Daughter to Mama

"I made a new poem," she says.
"Let's hear it then," I say, half-listening as I start pulling dinner prep together.

"You can take the NuNu out of the Mama

                             But

You can't take the Mama out of the NuNu"

Reader, I melted.

(Turns out she actually said MoMA because she's really into making art; but I heard what I heard.)

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Conference Sadness

            I ordered the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding only because



 I missed everyone so much and it reminded me of eating it with the fam in New Orleans.



But it didn't help.

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When Mom's making dinner but you want treats

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Consumed

The children have left me
with this changed body
that holds onto their shapes
as though they're still inside

And the gulp of lovepride
worrylove happybrightfear
and other odd couplings
on the lip of my heart


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Yesterday, lingering after dinner, smirky and teasing (and full of love), At and Nu told me that even if I was in a nursing home on Thanksgiving, they'd make sure to visit me (and feed me mashed potatoes). 

Love Truths

Got home after four days of conferencing today, After dinner, Big A went upstairs and fell asleep, and then the kids went to bed, and then I made a late-night grocery-store run.

He showed up as I was putting groceries away and stood there (not helping!) throwing and catching a cauliflower (not helping!) and... I must have given him a speaking side-eye. To which he responded:

Oh. I didn't actually come downstairs to help you. I came because I missed you so much and wanted to see you. *Grippy-Hug*

This thing is sweet AND tough.

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Architect Elf

Post-Thanksgiving

FIL and step-MIL came to visit the day after Thanksgiving and rather than feed them T-day leftovers as I did last year, I made ramen (with really nice broth, loads of fresh veggies, and lots of add-in toppings: peanut sauce, kimchi, roast chicken, fried eggs).

At the end of the meal, step-MIL says, "thanks for dinner.. it was really simple and..." And she just trails off. Healthful? Flavorful? No. Nothing. I don't think she was trying to diss my food, it was more like she genuinely lost interest in completing that sentence.

This morning--being back in the kitchen reminded me--and I started to giggle about it and had to explain to the kids why. At says, "Yeah, I noticed that too." So we giggled some more.

And it's been our response of choice to everything..."It's really simple and..."

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Après le diner

It's not much, really.
But, I can tell

our week's dinner
from the small aches

the burns and scalds,
and nicks they wrought.

But it is the half-eaten plate
that brings heartache.

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Après le diner

It's nothing, really.
But, I can tell

our week's dinner
from the small aches

the burns and scalds,
and nicks they wrought.

It is the half-eaten plate
that brings heartache

*

The Talented Triplets

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Santa-Hat Triptych

NuNu designed and made these Santa's Hats based on something a class mom brought to their Holiday party... We improvised with some Pinterest help...




And the next day, she taught her brother too.

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The Face of Thanksgiving

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Nu-Sensical

Nu hasn't eaten her lunch--a wedge of Tortilla Española from dinner the day before.

Because: "You didn't pack me a fork!"

But: "I ate everything else! Even the sour cream for the tortilla. Although it wouldn't come out and I had to use my fingers."

It's a good thing then that FB sent me a great memory yesterday.

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One Stew to Carry it all and Cure Us

At's sick… he wanted...

something hot and soothing for dinner.

Behold our soup 

with every ingredient known to help colds:

Chicken, mackerel, 

ginger root, garlic, tomatoes,

cabbage, broccoli,

black pepper, turmeric, 

mint and jalapeños,

sprinkles of salt

Then a bit of limon and C's salsa 

from the summer of 2014 for heat.

It's delicious and magical.

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Compense

Wrestling an ocean of sky

the lyrics of whited valleys,

I crave the salt of the wind

the taste of words whipped

with sea air (hold the snow).

This land calls me by all names

But holds itself cold and aloof 

hushing with remembered formality

calculations, welcomes, and reunions.

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Eat your Bath!

I made Bisibele bhath for dinner.
And Nu thought it was hilarious
saying stuff like:
"This bath is delicious!"
"I've eaten all my bath!"
You get it.

NuNu Love

7:30. After I packed everyone's lunches, 

I rushed to get changed for school.

In the time it took me to change, 

she slipped her smiley "I heart you" 

into my lunchbox.

When I got home at 4:30, she grabbed me

asking, "Did you find it? Did you see it?"

She said she kept giggling at school 

thinking about that note to me. 

Me too.

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Give us this day our daily produce

Smiling at all the fruit and veg in my office today. 

I didn't accept the tomatoes 

'cos we have lots of them fruiting at home.

The apple is my favorite

it makes me feel like a real teacher.

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Misspeak

Stew
a head
of cabbage garbage
in-certitude
curtained disdain.

Yellow is gold
is lemons
yellow is pages
is journalism
is cold Englishman's lyric

she says
planes, and trains
--not kind to my migraines
it rhymes, write the poem
I say

elastic-electric
forced
forged faked
shudderin' end
ex-tension
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39 Candles

Happy Birthday, Big Dog!

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