional...almost not of this physical world. The REAL love anyway...not just the word people tend to throw around these days and think they understand. You KNOW.

Wow, mom IS lucky!!! She loves a few people that much!

Things also didn't really come into perspective about her own life, upbringing, until Pompom and I made our entrance...or her appreciation for picking a pretty decent Apu for us...and it WAS a choice. Good call, mom.

Mom thinks it is pretty darn cool to see how things SHOULD have been growing up because of Apu. And thankful too. Some people just don't get "it" and that's OK.  Really, it IS ok. No hard feelings.

This was a really, really good explanation of her feelings in song she came across thanks to another mama that has a very similar relationship with her husband and five beautiful children (and totally gets "it"), so she figure she would share it with her readers.  Cheers.

Watch Out John Travolta!!

Seriously, I can not WAIT to go to school and go to dances all the time! Cousin R invited us to her Sock Hop dance (think the movie Grease), last night, and it was probably the most fun I've ever had. EVER. Like, in my entire life.

Mom was a little worried at first, given that I'm VERY much like her.  Would I sit back and just watch?  Get overwhelmed by all the kids?  Hide behind mom's leg like in most social situations I encounter?! HECK NO!

So, a little background. Mom isn't antisocial per say, she's just cautious. She tends to sit back and watch, evaluate and then make her move. Except in one situation. Dancing.  Really, ask the cowboys at Incahoots. She's been known to shake her booty on the dance floor more than a few times, and it turns out the apple really doesn't fall from the tree. As soon as I heard the music, I proceeded to literally dance circles around ALL the other kids, as seen here!

I twirled, jumped, skipped, screeched in excitement, and then collapsed at 7:30 (read: bedtime).  All the parents commented on how cute I was and how I should apply for Dancing with the Stars.  Humility aside, I agree 100%.

So not only did we have a BLAST (as seen here), I danced with mom (who's rhythm is questionable now that she's a parent) and Pompom, and ALL my new friends at elementary school.  Needless to say, I slept in this morning. Best. Night. EVER.  Mom is now completely worried about sending me off to school in a few years.

A rare sighting!!

Mom and dad actually PAID (something mom doesn't know much about in regards to her own photography business) to have pictures taken. 

As you can see, mom prefers to be behind the camera, or her hair.

But she thought this one was semi acceptable! 

The Oscar Surprise

Thanks to a few rich people, and one in particular (that may or may not have stared in the movie, Titanic) Apu got to come home for a day! 

He rented a car (after flying for six hours from NY), drove in LA traffic, and showed up at 9pm...just to hang out with us for today! And I was SO excited!! Pompom also started jumping up and down when she saw him! We finally will get a decent breakfast! Thank GOD! 

We also took a little trip to Coronado...

Mom will never get tired of this view...

The beautiful ants.

We do actually miss Apu a lot, and although it's never easy when he leaves, it does get slightly easier with every day that passes. 

Today we hit the zoo, AGAIN. We mainly go for the nice playground and bug exhibit (don't ask). 

Mom has a love hate relationship with these establishments. On the one hand, it gets her out of the house and guarantees a nap, but on the other, it's so sad to see these animals in tiny little enclosures week after week. You can just tell it they don't belong there, being pointed at by people who seem to think they have conquered the world. And it makes her stomach turn that her yearly pass is contributing to this perpetual not-niceness. 

The fact is, everyone/thing deserves to live their lives freely...even the long legged flamingos, hairy tarantulas and all the beautiful ants (that I watched for a good ten minutes today). 

It made mom think of her ALL TIME favorite book, Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. It was assigned in her last class of graduate school...the ONLY class worth taking in hindsight, but that's another blog. 

"Any species that exempts itself from the rules of competition ends up destroying the community in order to support its own expansion."

If you choose to only read one more book in life time, you may want to pick this up. 

Mom's sincere apology.

To her followers, one in particular, for not being in touch. Days tend to fly by now that everyone has their own very distinct personalities, and 7pm comes all too quickly! Turns out, mom is pretty exhausted by that time too, so she's getting plenty of beauty sleep...not that you can tell. 

I have been keeping everyone busy, but we promise to visit soon! In other news, I also got taken out by a wave...a big one...and I was scared! Thankfully, mom grabbed my wrist and saved me from the worst of it. I survived, minus my PTSD. 

But as you can see, it was short lived. And now, we sleep! 

Lata, dude.

The first week Apu was home was a blur thanks to Pompom's cancer diagnosis and subsequent remission (hummmm...is there some wood to knock on around here)? Anywho, our two weeks (well, really 17.5 days to be exact), has quickly come to a screeching hault. We dropped him off at the airport and now mom needs to calm down because she's really sad. But it's ok, I have given her extra hugs and Pompom licked an ice cream and made her laugh. As seen here.

But he had to rub it in that he had Phil's BBQ without us. Not cool, Apu.