So Adelaide brought home this book from the school library the other week:
This amid all the tensions with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and I thought to myself, oh dear, have I had NPR on too much in the car? So I asked Adelaide, "Why did you pick this book?" Her response, "Daddy told me that Alaska used to be part of Russia and so I thought maybe people there still speak it and this way I will know how to say hi to them."
This coming from the one who I was most worried about their reaction to this move; turns out, she may be the most excited.
So there's this swing in our basement. Our neighbor gave it to us 6 years ago. And at first it hung outside on a tree branch; we swung Adelaide in it a few times that summer. But as we were bringing it in for the winter, Graham noticed there were two perfectly spaced hooks on a steel beam in our basement to hang it and there is has stayed since.
There are many things about our little Shaker Heights home that I love. "Classic and cozy brick colonial" is what the listing says, and its true. It's been an absolutely perfect place to start our family.
But there are some things about this home that will forever be unique to our experience and that I will hold dearly in my heart. This silly, hand-me-down of a swing is one of them. Because it represents many many hours of fun and just general hanging out that the girls spent with whoever was willing to push them.
Here's an old video...classic example of trying to catch kids doing something on video and being 2 minutes too late...but it does show us just hanging out. In our jammies, Addy giving Cora a little push, music playing.
We joke it serves as a confessional. There's something about just sitting in one place, swinging back and forth, that makes both our girls just open up. "Hey, Grandma, you know what happened at school today?" "Hey, Mom, you know why I was crying earlier?" Everything and anything comes out of their mouths.
Whenever Cora is cranky, there are two quick cures: send her outside because fresh air just makes her happy, or stick her in the swing. Instant mood changer.
Both girls have long since grown past the recommended age (and probably height and weight restrictions) for this baby swing. But that doesn't stop them from now using it like a piece of equipment you would see in a circus. Perhaps we've watched Madagascar 3 too many times?
Other great memories:
* Adelaide forever asking Grandma Sherry "Grandma, is this safe, or danger?" Always one to challenge Grandma's comfort zone with her acrobatics!
* "Mommy [or Daddy], can I have a roller coaster?" Which involves pushing the girls so high that their feet tap the ceiling and then letting them go as they swing backwards.
* "Music please" because from the moment she could talk, the minute her butt would hit the swing, Cora needed music to sing and dance along with as she would swing.
Cora has two very real imaginary friends...Coo Coo and Chadha. Sometimes they are accompanied other friends from a wide ranging cast of characters, but Coo Coo and Chadha are always with us. Cora prepares them meals, makes sure they go to school, drops them off at parties and playdates.
While the grown-ups and Adelaide may share a smile whenever Cora mentions her friends, a sort of "isn't that cute" kind of smile, I can say that in a very real way, I love that Cora has her very dear friends, Coo Coo and Chadha.
