Anthropodino

P's favorite art installation closes soon, so we hustled back for one more viewing. This time, with Aunt Alicia :) It was a full day for the little man, a short play date at our house, a trip to the Mulberry Street Library, a jaunt uptown for the exhibit, a family taco run in the evening and then a lengthy stalking session at Whole Foods in search of their mint balls...

P was So excited for Ali to see this show. Its just gorgeous and brilliant and sublimely evocative and he just knew she'd appreciate it. I Love hearing the little man ponder its meaning every time we go. It seems the abstract quality in this work really suits his temperament, his imagination soars and his questions are self answered. It reminds me of the Einstein quote: "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

The armory was Packed this time, the city getting one last glimpse. And while P was happy to experience the space again, his primary focus was Aunt Alicia :) More and more I grow invisible when she's around. His comfort level with her is increasing to almost comical proportions. He leans on her, makes demands of her, holds hands with her, sing-songs her name every few minutes and just generally assumes he is her sun; that she lives to orbit him ;) Any attempt on my part to give her some space, allow her to snap a pic without a bump, gets a growl or other defensive acts of emotional pain. Its such a fine line to walk. I'm thrilled he has people in his life he loves so much, that love him; that he can spread comfortably beyond me. But his social boundaries are still so fuzzy, and I don't want his loved ones to get rug burn... Meanwhile, any allusion to said abrasion seems hurtful to the little man and he wants to believe I am wrong, that everyone loves everything he does. Its all out of love and excitement - how could it be wrong??? Childhood has so many rough awakenings it sometimes seems heartbreaking to me.

Anyway, I digress :) Nothing was heartbreaking on Friday. P was in heaven bouncing around, smelling spices, luxuriating on styrofoam bead beds, climbing on Alicia :)

P and A decide they'll live here forever:



A, working her magic behind the lens:



Playing a hidden hand game with P, that brought out his inner fluster (he'd seen a child chastised for touching the fabric during our last visit - my little legal stickler!)



Honestly, there's only so long one can sit still for two photo happy red-heads before funky faces erupt....



As I returned from the loo, bag packed and ready to go, I just had to pull out my camera again. P and Alicia lay on the floor, Ali, trying to get her shot, P leaning comfortably on her, shifting as she shifted, listening intently to whatever yarn she was weaving. It was such a sweet moment. Ahhh, that the child has family, here, in this sometimes solitary city, so far from our original "home." It warms my heart. That they are such phenomenal family is more than a transplant could ask for. Now, if we can only get Uncle Ian up here..........




The crowds nixed the seafoam balls, saving us about three hours ;) So we headed out, on schedule, to meet Ethan and Seth for tacos. The little man glowed as he entered the subway, the realization that so many loved ones would be dining together after such a wonderful afternoon - in his words, "how lovely!"