Don't Fall!

Their leaves were more progressed color-changing. We were walking through the arboretum when there, shimmering in the sunlight, was this glorious Japanese maple. These are my absolute favorite trees. Before I knew it I had scrambled into the mid-level branches, suspended between crimson, jade and gold leaves. 

Eloise, from my dad’s arms, thought I was hilarious. Isaac, from the ground, was distressed. For the dismount, I managed to freak out my dad by hanging upside down from a branch. 

“I got you,” he said. 

“I don’t think i need help…yet,” I said. 

“Just let go, I got you.” 

Thanks, Dad! It’s nice to know I can still alarm my father. Hee Hee. 

We stopped to look at an abandoned house covered in bees alongside this cotton field on our drive home. Actually we had to stop because Isaac had to go to the bathroom. But I took Isaac to a cotton patch when he was one, so it was nice to do the same with Eloiser. 

My parents left the day after we got back. Last time we dropped them at the airport, Isaac refused to get in the car without Grandma and Pa and just stood on the airport sidewalk and wept. This time I tried to plan ahead. After we walked them to security, we hurried off. “I’m sad that Grandma and Pa went away!” Isaac looked up at me in the airport, on the edge. 

“I’m sad too, buddy,” I said. “It’s sad to say goodbye to people we love. Let’s go wave goodbye to their airplane from the botanical gardens.” = THE PLAN. 

I’d heard about this hill where you could watch planes take off but we’d never been up there. So we zipped over to check it out. It was awesome—I viewing platform with benches and a sign that included a speaker broadcasting the crackling control tower radio. 

Staying focused helped me—and therefore the kids—be sad and say goodbye while avoiding sadness meltdown. I know a meltdown is cathartic for some people, but I am not one of those people. When I reach meltdown phase, life is awful, everybody hates me, and I’ve pretty much given up. SO LET’S AVOID THAT. Especially this early in the game. 

Here are more photos of Eloise at the arboretum in Chapel Hill! Isn’t she a ray of sunshine?!