17 things I love about Will

when I found out that one of his good friends had created a Nazi parody account and was weighing on whether I should call the kid’s parents or not, he called him on the phone, told him how outraged he was, and asked him to take it down. the friend apologized and deleted the account. “I just can’t have my friends doing this kind of shit” he later told me. 

he greets and thanks people with a firm handshake and genuine smile.

he does the laundry for the whole family. 

he’s always been afraid of rollercoasters, and never been ashamed to admit it. 

he’s always curious, always experimenting. And his dedication to his own personal creative pursuit never ceases to amaze me. 

he taught himself how to make chai latte (my favorite) from scratch to surprise me. 

he (still) loves traveling with me. 

he has his very own sense of humor that mostly consists of creating puns. And he likes to test them on me. Side note: they are rarely funny, but the thought he puts into the exercise always makes me laugh. 

he’s very cost-conscious. 

(but) he knows how to indulge and purchase things that make him happy once in a while. 

he’s an empath. 

he loves volunteering. 

every time I come home late from work, Will sits on my bed, asks about my day and shows me funny videos on his phone. 

he has an independent spirit, enjoys alone time and exploring new places. 

while visiting Madrid, he took me aside and convinced me to surprise Sean with tickets to a Champion’s League football game at Santiago Bernabeu stadium, helping fulfill one of his brother’s longtime dreams.

no matter the situation I know I can always talk sense to him. 

he doesn’t take shit from no one.

happy 17 my boy.

17 things I love about Sean

a few hours after Will got his wisdom teeth pulled out, the anesthesia started to wear off and he was soon rolling on the floor in excruciating pain. Sean felt so powerless that he went out and bought him a comic book.

he loves neutral colors as much as I do.

he taught himself how to edit films and compose music.

we have similar tastes in movies and TV shows so I love giving him recommendations. He usually comes to my bedroom afterwards with a big smile on his face and says “Mom, that was SO good!”

he always asks me if I want a soy chai latte from Starbucks on his way back home.

he’s a loyal friend.

he wrote a few short films and even started working on some, casting his friends and borrowing equipment.

Sean would drop everything, wrap the nursing pillow around his waist and wait patiently to feed his baby brother. At bath time he gathered all the necessary supplies, laid out a clean towel and filled the tub with warm water. Pushing the stroller was his proudest moments. He was and still is the best big brother I could ever have hoped for Oliver.

he has an open mind and has developed good, eclectic tastes in music. Lately, he’s been into Italian rap.

he loves volunteering.

he has a great eye for photography. he’s able to spot a potential photographic moment before the picture is lost, and instinctively frames his shots with interesting compositions.

sunsets and sunrises move him deeply.

words too.

he takes time to print out his favorite photos from his phone.

5 years ago, he was hit by a motorcycle on his way to school. he had a broken collarbone, broken ankle, several broken facial bones, multiple internal injuries and had to stay in a wheelchair for 6 weeks. yet he never once whined or complained, never. even after 5 weeks of daily injections on his hip.

he (still) loves traveling with me.

I see a lot of my own struggles in Sean, and I’ve learned the most from him. he definitely makes me a better mother and a better person every day.

happy 17 my boy. 

you're 13!

I could go on and on about how funny, thoughtful, patient, and wonderfully different they are. but today I just want to remember that 13 years ago I gave birth to two beautiful baby boys, that they are now healthy (and oh-so-hormonal) teenagers, and how incredibly blessed I am to be able to say those two things.

Happy Birthday my crazy monkeys. I'm so proud and grateful to be your mom.

these two

6 weeks ago, the morning after Oliver's funeral, Sean was hit by a motorcycle on his way to school. he was rushed to the hospital and sent for x-rays and full body scans that revealed a broken collarbone, broken ankle, several broken facial bones and multiple internal injuries. on our lowest moments we kept asking "why? is it a joke?" only to be reminded that our son may be in pain and facing a long recovery, but he's alive.

it's been a long, challenging 6 weeks. but the lessons are invaluable. we've learned how to navigate tilted sidewalks on a wheelchair. who our real friends are. to be grateful, always. that candies make the daily injections to prevent blood clots a little more bearable. and that in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, there is no answer but to love each other even more.

thank you so much to all of you who've kept our family in your thoughts and prayers.

the mandatory "gazing into the ocean" Polaroid shot

more "gazing into the ocean" Polaroid shots: the stalker and the dreamer, end of summer, anything, Deauville, Djerba, Tunisia and Saint-Malo.

you're 10!

10 things I love about Sean and Will:

they are avid readers. like, total bookworms.

they always laugh before they tell a joke or a funny story.

they both gave up birthday presents to raise funds and bring clean water to Sarswati Peace School in Nepal.

when they're apart they always call each other on the phone before bed.

they love superheroes almost as much as I do.

they can transform any situation into fun play with a handful of glass marbles or a paper ball.

they still leave notes for Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

I can drop everything, grab my camera and shoot. and it's the most normal thing in the world.

they're the kind of friends who let you eat the last french fry and hold your bag while you tie your shoes.

they believe ice cream makes life better.

I love you my crazy little monkeys.

Happy Birthday!

you're 9!

9 things my sons have taught me:

being a mother is being on auto-repeat mode pretty much all the time.

how to (kick ass) play Wii hockey on Mario Sports Mix.

they will forget how many hours you spent crafting birthday invitations but will always remember that one day you were late picking them up for school.

to laugh at my own incompetence and mistakes.

doing the thing you love and that you do well for even a couple of hours a week can make everything else more enjoyable.

life balance is overrated.

kids need more of your attention and involvement as they get older, not less.

farting and then lying about it is not cool, no matter what age you are or what the circumstances might be.

learning to lose gracefully takes time.

I love you my crazy little monkeys.

Happy Birthday!

Fine Little Gallery featuring some of Will's drawings (thank you Elisabeth!)

grain of sand

"you don't have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation." 

- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

happy ending

we've just returned from a short trip in Chamonix Mont-Blanc, and I will kindly spare you the details of having to share toilets and shower booths with 20 other people (including some I'd never met before, who sang their lungs out at ungodly hours of the morning or toweled off in public space), because the truth is, I'd do it all over again just to watch that expression of sheer joy on my sons' faces the first time they rode a ski lift and came down the beginner slope.

I couldn't have hoped for a better way to end 2010.

Happy New Year!

sunset

watching the sun set over the ocean with my boys in Normandy last week. I see now what they give them, and I know what they give me. those brief, ordinary moments. a place to return to in times of doubt, sadness or adversity. to feel safe, and complete. to feel loved.

Persona (a Flickr set by Jason Travis)