Eleanor

Yesterday the kids and Gary and I took a hike at High Rock in Needham. Gary used to spend a lot of time here as a teenager drinking or hanging out with friends, skipping school. He told us some of his best times were times when he skipped school. Sadie and Jonah and Gary wanted to climb the big rock but Nora and I didn't and so we walked ahead along the path. I like to be alone with Nora because she is so content with where she is at any given moment. Sometimes we don't talk or we talk about things that really make no difference in the end, just talking, passing the time. She is a fairy living among trolls in our world. Her innocence pours out of her at all times. She can't help it. She is the only child who I know I could absolutely never send to school unless it was Waldorf where she could be among other fairies much like her. She picked up a stick that was bigger than her and proceeded to crush ice below her and tell me about the little people that live below the ice throughout the winter and even though it was really cold and sometimes there magic didn't work so well they could still survive and they thrived on laughter and parties.
Fairy parties, we had one the other day when Nora turned 7. All of her girlfriends came dressed as fairies or just beautiful beings. Quinny came too and he was dressed as a caped knight defending dear Nora. He came bearing the gift of a hand made candle and Nora accepted this with thrill and love.
For her birthday she wanted a hand made cake from Gramma and a song from her father and her father learned all the words to Eleanor by the Turtles included at the end of this post. Nora sang with her Dad and her Dad cried and Nora smiled. She has won him over again.
Nora and I went to her violin lesson today. Usually Daddy brings her as he does with all of the musically activities in our house but today I was blessed with the gift of alone time with Nora. She came flying in to this teacher's home immediately on the floor with the cat, kicking her shoes off and laughing boldly at the food the teacher was cooking in the kitchen. It hit me like a wave how different she is from other 7 year olds tonight at violin, how naive and precious she is, how innocent and gentle. She told me and her teacher all about the cats and violins and her dad and the fairies and as we walked out the door and I told her how beautiful she sounded she told me of course she did.
Of course she does.
I love the idea that she has not yet figured out the idea that failure is possible, the accomplishment can only be had by other people, that of course she can.
I love that I never have to drag her anywhere and make her do things.
Nora's favorite word this week is crest fallen.
I told her that was a beautiful word and asked her where she heard it and she told me she didn't know, somewhere and that in fact it was not a beautiful word but a tragic and sad word.

Eleanor
The Turtles
You got a thing about you

I just can't live without you

I really want you, Elenore, near me

Your looks intoxicate me

Even though your folks hate me

There's no one like you, Elenore, really

Chorus:


Elenore, gee I think you're swell

And you really do me well

You're my pride and joy, et cetera

Elenore, can I take the time

To ask you to speak your mind

Tell me that you love me better



I really think you're groovy
Let's go out to a movie
What do you say, now, Elenore, can we?
They'll turn the lights way down low
Maybe we won't watch the show
I think I love you, Elenore, love me