August brought Papá to the United States--to stay, this time-- and brought me back to be with both of my guys in VA while I did a rotation at DC Children's Hospital for the month. Aside from the fact that I had to wake up each morning around 4:45am and leave my sleeping family to go to work, it was all mollified by knowing that Mateo was spending his days in the company of his dad and grandmother and that I would usually get back home in time to enjoy the late afternoon light and neighborhood summer activities at their side.
No better way to celebrate our U.S.-European co-heritage than attending the DC United v. Real Madrid soccer match, courtesy of my father. We cloaked ourselves in the Spanish flag (no joke) and had a spectacular afternoon, made all that much sweeter by Madrid's 3-0 victory-- it's no secret where our loyalties lie when it comes to futbol.
A Sunday trip to the Natural History Museum. Mateo couldn't get over the big cats (a mix of fear and fascination, I think) and spent the better half of the afternoon roaring in his stroller.
Mateo and the mailbox = a love affair that lasted all summer long
This image epitomizes the summer.
A little bit of post-nap grogginess makes this little one stop and snuggle where usually he would run/laugh/point/roll/shout/explore.
Best buds
(If you're happy and you know it, fireman edition)
I was amazed by the length of this fish's tenure in our kitchen. A surprisingly resilient helium balloon, this guy became a steady presence in our summertime play.
Loving the guac
(By way of introduction)
This is how I often found him upon returning from work.
There is little more relaxing than rocking chairs on the porch on an August afternoon...
...especially when fresh fruit and Guinness (the dog) are involved.
The grandparents' house is not too slowly converted into a child's paradise.
An afternoon in Georgetown: We looked at beautiful row houses and Mateo focused on parking meters.
A quick jaunt up to New York to sign the lease on our new apartment
A return to our neighborhood, two blocks from the hospital and--equally important--1 block away from Central Park and its infinite play-grounds
1 comments:
I love this. I love your blog. I get to see the small, important everydayness of your life. The museum and soccer game trips that aren't significant enough to merit our all-too-infrequent-phone conversations, but color your life nonetheless. I would like to say (a) you are an American, I am not sure about that Real MAdrid loyalty (b) the stomach roll over the diaper on the rocking chair is unreal and (c) Mateo and I have the same plaid shorts - no joke.
Not that you are busy or anything, please post September. This is like a novel whose next chapter I need.
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