2001 - Where Were You?

... When the World Stopped Turning?

On January 4, 2001 we spent the entire afternoon with our new friends: Trey, Cam, and Julie King at their home. It was already dark when we left at nearly 6 pm. On the way home, we had this conversation: you: “I miss Grammy and Grandpa.” me: “ I know honey, I miss them too.”

you: “Do you think they miss me?” Me: “Of course, Honey.”

You: “Do you miss your Mommy & Daddy?” Me: “Yes, I do.”

You: “Do you think they miss you too?”

Me: “Yes, I do.” And with that, the seeds were planted. The gears started turning… When could we go? How could we get there? Couldn’t we just drive? Dave was leaving for Europe Saturday afternoon,so... Road Trip!! 1/5/01

I love the beauty of your focusJanuary 9, 2001

Celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday with the Kings

with Trey King celebrating Dr. Seuss Birthday March 2, 2001

Making clouds, seeing the butterflies and so much more at a visit to the Science Museum in Durham

March 20, 2001 - Gram visiting to help celebrate your 5th Birthday! :)

 Sunday, May 13, 2001 journal entry:  Mother's Day at Hemlock Bluff's Nature Center, the we dropped your father off at the airport for another business trip. This time, Cork Ireland. Woah, just read this again Oct1, 2023. Now I REALLY hope we get there!
  We to the Plaster House and for whatever reason, you said: "Stay there - I want to watch over you like God" Tingly! sweet LOVE. You even touched the corner of my eye and said "you're sparkling" and then came the butterfly kisses!! :) 

Apparently we took a trip of our own and went to Connecticut for a few days:

Tuesday, May 22, 2001 Flew back from Connecticut to Raleigh. Your dad came to the airport, which was much nicer than arriving to no one and having to collect luggage and take the bus out to our car. You rode home with Daddy, of course, so I stopped for a quiet coffee and a few deep breaths...

Funny - 8/28/2022 - recently was going through box of tidbits and found the scrap of paper on which I'd written "when we're late we're not because whenever we get there is the right time." And "quote of the day from July 10, 2001 on our way to day 2 of nature camp at Yates Mill." What a hurried time the summer was - 

 I'm calling this our "before" picture, as in before 9/11

8/28/2022 - I noticed the scrap of paper on which Uncle Ken wrote the name we'd called you then, so I downloaded the photo and cropped it. It felt very important to me - suddenly - to be REAL...

 September 11, 2001
Ritsa Mallous' Kindergarten class at A.V. Baucom Elementary. I was at the eye doctor, and then wandered about the rest of the day looking up at the empty sky. I called Gram, and in the days that followed, gave blood, went to church with neighbors, and spent time with the other playgroup Moms whose husbands were also on travel for work. Your father was in England, so it took him many days to get home. That being the case, I can still remember sitting wide awake in our bed watching a country music award show and seeing this live performance when it first aired. Click here for a link to the video. I allowed myself the full luxury of crying that I'd been holding back all week, being strong for my daughter. I am grateful that you remember very little of this incredibly sad time, but a part of me wishes you could know why it is so important to remember.

Sunday, October 7, 2001 - We tagged along on a trip to Florida with your father, so Ms. Mallous gave us “homework” to do since you were not on break from school. Day 1: “Listen to some music with your child. Clap your hands to the beat together.”We went to Downtown Disney Legoland. Surreal, since this was also the day President Bush declared war on terrorism...

Monday, October 8, 2001 Day 2: “Help write name correctly (first letter capital only).” We did that while we had breakfast and then read Miss Bindergarten gets Ready for Kindergarten.

Tuesday, October 9, 2001 Day 3: “Talk to your child about being respectful.” Self-respect is recognizing that you are as important as anybody else on earth. Respect for others means recognizing their rights as people and understanding life from their point of view. Respect for authority is recognizing that rules and laws – along with teachers, police officers and other adults who enforce them – exist so that people can live peacefully. Read People by Peter Spier.

Oct 10: Read a story together and have your child retell the story: A Mother for Coco. And then we went to Disneyworld :) The first thing we did when we got to Disney was get a stroller. Next: Flying Dumbo, Carousel, Tea cups, frozen coke & PBJ, Tinkerbell’s Treasures, It’s a Small World, Mickey’s Toon Town Fair Minnie’s Home, Mickey!! Peter Pan’s Flight, Train Ride Around the Park, The Haunted Mansion and the Main Street Parade. Whew! I’m tired again just typing all that!!

Oct 11: Practice position words (in, front, behind). Your idea was for us to play “school” as Miss Liz and her assistant Mrs. Manning. Miss Liz clarified which assignment was homework and which are the “sight words” (it, in, to, the, is, I, a, and an). Then began saying things like “good job” and “group time!” … “Now our star of the week: Splashy our land dolphin” ok, it is now D.E.A.R. time: Drop Everything And Rest. Soon it will be lunch time. After our D.E.A.R. time and then centers – Legos.

Oct 12, 2001 Friday: Practice the sight words, locate them in books, magazines, etc. We did this home work on Thursday while playing school in our hotel room. On Friday, we got to spend the day with Dad and we all went to Disney MGM Studios. While Dad took a backlot tour or two, you and I went to see Buzz & Woody, a Christmas shop, and a 3D Muppet Movie. Plus, Bear in the Big Blue House, Rolie Polie Olie, Stanley, Pooh, Tigger & Eeyore & Piglet at the Playhouse Disney set. For dinner we had take out in our room so we could rest and pack to go home.

It was Julie King who suggested and encouraged me to write to you. Not only in the way that I had been doing to this point, but in a more conversational, personal way. I am so glad you and Trey met at Hemlock Bluffs :)

October 14, 2001: We were playing hide and seek and suddenly you noticed all of your glow in the dark alphabet letters and a glow in the dark plastic snake and said: "Look! snake eating alphabet soup in the dark!" :) Love these moments :)

November 2001 - We had an amazing conversation in the living room with just the fireplace for light and you asked me again about the planes that crashed into those 2 big buildings. I think you had the impression that the whole things was an accident on the part of the pilots. I hope you find it somewhat reassuring that it was not, and that many people are doing everything they can to ensure that it will not happen again. You said: "men that thought it was ok to kill people." I agreed because I think that is very accurate from your perspective. We talked about the song you heard the other night and liked. "Father Forgive Them". We also talked about church and the topic of his past week: Prayer and Miracles. I asked you what you thought a miracle is and you said "life".

We talked about prayer and meditation and how sometimes the only thing we can do to help someone or a situation is PRAY and that mediation is when we listen to God. I asked if you know how to listen to God or your heart and why your heart? Your answer was so perfect: "Because God is in my heart." Thank you for being exactly who you are. I love you very much xoxoxox Mom

Thanksgiving in Connecticut/Rhode Island with the "big" family :)

I found a notebook full of lists for this part of our lives when I was doing so much, including applying to Meredith, teaching Sunday School at Unity Dec 2, 2001
"My Mom's the teacher!!" you said - and the topic that week was Secret Garden.