My banana-girl was playing with her food this morning, assigning roles to her banana slices: Daddy, Mommy, Baby, and a nameless slice I assumed was Anna Banana. Then a fifth joined: Charly Banana, who stays with Baby while the rest “go to work.” She enacted their fond farewells and moved three slices back to her plate, which, she informed me, was “their work.”
Charly hasn’t stayed with Paul like that for 3 months, but Annie remembers.
Five years ago we moved to Austin, and more than anything it makes me recognize that we’re still at a point in our lives when five years is a long time.
And also we’re happy to be here. Until we become climate refugees and move to Canada.
Annie is, at this point, probably 70% banana.
Welp, Paul walked today. First at school, then at home, then again and again. We’d seen one or two unsteady steps and then toppling into the target, but this was four steps, five, plus lots of standing steady in place. Then as we were signing off a call with Granddad and Susu, he flaps his little hand at the camera and distinctly says, “Ba Ba!” So we’re going to call it his first word, too. (Bryan’s got his version and a video on his blog.)
Big day, the 27th of July! If he’d come on time, he’d be just about a year old.
It would be overgenerous to say that Paul is walking, but he has definitely taken between 1-2 unaided steps. He’s in the zone.
Dad: “Annie, do you know how old you are?”
Annie: “I’m seven. I’m eight, Mr. Paul seven. I’m nine.”
She’s growing up so fast.