Ashworth Alcove

There are some people who enter your life to enrich it. To bestow some magic upon an ordinary day, or in this case just an ordinary moment. I recently met someone new. A potential design client that I stumbled upon in a serendipitous way. She was sitting at a small outdoor table on the town square eating lunch and taking a break from renovating her upcoming business. Before I ever spoke to her, I noticed her and her family eating together. Their table was covered with plates upon plates of fresh fruit and pastries. She was drinking coffee from a dainty antique teacup. She was wearing a floral apron. I liked it instantaneously. She's just one of those. At first I walked by them and went into another store, but I couldn't stop thinking about her. I wanted to meet her. I had heard about her new business - a coffee shop type place that also offers some baking lessons. After making my rounds around the square I gathered some courage, walked over, and introduced myself. I...

Violet & Oliver, that sounds like a brand name. Or a cartoon - The Adventures of Violet and Oliver. Adventures they will certainly go. See previous adventures here if you can handle the cuteness.

Growth & Appearance: You seem incredibly long. Like, really really long. You have a long torso. Due to your pronounced length, you appear a little slimmer than before. Your hair has grown longer, especially at your nape. You're incredibly fair skinned. Sometimes you can see the tiny blue veins beneath your skin. You have one that is quite visible between your eyes. You weigh 22.5 lbs and are 30 inches long. Moving into 18 month clothing. Size 4 diapers. Teeth: Eight, with a significant gap residing between the front two. Development: You wave frequently. You wave at me first thing in the morning when you wake up, you wave goodnight when we go to bed, when a new person enters the room, when a pet enters the room, and when you hear a familiar voice on the telephone. You've also began to accompany the wave with a quick "hi". Along with hi, you also say: Dada, mama, bye, bite, and pup (dog). You say something very often that sounds like, "lordy,...

As spring came, he left. The trees were beginning to bloom, adding a sweetness to the air. The earth was beginning to wake up once again. It was ironic, saying goodbye. Spring normally doesn't feel quite so heavy. Ways are typically parted at a large public gathering with all of the soldiers and their family. It was different this time. Ben's departure was pushed back (and pushed back again), which landed our goodbyes at the Seattle airport because our flight was leaving a couple days before his. It wasn't what we had planned, but all plans are tentative with the military. In a way, it was easier. Saying goodbye at the departure ceremony last time was miserable. The air felt painfully heavy and every child clung to their mother or father pleading with them to stay. We said our goodbyes on our own terms this time. There was a bit more privacy, though our fellow travelers couldn't resist staring and offering little smiles when our eyes met. I recall the sinking feelin...

There's really no way to prepare for a deployment. There are different emotional stages that come with it. The time leading up to departure is the most tense. My emotions are like a one woman roller coaster ride. This is the first stage - denial. You fight the reality that he is leaving. The truth is he is leaving, no matter what. Earlier today Violet wandered off into the guest room. It's full of Ben's Army stuff and she loves to get into things in there. I knew that's where she had disappeared to and as I approached the room I heard the familiar jingle of Ben's dog tags. She played and examined them (and maybe chewed on them) for twenty minutes, adding such an innocence to everything that's about to happen.

Ben is leaving for Afghanistan in two weeks. This deployment is like the last in that we are saying our see you laters in March once again. It's a dismal month for me.  When you have a military family your entire life is a series of countdowns. Countdowns to deployments, to homecomings, to moves - just always crossing off days until the next big thing. This deployment will be harder for both of us for one small but big reason.

Growth & Appearance: Your hair has a golden quality in natural light (when the sun actually comes out - we are in Washington state after all). I wouldn't be surprised if it has a honey tone about it in the summers throughout your childhood. Surprisingly, my hair was practically white when I was very young. Around 4 years it transitioned to brown. Just sayin'. You have some new hair growth around your crown, so that area usually looks frazzled. You weigh 22.5 lbs and are 29-ish inches long. 12 month clothing. Size 4 diapers. Teeth: Seven teeth now. You've recently sprouted a new bottom one on March 2. We try to always brush your teeth before bedtime. You don't mind. I had to ditch that measly little rubber finger brush though. Those things are dangerous, you about took my finger off multiple times. Teething for you equals fighting your sleep, weird diarrhea, clinginess, and a general whiny disposition. Development:   Something I forgot to mentio...