Recitals and Lost Things

 Twirly dresses, shoes that make noise, big bow in the half pony tail. Barney marathons...

I went to a recital today. I remembered other recitals, ratings of superior from competitions. 

I hear a baby cry today. I remembered my sweet girl on the floor in the little apartment as I recorded her kicking her feet to the classical music. 

I remember a dance recital when you were 3 and the boy with Downs Syndrome was scared and she took his hand and got him through it. 

I remember her visiting her great-grandmother and tenderly putting lotion on her hand. 

I remember how much she wanted to ice skate. I remember driving her to Kettering when we finally lived some place she could take lessons...the trip to the outdoor rink in Atlanta was a bust and trips after Macon Whoopie games sporadic...although there was a rink in Montgomery but we weren't there very long  and one time she skated while visiting her Grandma in Wichita, this made the long drive to KS worth it. 

I remember rainy days and tea parties and watching Pride and Prejudice. 

I remember "making a run to the border" on Fridays for our Taco Bell lunch. 

I remember Bible Study and Chick Fil A. 

I remembered driving her to Macon, Cedarville, and Salem for the piano lessons. Driving for dance lessons, driving to Awana, driving to Cheerleading...driving...

I remember her learning to drive in VA...on Garrisonville Rd...telling her she was too far to the right. She didn't believe me. She believed me when the passenger mirror hit the other cars' driver mirror. Ooops.

Today, I saw a blonde boy in a vest with his guitar at the recital. I remembered the little boy that just HAD to have a guitar. He lasted about 5 lessons.

I remember the little boy who wanted to play hockey since he was 4 and at 6 he got a try hockey for free. He hated the swim practices I had signed him up for and loved the Learn to Play hockey. 

I remembered the vest as he ice skated his way through competitions. The ice skating came in handy for the hockey. More driving. 

I remember him with his tool box staying occupied during his sister's dance dress rehearsal and the squirming at the recital.

I remember stitches in the head from climbing things, slipping, and being the object of his sister's wrath. I remember broken bones and sleeping in the recliner with the ice machine.

I remember him meowing like a cat when waking up from dental work. 

I remember driving miles and miles for his hockey in rain, snow, moonless nights, but oh, the conversation was priceless. 

I talked to a friend after today's recital about her chemistry homework. I remembered my other blonde child's love of biology and her trying to teach me the periodic table. I remembered the little girl with the power points of her favorite animals. The drives to the ice rink with her talking and explaining science and other topics. 

I remember Blue Bear who had to travel with us everywhere. 

I remember nursing you and you would hear a plane, point to the sky, and say, "See? See?" You couldn't see the plane but you could hear it...hearing equaled seeing.

I remember your Pillsbuy doughboy laugh coming from the backseat. My heart melted.

I remember my spring bulbs never coming to fruition because the little blonde had picked them all and scattered the petals across the lawn or made "soup" with them. 

I remember a little girl who danced so well she was promoted up, not winning me any points with the dance moms who had daughters not promoted up...but she refused to dance any more. Why? She hated recitals.

I remember her swim lessons. She could swim forever. Watching her run was like seeing a gazelle in the wild. She picked up a bow, shot an arrow and was asked to join the archery team. She was a natural athlete but preferred to read a book. It's funny how gifted she was athletically, if she had the desire, she could have gone far, especially with hockey...but did I mention how she preferred a book? I liked she had an inquisitive mind. 

I remember a picture of this science-girl in an ice skating outfit holding her hockey stick carrying her hockey bag...oh, and the picture of her in a dress with her stick and bag. Unique. 

More driving for this child, too. Her hockey games required sttanding next to the ice in the penalty box until 10 at night. I loved it. She had grit...and then...More driving,

I remember Tuesday nights leaving the rink and picking up Chinese to watch NCIS with the girl who would know all the lines and quote them by heart. 

I remember the girl who made sure I had my water before I did all the shuttling to the ice rink...the girl who would text lunch orders from school, who wanted a ride to school even when we lived next to the school, or would text wanting to come home early because she had all her work done. 

I remember her love of soup...from her first soup at Panera in MA as a one year old to the girl who wanted homemade soup so much I bought a cookbook with 300 soup recipes. 

I loved being their mom. 

I remember. They don't.

Lost things.