Grandpa Tim takes Art on a walk in the woods.

My cousin (Art’s great cousin?) Hannah and her loverly mom Aunt Jenny stopped by this afternoon (they live near Chapel Hill). Hannah is an amazing person who I love lots. We grew up together in Arkansas.

Well, I’ve had a lovely time being a single mom-of-one these last few days. I’ve driven all over town, spent some quality time with my cousin, hung out with my sister and her hub, ate a lot of ham sandwiches and fixed a few things in the house, between a lot of baking. Sent off the Christmas gifts, gave Lewis some serious undivided attention and watched a fair amount of T.V. But I’m ready to see Art and Ben and get my family back together. I can’t wait to hear Art tell me about whatever he chooses to tell me about, to make a meal for everyone and watch Top Chef with Ben!!! It’s so quiet at night. I want to talk to Ben about Obama’s choice for Inauguration Invocation and beat him in 36-pair memory. And I want to play Jenga with Art and I KNOW that Lewis misses Art. Even when Art doesn’t want Lewis around Lewis is still intrigued and excited to see his brother. I really do think that Art is Lewis’s favorite person.

“Brother”. Makes me think of some of Arthur’s most endearing mispronunciations. Here’s another list to add to the old one.

bruzzer
fruit lezzer
closs
todegger
planno

We especially like fruit lezzer. I have a lot of it waiting for him in the cupboard. Your snack drawer will be ready when you arrive, Art! See you soon! love Mom

Art and I have been on vacation out here in North Carolina now for a few days. We leave Sunday. It’s a been really fun, especially to see Arthur play with his cousin Mira who’s about 9-months older. I’ve never seen Arthur play so well and fully. It’s been a real treat.
Separate from that, I shall never underestimate the organization and energy it takes to be a parent without Jessica. My god, it’s a real task. I have always taken for granted the idea of going on an outing somewhere. She always get everything we need together. Snacks, toys, ect, and most importantly she times it well. I just get dressed, put a coat on a kid or two, and go start the car.

Art has adjusted well for the most part. I was initially worried about the idea of him being displaced without his mama. And at times my fears are briefly realized (tantrums, trouble sharing, etc). At one point last night I held him while he was crying and asked him, “Do you miss Mama.” “Yeah,” he said. “I miss Lewis, too.” We got on the computer and looked through this blog. Just seeing Mama and knowing she’s still out there thinking of him I think made him feel alot more calm and happy. Ultimately he’s just doing his best to explore a new house, new people, new foods, new bed, new friends, new way of traveling, new toys–and doing that in his uniquely Art way.

Art and his cousin Mira play with a fog machine thing at the Durham Life and Science Museum.

This is a huge and wonderful box maze that my Papa and my brother-in-law Sujit made. Three stories, multiple entry points, windows, doors, lookouts. Once they’re in, they can be very hard to locate and/or extract. My papa made equally impressive box mazes when Josh and I were kids.

Cooking with Grandpa-Tim.

Feeding the deer with Cynthia.

Art flew for the first time when he actually knew what was going on. We looked out the window some, but after we got higher he wanted to close it and not look out. He slept, ate, peed, pressed lots of buttons, had placebo earplugs that didn’t really work, drank bubbly pop, and was invited into the cockpit. We also missed our flight and spent a few hours in the Detroit airport, including this beautiful tunnel.

here’s a youtube video (someone else’s) that gives you a sense of the music and space they created. It’s Art in functional art!

finding a pig while playing memory with the wonderful home-ade set Mama made us.

exersaucing.

juicy baby with juicy apple.

Well, the house is pretty quiet without Art running around, and without Art and Ben screaming and jumping all over the place. And, as is the usual when Ben is out of town, I don’t really know when to go to sleep. I need to say goodnight to someone and since he’s not here the night seems to never end…

But on another note, there are advantages to being home alone with Lewis. First of all, I can go places so much easier!!! Bundling up and buckling in one kid is a breeze compared to two. And Lewis can’t put up a big enough fight to stop an outing, either. Even if he’s not in the mood, I can always zip him into his suit! Not so with Art. Or with Ben for that matter. I also don’t have to retuck the sheets on our bed. Ben always kicks them out. I don’t have to cook new things every day. I’ve had ham sandwiches three times since they’ve been gone!

I’m also enjoying missing Art. I spend SO MUCH time with him that it’s kind of nice to wonder what kind of day he’s having, what he thinks of this or that or what he’s talking about. And it’s fun to imagine him and Ben just running all over just the two of them, having an adventure all their own. So, I love you both and I hope you have a great next three days. I’m planning to do the same.

Ben just called me from the airplane to North Carolina. He and Art will spend the next four nights there with Ben’s dad, Tim. This is not the first time Art’s rode a plane, but it’s the first time he’s been old enough to “appreciate” it.

Anyway, Ben took this picture on his phone and called me right after to tell me to post it. Art calls it his skeleton face. I don’t know why he thinks this is the face a skeleton makes, but it’s a classic.

A long time ago, before Art could smile, I wrote on the blog, “Art is a blob and I am his slave.” Well, this morning Art wanted me to do something for him that he was totally able to do himself and I said, “No, I won’t do that for you. I’m not your slave,” knowing full well he didn’t know what a slave is. Then he rolled on the floor, whined and said, “Noooooo, you are my slaaaaaaaaave!”