"Head...Shoulders...Knees and...SOCKS!"

This September 11th Spouse and have once again made a conscious effort to avoid rememrance programming. We watched Sesame Street and The Wiggles this morning, the only news I've watched was on the Weather Channel regarding Hurricane Ivan, and I read one article in today's Washington Post about Pentagon survivors and rescue workers. That was it for me.

I remember what I was doing on 9/7-9/9/01 (at a retreat in Baltimore then on Sunday I got my new glasses), on 9/10/01 (I stayed home from work to wait for the plumber). 9/11/01, well we all know what happened on that day, and on 9/12/01, I was home from work. President Bush had declared that the government would be open, but my agency was closed. I went shopping because there was no point staying at home any longer watching news coverage. It was very bizarre because everyone was going about their daily lives but in a complete daze. You couldn't find American flags or red, white, and blue ribbons anywhere. Everyone was sold out. I eventually ordered Spouse's anniversary gift on the internet. It didn't even occur to me that even FedEx planes were grounded.

It was amazing watching the Pentagon be rebuilt. The spot where the plane crashed faces Washington Boulevard, which runs alongside the Pentagon. I drive that road to work every morning. In fact just an hour before the crash I was sitting in that same spot stuck in traffic. I still marvel at the strength of the Pentagon workers to rebuild and get back to work.

Today though - 9/11/04 - we made a new September 11th memory. Today our Child had his very first ice cream cone. (Single scoop of cinnamon chocolate chip in a sugar cone for those keeping score at home). At first it was my cone, and I asked him if he wanted some and he would shout "NO!!!" This disturbed me. If I hadn't given birth to him, I would have doubted at this very moment that he was in fact my child. As I got closer to the bottom of the cone, he got a little braver. He stuck his finger in the ice cream and then tasted it. He then started sticking two fingers in the ice cream and then sharing it with me and Spouse. Then he got adventerous and eating the cone. Ice cream dripping down his chin, and both hands a sticky mess. Eventually it was a done deal and he took over the cone and was very unhappy when he finished it and it was all gone. Spouse and I had so much fun sitting together outside, with Child sitting on my lap, and watching him experience the simple joy of eating an ice cream cone. That is a September 11th memory that I hope not to forget.