ARt MuSic & FoOd

This summer has been a real fun exploring with a 2 1/2 year old. I am so exhausted sometimes,

from multitasking the details of daily life, but at the end of the day when I put my Marley to sleep.....it's all so worth it.

Music: Marley pictured with Herman Matthews

This summer I have been making extra efforts to take Marley to live music events in Los Angeles. It so funny how he is past the point of being amused, he is actually studying and memorizing lyrics and melodies. He seizes any opportunity to go up on a stage and ask the drummer if he can play, sometimes they politely say no, but most of the time they prop Marley on their knee and let him play.

Which leads to my epiphany this year.....My 2 yr old gets it! He takes the bull by the horns and goes for it. Honestly, I admire him for his boldness, of course he knows no better, but its his instinct! We all were born with that right? When did it go away? Anyways, this is why I have never been so present in my life. I spent a lot of time in my life worrying about what people thought of me, hanging on to hurtful words, and beating myself up for not meeting unrealistic expectations. It blinded me and outweighed all the amazing things that has happened to me. Well No more. Life is too short and it took me thirty something years to understand ........"that energy & negative people", has nothing to do with you. So my remedy! I really try to stay in the moment, focus and be grateful for everything I have, most importantly family and friends. I treasure every minute with my son. He is life. He is happiness. He is a part of me. If one were to ask me .."What makes you great?" I would say "I with the love of my life was a part of creating one of the most amazing human beings on Earth."

Art:

Everyone in Los Angeles seems to been really into finding the hippest places to receive services, especially for their children. Why? I don't need an art studio to teach Marley to paint. All he needs is water paint, paper, brushes and space! So, we went around the corner to the art store, bought all of our supplies and Marley just went to town. He actually made some really

interesting pieces. One was called "Robot" he made that for his daddy. And the second painting is called "Chocolate ice cream......cold,cold." for his grand mommie. I am not joking that is what he called it when I asked him what it was.

FOOD:

Well my little foodie has a grocery list of things he loves. It goes as such: Kefir, Bread, Cheese, Cereal, Apple Juice, Corn on the Cob, Soup with noodles, pasta, Salmon, California Rolls, avocado, apples, Tortilla chips, Pizza, Broccoli, Lemon, Oranges, Watermelon, rice, cooked carrots, tamales, and Veggie burgers. I am sure there is more, but these are his staples.

In our neighborhood, we have an array of restaurants and cafes to choose from. I often go for a stroll to see what's new and to take advantage of the lunch specials. We walked pass one sports bar with outdoor seating. The sign said "Free pizza with purchase of a beer". I asked Marley if he wanted pizza. Of course he said "YaY, Mama!" So needless to say it was happy hour for both of us.

With all of this said. I feel like I'm experiencing the best years of my life. It seems like I get a new pair of eyes, which in turn has allowed me to recognize my sons passion and gifts. Opening up my heart so much that all I want to do is nurture and give him all the tools to further enjoy what he loves to do. And all I'm doing is taking his lead. I Love you Marley.