Equinox

It's that time of year, equal sun and darkness, and my house settles into itself so that the doors close all the way again. My house is very old and no longer has any right angles, if it ever did, except right now, while the night air is cool and our boiler hasn't kicked on yet.

I'm seeking my own equinox right now. Drawing lines around the different obligations in my life. Deciding what can go and what can stay.

Marko just turned 8 months old and if I could freeze time and make this part of babyhood last longer, I would. He's curious and imitates us all the time. His toothless grin is disappearing as he gets new teeth. He prefers standing to any other position. He recently discovered the stairs, and then a few days later, discovered that we have a second set of steps from our kitchen. He eats lentil soup and mashed up beans and sweet potatoes, smacking his lips loudly. I gave him some pasta pieces a few weeks ago, but he choked on one, and it was such an unpleasant experience for all of us that I've really limited finger foods. He'll be walking by Christmas, that's my prediction.

Laurel is "3 and a half I'll be four in November" - and of course you are invited to her birthday party. (She invites everyone she meets.) I better throw her a good party because she's been thinking about this pretty much since last November. She's settling into Montessori, even using some of her skills at home. I carpool with another family twice a week and it's so delightful to hear Laurel and her classmate chat with each other in the backseat on the way to school. "Peacefully" is a new word in her vocabulary. She also uses the word "immediately" a lot, but not correctly.