Safia ended up doing great on the marathon car trip from DC back here to Athens. I'd even go as far to say she exceeded expectations. As the trip progressed, her sleeping sessions got shorter and shorter necessitating more frequent pit-stops. When we arrived home, we were sobered by our return to reality: house to clean, grass to mow, roof to repair, meals to cook, baby to care for, all by ourselves. It sure was nice to have so many people around to soothe Safia when she got grumpy, or to collaborate in the kitchen with on a meal, or to just have interesting conversations with. I guess the old cliche that "it takes a village..." does ring true. Below, I've posted a couple of videos for your enjoyment. I'll give a little background info to clarify things a bit. The first is of Safia in the car. She is playing with a rattle and being awfully cute (if I do say so). She is also listening to "This American Life" which is on in the car, describing the now predictable way in which Middle East dictators try to salvage their deteriorating positions of power. The second video is of a little music session we had. She's already starting to sing.
Now a point of digression, if I may: On our drive back home, there was a major traffic back-up in South Carolina as a result of an accident that delayed us about one-and-a-half hours. On that drive, in which we stayed on major interstate highways (I-95 and I-85), I was shocked at the high frequency of aggressive, sudden, and un-signaled lane changes. I, myself, was cut-off repeatedly (often while driving in the right-most lane) by drivers making their move. The accident that caused the miles-long back-up on I-85 was caused by a lane change in which three cars were ultimately involved, and it resulted in a fatality (a 26-year old man returning to Georgia after visiting his girlfriend in North Carolina). So sad. Lately I've been thinking, as I drive Safia around, that I have precious cargo in the car and that I should drive more safely. It's clear to me now that we are all precious cargo. Drive safely.
David has 2 questions: 1) can he come over for music time some day(s)? 2) have you ever thought about making a children's cd? that was such a beautiful tune.
ReplyDeleteand i agree with your thoughts on precious cargo. i can relate a lot more to the sentiment that "we are all someone's child" these days...
David is a very inquisitive young man (for being like 11 weeks old). To answer his questions: 1) yes he is always welcome to come over for music time. Let's do it! 2) I do make a cd with my 2nd grade students every year of their favorite songs they've learned throughout the school year. I set up a microphone, play the guitar, they sing, and it's all-around pretty awesome. All my students leave 2nd grade with a cd of themselves singing songs. There are so many children's cds out there. I think kids music events, where they can see live music and participate in the creation of music, is where it's at. I'd be open to pursuing that sometime down the line. Thanks for the comment. I'll see you soon!
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