Girls' Night In

Tonight was "Boys' Night Out". Normally Ethan and daddy go for Chinese, belt out "The boys are back in town" in the car, and do whatever else boys do. But tonight the boys headed off to meet the Cousins Silbert at a Japanese steak house. (I was sick, and the 7pm reservation was too late for Cami). So, technically speaking, Boys Night Out was just the drive to the restaurant in Westport.

Although it's become a cherished ritual for Ethan, boys' night is tough for Cami, who always feels left behind. She was particularly upset tonight, and only the promise of cereal for dinner appeased her. She had two bowls of her favorite, raisin bran, and some yogurt and blueberries for dessert. Afterward, she asked to go for a walk, and in my attempt to prove that "Girls' Night In" was just as fun, I went, even though I was barely conscious.

It happened to be a perfect summer evening - the sun was just starting to set, the smell of fresh blooming gardens and BBQ filled the air, and best of all, the mosquitos hadn't yet come out for their evening kill. We walked up and down Coventry Court, played chase around the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the hill, acquired a few new boo-boos, found a bird's nest, an army of ants, a neighbor's new puppy and some stones for walking and balancing. But by far, the most thrilling was coming upon our very own shadows. They were somehow more vivid and enchanting than ever before, and because of the time of day, were considerably long. Camryn was captivated and couldn't get enough, even though this wasn't her first encounter. She kept going back to play with them, and whether or not she understands the physics of a shadow-- intuitively, maybe?--in that moment she played with ours as if they were her dearest friends. A few minutes later she initiated a mirroring game with me, which I found so interesting... Was she comparing and contrasting the difference in how I, a real person, and her shadow reflect her movements? This extraordinary childhood ability to see magic in every reality-- coupled with a quest to understand it--is stunning to me, still.

I was able to capture the moment that she kissed my shadow, on video, and after you see it, I'm sure you'll understand why tonight marks the beginning of OUR OWN special ritual!