Double Digits!

Infinite love

Every morning you greet me

Welcome back, says a cluster of Bougainvillea 

_

Little Siblings Weekend at the college (Missing two instead of one)

_

When I retire I want to go on trips with my sister (like my mom)

Rameswaram and Kanyakumari

_

Boss Day swag (is Princely)

My family knows me well...

_

Homecoming (at the office)

The whole fambam in my office 

just before the parade.

_

Busted

Sometimes the puppies and I hang out in At's room

...and we usually get busted.

_

Change

Today

I thought I was lost on the way to work

because the light and the leaves were so different 

from yesterday

_

Dance Cam

So Far Away

At had us pose for this pic 

up at Aunt R's place on Lake Huron 

so he could put it up in his dorm. 

"Don't turn around," he called out 

as we walked up the dock, 

"don't look back."

_

College Kid

We managed a hurried 'we-fie' with At when we dropped him off at College yesterday. 

He's bunking with his best friends from school and so excited and ready for this. 

Don't look at the crumpled up lunch napkins on the table in front of me...

I may have decided to get the crying over with over lunch 

instead of at the opening convocation 

so as to not terrify the other parents...

_

He Takes his Spike Lee Seriously

Here and Now

It's past 2:00 a.m. and I'm about to try get some sleep for a string of errands and a coffee date with a binder sister (Z) in the morning.

It's just that I'm trying hard to eke out a few more minutes here because I just know that my dreams are going to be an apocalypse-themed torment. What with threats of "fire and fury as the world has never seen" and having read a bunch of climate change poetry for a new class prep.

If you're wondering about the best place to take cover in case of a nuclear fallout, I've got you covered.

_

Grandparents are so brave

they'll even take naughty puppies to the bank

(Parents aren't doing so well:

Hurry home, Huck!)

_

I keep looking

for the secret.

_

Cleverly Disguised

Not sure why I took this picture

he's so lovely/ we gave him that tee/

I love him

_

Education is Important

Many kinds of learners; only one Alma!

_

This is Not a Cat

Just Huckie!

I did something right

Big A took a picture 

of freezer-foraged dinner

(veggie burger/english muffin/fried egg)

_

O Momentous Day

Off to see 

the wonderful

Homecoming

_

When a Banker Says...

that they work with families 

on Detroit's Eastside,

they deserve their own 

thank-you copy.

_

In other news:

NuNu: Mama did it all by herself!

Nothing is Impossible

@The Broad

_

Looking up

NuNu helped clear a bed for the veggie garden :)

Seeing Us off the Property, Deer

There are at least three...

_

The First Year

Living somewhere new 

is full of garden surprises.

(Rhododendron by the Front Door)

_

TFW

you just erupt 

_

Picnic Smiles

(First pick-nick this year)

Regal

Highland Festival parade

Spring Spirit

This picture makes me smile because it's so green and lovely and all the kids are outside; it makes me chuckle because A is pretending that little NuNu is heavier than the-newly-18 At; it makes me laugh out because while Huck is all excitement and tail aflutter, Scout is crouching in the background just trying to poop.

_

Spring Term and the Loving is Easy

Scout came to class today

there was so much love

(from and for)

this baby.

_

Hamilton, Sir.

At didn't want to miss prom

so just those of us who're 

not going to college 

_

It's Kind of Silly, Really

How 

I end up 

loving every class.

Potter Park Zoo 

and then

I made them lunch

_

Cherry Blossoms/Sakura

At used to sing a song he'd learned at school 

to Nu while she was in my belly

I like to think she perked up at the song 

when he sang it to her in the outside world

Plot Twist: When A and I attended the concert 

where the song was sung...

It sounded *nothing* like what 

we heard at home :D 

_

Mmm... May Morels

From the SE corner of the garden.

_

What the 18-year-old Wanted for his Birthday

Sari/Not Sorry

At work

'cos I read this

and it made me mad.

_

Between Us and Ta-Nehisi Coates

S's Visit (Part 2)

There couldn't be an apter picture of these two who 

bring so much light and excitement 

everywhere they go 

Broad Art Museum

Laser Display

S's Visit (Part 1)

Surrounded by love

_

_

Woke up like this

Came home to news that 

he'd gotten into his first choice

(with a bunch of scholarships)

last night.

SO much celebrating

until we went to see 

Logan and then cried 

all night.

_

Five Years Ago in Yellow Springs...

Best graffito ever.

(Facebook reminded me.)

-

Sometimes, Love

is a chat with an old student 

who baked a loaf of green bread

for St. Pat's day and drove here 

from 45 minutes away

_

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.)

_

Houseplants Are Dirty

With no warning or precedent

the corn plant that had been 

growing taller for five years

sprouts tuberose flowers.

I feel so sad, I said to the teenager

that it's trying so hard to propagate.

He said: I can't believe you'd care 

so much about some horny plant.

_

NuNu has Haiku

Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog
Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog 
Dog Dog Dog Dog-Poop

For the best effect, each "dog" should be in different tones of delight, love, and play (until the surprise ending, of course).

_

Reading Buddy

All weekend long

we caught reading time 

together in the loft

(And yes, it was 

really so bright

she had to wear a hat.)

_

Belated

 International Women's Day/

Day Without Women

Selfie

(I was tossing my head 

to keep the hair out of my face.

Meanwhile, in Lansing...

trees were falling all over our house)

Wind-ed

:/

It was a beautiful day,

but crazy windy.

On the highway

the car slid around 

from lane to lane.

Then we came home 

to this. Scary. There's 

a branch coming

through the ceiling

of NuNu's room.

_

Kids Who Love Their Dad

_