It Takes a Village

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. What stands out is how much fun we are having with family and friends. Two weekends ago Joaquin and I went to Bee-Pa's, along with Uncle Scott and Aunt Karla, and Uncle Tom, who JCG got to meet for the first time. Uncle Tom is a world traveler and is usually in Thailand when not on a ship somewhere else in the world. He's a chef. I do believe JCG may follow in his footsteps; more on that later. Between Uncle Scott and Uncle Tom, they pretty much decided Joaquin will be attending Arizona State University approximately 16 years from now, mainly as they have a great engineering school (Scott's two cents) as well as one of the best golf programs in the country (Tom's two cents). No pressure. The Uncles and Aunt Karla did promptly go gambling at the nearest casino to earn money for college expenses. I too would have gone if I weren't wiped out by 9:00 p.m. after chasing the munchkin all day. They tripled my money so college is now within reach. We also got to play cards (Gingerich family tradition), practice the tricycle (can't quite reach the pedals), eat great food, visit Great Aunts and Uncle (Vesta, Paul, Lois), and hang out at the park . Many videos will follow, Scott helped me figure out how to upload them, thanks!



When they say, "It takes a village to raise a child," I felt we are certainly experiencing that with JCG lately. I love watching how invested my friends and family are in him, and how much joy he brings into the room. This week alone, I'm so grateful that Tia Marianna stayed with him (for waaayyyy longer than I anticipated) during my Dr. appt. He didn't skip a beat when he woke up from his nap and she was there to care for him. Then "Nani," Mrs. Dukstein, watched him a couple of hours the next morning while I had the true luxury of meeting Chrissy for breakfast and great conversation. Then I had Vilma & David, Ayanna, and Marianna over for dinner. We ate out on the deck, had a great meal and conversation. JCG did a great job playing with them, then transitioning to bed easily. I'm so fortunate, each time I get a little nervous when I have guests over that he'll have a meltdown or won't go to bed, but he is so good about it (knock wood for future). I love watching them interact with him, I feel so so blessed. He is starting to talk about his Tio's when they aren't there, asking what they're doing, when we'll see them, etc. He associated Vilma with church because she's his teacher there, as well as a close friend. When she wasn't at church a couple of weeks ago, we literally had to call her on the cell so he could hear her voice that day or he would not have let the subject drop - where is Vilma?



We didn't get to go to the Vacek-Young family earlier in the week as the triplets were sick, but by Saturday they were better and we got to see them. Also, they gifted JCG with some awesome toys, one of which is a mini-kitchen set complete with plastic dishes, food, a refrigerator, stove, the works. It even speaks - "let's make pancakes; get the eggs." I set it up in the kitchen so we can cook "together." He just loves that thing. Also they gave us a wooden train set. I couldn't believe how long he spent putting it together and tearing it apart, very focused. The trains rolling on the tracks were of little interest - surprise, surprise. He just loves the act of putting it together and taking it down. It made me think of how the Tibetans make beautiful sand sculptures, meticulously working over days to create them. Then whoosh, they let them go. The mindfulness of doing it is where the joy is; it's an exercise in beauty and impermanence. JCG reminds me of that all the time. He loves the process and has little interest in lingering over the end result.



So, today was a banner day that I will treasure in my memory. First, we went to church and JCG got to play with Tio David & Tia Vilma. Then we went to Aunt Betsy's for an all-women brunch. He'd never been there and brunch started right when it was time for his nap, so I was a little apprehensive about whether he'd go down to sleep there. We walked through our little naptime ritual and he went right to sleep for over two hours. Once again, I got the luxury of great food and conversation with a whole group of my friends (Chris, Betsy, Mary Ann, Jenny). He woke up and we got to play with the dogs (he is less and less afraid of them, good 'ole exposure therapy works) in the backyard. Then we got to go for a boat ride with Betsy's husband, Uncle Mike. They were so excited to take him out that they bought him an early birthday present - a body suit/life preserver called a "body glove." Basically he looked like Superman in short tights. Tiny little butt with big huge padding all across his upper body. No way is any kid drowing in that getup. We loved the boat ride, such a beautiful day. Mike let JCG "drive" the boat. I got the impression he was actually purposefully stearing it at some points, though the jury is out on that one. Thank you Betsy and Mike for such a great day!



We have so much to be grateful for, truly I am so thankful. When we pray at the table before meals, it just consists of "thank you for.......(fill in the blank)." I'm not bothering to ask for anything anymore. We have it all, I just want to teach him to be grateful for every little thing, right down to the life jacket.



In conclusion, I still have days when I am dead exhausted (yesterday), fleeting moments when I wonder if I've gotten in over my head, or I start worrying about something like navigating the store or an airport or what happens if we're out on the lake and he melts down, etc. etc. Nine times out of ten my worries don't come to pass. I'm setting in. Will I keep worrying? Word on the street is that is just part of the job description. I am very mindful, though, of practicing keeping it to a minimum and enjoying the moment. If anybody enjoys the moment, it is Joaquin. He is THE TEACHER in that area. His vocabulary is growing exponentially. He is learning to speak about colors, shapes, and even feelings. He literally walks around the house saying "happy!" Seriously, life is good.