Our Noble Pursuits: Weekend

A belated Happy Labor Day to everyone. I hope you enjoyed your escape from laboring. We did. The Noble family went to Indiana to visit David’s parents. It was sort of a special trip for us because it was our first visit there since David’s brother and his family have returned to the area after a dozen or so years living in Massachusetts. Kind of felt like the holidays. Except it was hot and muggy.

Annie and her cousin, Eliot, relax at Nana and Papa's

Our trip up there on Friday was punctuated most profoundly by a throwing up attack that Annie had about halfway there (meaning 2 ½ hours from our destination). They had called us from daycare that day to come get her because she had a fever, but when she got home she was running and laughing and playing like normal. So we loaded her up in the car as planned Friday afternoon and headed to Hoosier country. And all was well for a while…then Annie started to whimper and cry in the backseat and the next thing you know, well, the vomit monster attacked and something not-so-pretty happened. And that not-so-pretty something covered the car seat and the little girl sitting in it. She was traumatized, I was traumatized, I’m pretty sure the process of cleaning up the seat and car while I cleaned up the daughter was fairly traumatizing for David as well. It was one of those stressful moments of parenting. And I felt harried and frazzled by it. But I also felt strangely invigorated by it – proud that David and I jumped into action (with me literally jumping out of a still rolling car to get in the backseat with Annie). Proud that we handled it, that we rose above it, that we bought a strawberry air freshener, gave a baby a sponge bath in a gas station sink, and carried on.

But I also realized that this was no big thing. Parents everywhere deal with much more on a daily – even hourly – basis. This not-so-pretty thing? Yeah, it was really sort of nothing. And we are so fortunate for that. It is a blessing I couldn’t take for granted if I tried – and I certainly don’t plan on trying. But it was a test of sorts. Anytime we are stretched beyond our comfort zones, beyond the normal day-to-day of raising our girl (is there a normal day-to-day with a toddler?), it is a test. And I guess I was kind of proud of how David and I came out of it, working together instead of venting frustration on each other. It was a tiny thing, yes. But it's so good to know the tiny things don't become big things for us, as parents.

The rest of the weekend was full of playing with cousins and running around being a kid. It’s so fun to watch Annie play alongside other children (because she doesn't quite play with them that much yet). I know it happens while she is at school, but not physically being present there, I don’t get to see her in action that much. So it was fun to watch her play and flirt and charm and just be. I will let the pictures say the rest…

She won't leave a clip in her hair for 5 seconds, but this satin bow? Yeah, she loved it.

Bohemian baby - channeling Janis Joplin.

What's more fun than a giant cardboard box? Not much, says Annie.

Returning to her sport of choice - croquet.

And once we returned home Monday (free of not-so-pretty episodes, I'm happy to report), Annie had a little energy to burn. The kind of energy only being strapped in a car for 5 hours can bring. So we hit the playground before ending the weekend hanging out with some friends.