A Mama Moment

I've been thinking alot about "little" moments lately. Those sweet sips of pure enjoyment when you feel completely centered. I wrote a little bit about touchstones last month, and those are sometimes made up of little moments. But, sometimes, little moments don’t have big meaning. Sometimes, they just allow you to be absolutely truly you for a little moment in time. How comforting.

For some reason, I’m always caught off guard by the little moments, which, I suppose, says something sad about how I usually function. I think I’m in good company, though. There are few who have the awareness or the freedom to live within those little moments more often than not. And so, I take especial pleasure when they sneak up on me.

Tonight Rowan and I escaped to his nursery an hour before bedtime. The trip was inspired by three temper tantrums in a row. I opted for the lamp, left the overhead light off, and put one of my old 35’s on the record player. We read along (Lady and the Tramp—he’s currently obsessed with the movie), danced (The Owl and the Pussycat), giggled (Puff the Magic Dragon), and acted silly (Micky Mouse’s Farmyard).

We read Kiss Goodnight and then tip-toed downstairs to say goodnight to Papa. Hmmm…that may have been a mistake since another temper tantrum ensued. So, Mama sat in the rocking chair and Rowan lay prone on the floor while I read a collection of classic songs and nursery rhymes. Eventually, I felt a hand on my knee and heard a little voice say, “Up, Mama.” We snuggled and read two more nursery rhymes before bed (Three Little Kittens and Row, Row, Row Your Boat).

Rowan has been so good with bedtime lately. I got a big bear hug and then he lay down quietly in his crib. He asked for the “moon song” and Mama sang him to sleep.

As I closed his door behind me, I indulged a wicked, satisfied smile. Ah…a little moment of contentment and it was good.

Tag...you're it!

So, I've been tagged by my friend Alison. (We met in Bradley classes and, happily, have kept in touch ever since.) Since I'm a sucker for these things when they come through email, it only follows that I wouldn't be able to resist the blog-o-sphere version either. Everything you wanted to know about me in 6 questions:

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Graduating from Susquehanna University and looking for a job after a semester abroad and a month of independent travel. Despite being terribly homesick, adjusting to life back in the States was more difficult than I ever expected.

Five items on my "to do" list:
1. Pay the bills
2. Email assorted friends
3. Clean the bathroom
4. Pick peas
5. Make art smock for Rowan

Snacks I enjoy:
Yogurt
Toast with jam
Guacamole
Annie's Cheddar Bunnies

What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Stay home and give Rowan a sibling!

Places I would live:
Maine
Lake Ariel, PA
Ireland

Jobs I have had:
assorted waitress jobs
babysitter
editor

Bloggers I am tagging:
Jennifer (Tales from the To-Be-Read Pile)
Jackie (Onward)

{The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.}