when i saw this

little lady standing

in for my baby.

i’ve said it before,

and i’ll likely say

it everyday for

the rest of my life…

“where did my baby go?”

when did

this baby of

mine, become a

little girl?

it must have

happened when we

were out having fun.

that my favorite

photos of us,

always seem to

include balloons?

(see?)

bluer than any

i’ve seen in, like,

forever.

eyes like the

ones your mom used

to show

me love.

now.

when you look

at me,

i feel the love

of two.

watching you explore

your world,

wherever in the

world we happen to be.

but i was

a little scared

when you climbed

this ladder.

it seems that

you have no

fear, which is

something i really love

about you.

but please be

careful, because i

don’t need any more

gray hair.

but see your

mom

in this photo.

we used to

come to this place,

and walk

down this same street,

and talk about

a future with you,

before you were you,

and watch similar

clouds roll

over us.

and last year i

was here with you,

but you couldn’t walk,

and you had no

words for the

things you loved

and hated.

and now…

you walk these

streets with me,

picking up rocks,

throwing them as

far as you can,

yelling “birdie”

and “fock”

(which i think is frog, but sounds more like “fuck”),

and yelling for

any person who may

be too far

ahead or behind

you on this road.

and i think about

a future with you,

a future that

will be nothing

short of perfect,

despite the imperfect start.

so keep running,

throwing, and kinda

swearing, ’cause

it makes me happy.

i love it when

you do things

like this.

i mean, a few

years ago i would

have thought,

“damn…that kid is getting crumbs all over my bed.”

but now…

now i just

look at you

and smile,

thinking about

how you are the

one who

can make the

shittiest day ever

disappear in seconds.

not sure

where i’d

be without you,

but i know

i wouldn’t be smiling.

you’ve got to

start earning your

keep, kid.

plus you’re never

gonna see this white

stuff in los angeles,

so enjoy it while

you can.

(where did your right hand go?)

how scared will you

be when we’re

facing the real thing,

in temperatures below zero?

i think we’re

going to be spending

a lot of

time indoors while

we’re in mn.