Little One.

I've got my eyes on you, Little One.

Be fearless. Be truthful. Be kind.

I want the Hotel to be a beacon for you as you grow up in this mostly dark world. I want you to gain strength from this icon, this home. I want you to gain confidence that you too can be unique, and powerful, and warm, and inviting.

I want to read you Shel Silverstein books like my mom did with me.

Your Best
If you always try your best
Then you'll never have to wonder
About what you could have done
If you'd summoned all your thunder.

And if your best
Was not as good
As you hoped it would be,
You still could say,
"I gave today
All that I had in me."

"Nice to meet you," said the frog.

We have so many tree frogs here.

They're always in the same places too. Like, these guys each have their own turfs. This one is always on my office window. There are three others who hang out on and around the porch light. And there was one who lingered in the downstairs shower for a good three weeks or more.

I don't know if they inhabit other houses in McIntosh like they do the Hotel. I'm hoping so as that would make me feel less odd. I have to imagine they're so prolific around here because of our proximity to water. These aren't water frogs, but they do thrive on the mosquitoes and whatnot that are abundant around here because of Orange Lake.

We enjoy spotting them when to pop up in new locations. It's become a game over the last year or so.

Do you like frogs?

Hotel Guest: No. 1

We had a guest this week. Her name is Jillian and she came from Chicago. It was wonderful to have her stay at the Hotel. While her visit was short, it had a tremendous impact. She worked from the kitchen, picked Dominic up from school for me, and even took him grocery shopping. 

You see, Jillian came to stay for a few days so that I could focus on my family - my sister was admitted to the hospital and I needed someone to assist with the parenting while I did my best to get through my work days and then hustle up to see my sister in the hospital.

While Jill was here, I made a couple jokes to her that the Hotel is haunted. Well, quasi-jokes. I'm not sure whether it's haunted or not, but I'll tell you this much, if it is - it's by good, friendly, old ghosts. And I don't mind at all.

Family Fun Time: Part i

Dominic will not stay away from JM's travel chess board. So tonight, instead of puzzles, he and I set up the board and I allowed him the space and time to explore how the pieces look and where they go and a little bit about what they do.

Nights like tonight make me wish time could slow down just on occasion so I could cherish these moments even more.

Is it just me or do other people have a tendency to rush through an evening sometimes just to get to chores that you know are piling up?

Tonight is not one of those nights. Tonight I introduced my eager son to the beauty of a chess board. He likes it. A lot. But he does call it checkers, so we've got a bit of work to do yet.

xo. Sweet Dominic, don't grow up too fast, okay?