Dura Mater

Just beneath our skulls lies a thick membrane that surrounds our extra-firm tofu-like brains, called the "dura mater".  It's tough and leather like, and from what I hear from people who do brain surgery, it's pretty difficult to cut through.  I first leaned about the dura mater in neuroanatomy in vet school, a latin derived word that translates into "tough mother."  At the time I didn't really get the name-- sure, it was tough, but why call it tough mother?

It donned on me during my special Mother's Day extra hot and extra long shower, that there's a reason why it's not called the dura father.  Mothers are the toughest people in the world.  From the early days postpartum, we soldier through torn nether regions and bloody nipples (yes, bloody nipples) to care for and feed our wee ones.  Many of us sacrifice our careers to stay at home or work part time, forgoing our egos and any chances of raises or promotions.  We face and embrace change-- changes in our bodies as well as changes in our relationships.  Trust me, it isn't easy looking at my raisinesque belly in the mirror.  

Just between my group of friends, we've dealt with surgeries, back injuries, stomach flu, and more; all to continue on with the daily tasks of motherhood.  All mothers are dura maters.  Happy Mothers Day.

Wrapping Up

It's hard to believe that we are just under 3 weeks until our move.  Both Mattias and I are wrapping things up at our current jobs: writing up documentation, passing on projects we've babied for the past few years, and hoping we've left behind some tangible, positive changes.  At the same time we are both very excited about our upcoming employment opportunities, and trying to figure out the logistics of having a large-ish family in the middle of the city.  While I've had my moments of panic, I am more concerned with enjoying all this area has to offer before our departure.

A few weeks ago we gathered at the National Arboretum with friends for the annual peak azalea bloom.  I'm pretty sure I've blogged and talked about it every year since we first got here-- it is one of my favorite events in this area.

 We were blessed with spectacular weather and the flowers were vibrant as always.  The big hit this year was a small pond with frogs.

 We didn't hike for long, and the kids got hungry pretty quickly.  They were nice enough to smile for this one picture.

 Afterwards we picnicked in the children's garden, and let the kids rip around in an open field filled with dandelions.

 Anders just chilled on the picnic blanket with me, while Magnus conquered a mountain of mulch.

The last couple weeks we've also made a point to spend even more time with friends, since we know it'll be a while until we come back to this area.  We're especially sad to be moving away from Uncle Mel-- it was a wonderful coincidence that he ended up in this area for his postdoc.  To the boys, he really is their Uncle.  

We drove up to Baltimore last weekend to hang out with Mel and parlay with Allaire, Vijey, Fiona, and Ashok who came down from Philly.  Again, it was a gorgeous weekend.  The boys are standing in front of Mel's prized rosebush, in which he built a cage around to protect from Baltimore squirrels.

 Willie basked in the sun while Mel showed Linus how to make a latte the right way.

 The kids didn't do too much damage to Mel's pristine bachelor pad.  They had a great time playing with each other, while us parents had fun observing how their unique little personalities have developed in the time since we last met.

Then we walked down to Mount Vernon Square for a nice little street festival.  We were had corn dogs and french fries for lunch!

 There were flower and craft vendors, booze, and entertainment.  It was such a great day of relaxation and over eating.  That's just what goes down when we hang with the Wohlgemuths.

The "wrapping up" phase of our East Coast Adventure has brought up a surprising mix of feelings for me.  I'm so glad to be going home but really sad to be leaving behind so many wonderful people.  

We're starting to sell our belongings on Craigslist, and marking what we plan to sell for dirt cheap at a yard sale next weekend.  Someone bought our beloved '98 Honda Civic, and the truck that's shipping our Subaru out West has confirmed a pick up date.  To steal a quote from a friend "Shit just got real."