July 21, 2015
I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I last posted on SJ’s blog. The hang-up was that I was out of town, and with her while being out of town, and on business while with her while being out of town. There’s only so much one can do under those circumstances. In my case, it was survive.
While I could go back and recount each and every day of our adventure, I find that too overwhelming at this point. I just need to dump all the good stuff about the trip, cut my losses, and start fresh tomorrow. So here goes!
Chillaxin’ With Grammy
Grammy and Selah June had some nice digs at the Residences at Biltmore. Our place was basically a little apartment with a kitchen as well as a washer and dryer. The complex provided us with a pack and play, so SJ had her own bed for the week. She napped really well in it and slept through every night except one.
I thought that they would spend a good deal of time at the pool or go putz around downtown or go for strolls along the forest trails. But Grammy just wanted to catch up on her rest from her crazy trip to the Holy Land and spend time on some projects that have been hanging over her head for a while. By day 3 of “resting” around the room, Selah June was fit to be tied. She wanted to be held all the time. She cried for no apparent reason. And she just was generally fussy. That night we took her out to a restaurant for some girl time on the town, and she was a completely different baby. She flirted with anyone who would give her the time of day. She smiled and laughed at the simplest things. She was just beside herself happy. That little girl got cabin fever! It’s becoming more and more obvious to me that she is a social type who likes to get out there and see the world. While she can entertain herself, there’s only so much of that she’s gonna do in a week! ESPECIALLY in Asheville for goodness sake!
Sweet Little Baby
One night, she was just wired. I don’t know what her deal was. It was about 10:00 at night, and we there was no end in sight. She was jumping and climbing all over us. She was talking and looking all around. It was sheer craziness. Mom started doing her Grammy Whisperer thing where she wraps the baby all up in a fuzzy blanket and relaxes every muscle in her body. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes…. telling Selah June that Grammy was going to go to sleep now.
And with that, for the first time, SJ let out a big yell. She wanted to wake Grammy up! Mom cracked up, and so did I. That just made it worse. SJ laughed and laughed. Then it became a game. As long as she would play it, we took turns faking sleep only to be “awakened” by a screeching baby. Then she started laying her head down on Mom’s lap and arms, like she was a “sweet baby.” Only to squirm and jump up and make us all laugh again. We had a lot of fun, but I can just see the trouble that’s brewing with this child. Uggghhh…..
What Momma’s Been Doing
During the day, I spent a good chunk of time at the Soomo Learning headquarters working on revisions for the 6th edition of Central Ideas in American Government. This is the conference room in which I spent a great deal of time with Zara and Jacob hammering out edits, assignment ideas, student learning outcomes, and the like.
Zara explained to me that the pennants around the room represented each of the schools using CIAG. I couldn’t get all four walls in the picture, but it was pretty cool. To see Ohio State, UT-Austin, and other big name schools included in the mix was just awesome. It stands for a whole heck of a lot of work, lots of patience and pitching, and fingers crossed until they almost fell off.
Drum Circle
Friday night, after a long week of very productive work, I snatched up Grammy and SJ for a fun night out and about. They met me downtown, and we went to Salsa’s — an excellent Mexican restaurant — and then checked out the Asheville Drum Circle. It’s a local institution. People crowd the stadium seating built into the park with bongos, tambourines, and maracas to make music together. People danced to the music in the square. Selah June took her drum and spent time dancing with Mom and drumming to the beat. Probably our most favorite activity in Asheville for the week.
Dinner with the Lindrums
On Saturday night, David and Mary Jane invited us to dinner at their house. David’s mom, Paula, just bought a puppy. It’s a cute little mix of a boutique puppy and looks like a little teddy bear with personality. Here is SJ’s interaction with her new friend. Both of them were so excited and interested in being up in each other’s business…. You’ll see how that worked out.