Graces, #32

September weddings. Seeing and hearing two people promise their lives to each other and remembering a similarly warm September evening when Jeffrey and I did the same. Drinking in the beauty and flowers and people and gorgeous location and laughter and dancing and...still feeling glad that we're here, six years farther down, than at the heady, dreamy beginning. Last year we took a tiny baby Birdie to another beautiful September wedding...she was tiny and so very fussy but it's another evening I'll always remember. Lovely, all of it.

Penelope dancing with all the grown-ups. With her raggedy stuffed cat. Adeleine inhaling cupcakes. Penelope in awe of the "married dress". Adeleine pouring punch down her jumper.





Watching Penelope interact with adults (almost) at their level. Noticing the adult tone she takes on with women she adores and women who treat her intelligently. Feeling amazed at how lucky she is and grateful that she already has her own tribe.

Leaving the second event of the weekend where I was completely blown away by the way my girls behaved in public. I mean, they are most certainly children and usually behave along the lines of every other bored-out-of-their skull toddler you see in Target, but first at breakfast and then at a (long, nap time/dinner time) wedding they were amazing. Normal for their age but...amazing. I had tears in my eyes when I belted them into their car seats. The whole weekend was a lot to ask of any kid and mine have been in Whining Screamville for so long that I forgot who else they often are: kind, polite, patient, observant, funny.





Making a list of people I wish to know forever. Thinking that if I never again met anyone new I would probably still be just fine.