“Take a Picture!”

I’ve been spending a lot of time with Meera since the boys went back to school on January 3. Winter Break at Lehigh, in between semesters, is what makes this possible (I start classes again next week). As a university professor I’m unbelievably privileged to have unbelievable flexibility (an unbelievable blessing and an unbelievable curse!), which, now that I’m tenured, I am maximizing to the Nth degree. My career takes a toll, but I’ve made a conscientious decision that I’m willing to pay the cost… whatever it may be down the road. The pay-off comes right now… in the form of the dedicated time I get to spend with my bambinos. I’ve been picking up the boys from school everyday (a luxury for this working mom), and I’ve been spending 24×7 with Miss Meera Grace (a real –and I mean this— treat). To be honest, there are plenty of moments when I’m thinking to myself, “I am not cut out for this” (the at-home gig). But, also to be honest, there are plenty of moments when I’m thinking to myself, “There is no place on earth I’d rather be than right here right now.” The rest of the moments, in between loads of laundry and piles of dishes and an email inbox that is overflowing, I’m lost somewhere in between. (Or I’m daydreaming about our next vacation, but that’s another story). Anyway…  Meera does a lot of interesting stuff that I could blog about. I mean, she’s 2, and 2 year olds are completely fascinating (especially to a sociologist). Amongst many other blog-worthy moments, today, at one point, as I was unloading the dishwasher and she was playing, she called out to me, “Mama! Take a picture!” I looked over and saw what you see below. I grabbed the camera and obliged her. She wanted to see the picture on the back screen of the digital camera. She loved it. Here it is: