Another Draft

I've worked a bit on this poem that I posted earlier. Please comment, especially if there are lines that don't flow rhythmically or that you have to re-read to get. Thanks :)

All Close

In a hand-me-down rocking chair late, I and baby
Cuddle close, sharing his sweet little smiles.
My legs push us forward and back in a rhythm,
Effortless, swayed by some external ebb.
Awake in the night, we’re alone in this moment.
Everyone sleeping but baby and me.

Forward and back under streetlight and starlight
Close your eyes, darling, I’m holding you tight.

But I know there are now other mothers and fathers
Humming or singing to babies tonight,
Each pair alone but in unison rocking,
One night like many in thousands of years.
All were once children, and rocked by a loved one.
My mother rocked me, and her mother rocked her.

Forward and back under mountains and starlight
Close your eyes, sweetheart, I’m holding you tight.

On one night when a new star appeared up in heaven,
Mary and Joseph embraced their new babe,
While shepherds came hastily in from the hilltops,
The Christ child dreamt softly on animal’s hay. 

Forward and back under angels and starlight
He came to promise all stains will be white.

Mother Eve rocked her babies when earth was beginning,
And loved them, both Abel and Cain, with great love.
She had given a wonderful gift to all people,
That we could be born and be parents in turn.
And was she, when she first saw the stars shine in Eden,
Then lulled to sleep by the arms that span heaven?

Forward and back under freshly made starlight
Close your eyes, dear one, I’m holding you tight.

Awake in this moment, we’re not alone, baby.
We are surrounded by parents before.
Swaddled and cradled in warm generations,
Rocked in the arms of the Father of All.

Forward and back under unfading starlight,
Sweet is this time for we’re kept in His sight.

Summer and Olympics

Let's start with some pictures I took by the lighthouse yesterday when it was bright and beautiful.

Lighthouse beach park

From inside the modern art.

Someday it would be fun to learn to sail a sailboat.

It's a calm day for Mr. Seagull.

Smell the lavender.

Two of the last wild roses.

Along comes Charles on his jet-ski,

and startles Mr. Seagull away.

Here are some cute family times at home. As you can see, Charles is getting pretty athletic.

Olympic Rings? I should have given him some the right colors.

He's got 'em!

Question: If you could be effortlessly good at one Summer Olympics sport, which would you choose?

Under the Sea

Jellyfish. Who is eating whom?

A Saturday morning hike in the park. The trail was too bumpy for the stroller so Charles got to enjoy being held!

Reading books.

"It's hard to concentrate while Rosie is wrestling with my feet!"

Question: If you could be a sea creature for one day, what animal/organism would you be?

A Moving Picture

If it says this video is private, send me your email address and I will add you to my youtube list.
Love

Seeing Seattle

These last few weeks have given us beautiful weather, we have visited various sights and I haven't had to push the stroller very much :)

 This is the outside of the Experience Music Project, a wacky building designed by Frank Gehry. Charles was excited about it, as you can see.

 Here we are near the base of the space needle before we went to it to eat! Too expensive? Not for us; we have plenty...

 ...of granola bars! Cody and I went to Seattle while Aaron was at work because Aaron didn't feel like driving downtown after work, and things are less busy on weekday mornings.

 With Aaron, though, we had some fun dinners, like this day we went to the park, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores, and Cody fed the squirrel.

Videos of Charles coming soon!

Overstimulated

This one isn't about Charles.

 I've realized something about myself--I am easily entertained and easily overstimulated. I enjoy looking at things like leaves and the light on the surface of water and not so much at things that whir and jump and bang and crash all at once (especially on a screen).

 For example, we have a WII family game with Life, Clue, Mousetrap, etc. that is pretty fun. In mousetrap, you sometimes play a mini-game placing parts of pipes to get a ball through, and it shows you what part is coming next but I have trouble seeing what parts are coming next because there are so many colors dancing on the screen.

 I went to Las Vegas twice with the BYU marching band and most of the time I just wanted to close my eyes. The things I remember really enjoying were the toy store and looking at water in front of Bellagio's before the fountains turned on (and being with band friends).

 Aaron's brother Riley Cody showed us a computer game that I like better than most games--it's just land made of cubes of different materials. If you set it to "creative mode" you have unlimited materials and if you also set it to "peaceful mode" monsters won't come destroy what you built or try to eat you. So Aaron and I made this house:

That was fun. Maybe someday we will really build our own house. But even that game became too much for me when sheep started escaping and I got stuck under a tree that was overhanging too low.

 So, I guess I'll stick to more simple pastimes. Life is good.
 Love, Corinne

Fun on the Fourth

We have been having a grand old time, especially with our trip to the grandparents F. to see my friend Michelle's wedding, and then Riley Cody D . visiting here! I didn't take any pictures in Oregon, because we were having too much fun and the camera was up two flights of stairs :) My parents' new house is nice and peaceful, with views of purple mountain majesties and a lovely bit of forest.

This is a park where we went on "family day" of the cub scouts camp Aaron helped with.

 "Why didn't I get a cool T-shirt, Daddy?"

 "Mommy, you can slow down when you're driving. I'll go my own speed."

 "Beep Beep!"

On the Fourth of July, we visited Fort Casey, a WWII fort on Whidbey Island, where free men stood and fortunately didn't see war's desolation.

 We looked out at the shining sea.

 I sat among the waves of grain. (There was a nice lonely trail up to there, and we had several blankets)

 Who is that which the building half conceals half discloses?

Not to boast or brag, because this almost never happens, but yesterday Charles was looking tired so I just wrapped him in a blanket and he fell asleep on his own!

Love,
Drollettes in Washington

P. S. any hints about getting the white highlighting to go away? Thanks, Kristen!