Oh, He Walked?

OK, so I am a bad mother, not in a Joan Crawford, "Mommy Dearest" way, or even a Brittney Spears way, more in a Martha Stewart, scrapbook, "How could you not pictorally document a momentous occasion in your child's life?" way. Here I am, the mother who brings her camera everywhere, from a no-occasion lunch to the doctor's office, just in case there is some super precious moment that I might want to capture. (Truth be told, motherhood has only intensified this practice. I have always done this - just ask Lolly!) On Sunday, Reeves and I went to IOP to visit with a lifelong friend of mine, Helen, and to meet her new son, Wyatt. As soon as I pulled into the driveway at the beach, I realized my Grand Canyon error. My camera was sitting on the chair in the den, right where I'd left it after taking random pictures of Reeves because I liked the way the morning sun was coming in the window and lighting his face. (Do you see what I mean when I say that I don't need a lot of inspiration to take a plethora of pictures?) Oh, the inhumanity! Here I was, smack dab in the middle of such sweet photo ops, and I had no camera. It was awful. Why did we all have to go and have such cute kids? Then, to make matters a thousand times worse, we went down to the beach, and Reeves took his first sequential four steps! I've got a great mental picture of it, and luckily, there were others there to see it. And really, it's not like I would have really gotten pictures of him walking anyway, but I certainly would have loaded up that memory card with plenty of other pics. I need to just start leaving the small camera in my bag, thereby ensuring that from now on, if I miss a picture, it is because I choose to miss it, not because I am unable to take it.

Water Babies

Later on Saturday, we went to David and Jenny's to play in the pool and grill some dogs and brats. (David is a master brat cooker, for those of you who don't know.) This marked the first time Reeves had been in a big pool. Kiddie pools are for babies, and these are big kids. He loved it and took immediately to the water. Bryant swears he was even trying to kick. He isn't a huge fan of having water splashed in his face, which surprises me because I have never shielded his face from the bath water, and I am now beginning to wonder if perhaps I wasn't a bit too overzealous when it came to "making sure he wasn't afraid of water in his face." Anyway, we had a great time, and it was so much fun to have all three little ones together. I'm sure the above picture will be repeated many times in the coming years. Hopefully, there will be more hair in the later ones!

Leeze danced.

Henry splashed.

Reeves kicked.

And David tossed...

...and tossed...

...and tossed.

I have decided I pretty much either need to have a pool of my own or live in a neighborhood with a pool.

Water Baby

Saturday, we Bairs had a nice relaxing day at home. It was nice to have absolutely nothing on the agenda. Reeves took a great morning nap, had a wonderful lunch, and went for a swim. We finally set up his baby pool, and he loved it - although, I think he may have been a bit confused at first, thinking it was a bath. I suppose if I had put a bathing suit on him, it would have helped with the distinction, but that tooshie is just too cute! Well, that and the fact that we gave him some of his bath toys to play with.... You will notice that the pool is a nice bright yellow with a nice royal blue bottom. I bought this thinking how convenient it would be to have this little blow up pool that will neatly deflate and be out of the way, and the colors are awesome for pictures. Well, the colors may be great, but the blowing up bit is a nightmare. From now on, this pool stays in the car for a swim need emergency. Tomorrow, we get in Daddy's truck and head to Wally World for an old fashioned, hard as a rock, plastic pool. Reeves will get much more home swim time if we do that!

Reeves and His Cuzzes

Just thought I would post some pics of Reeves and his favorite cousins. We are so lucky to have so much family right here. I wish we could see Leeze and Henry more often, but, as I have been saying for the past 6 years, things have got to slow down soon. (Yeah, right!)
Reeves and I stopped by to see Leeze last Thursday since she was going to New York on Saturday to see Casey's parents. (Lucky Morn and Case get to spend 4 days in the city, while Leeze gets to spend quality time with her grandparents.) Anyway, when I called Morn to tell her we were coming over, she was just about to put L in her bath, so she held off till we got there. These two had such fun playing together. It was hilarious to watch them. All that money spent on bath toys, and you see what their favorite toy was.
At 4 years old, Preston is Reeves' oldest cousin. He also doubles as his older brother. Preston's mom, Julie, Bryant's sister, watches Reeves for us during the day. We are so lucky to have her. Reeves gets absolutely the best care possible. I wish I didn't have to work, but it is so comforting to know that Reeves is with people who love him like their own. I really think Reeves is learning and doing things that, if he did not have Preston as a role model, he would not be doing yet. He does his absolute best to keep up with Preston. In return, Preston is his watchdog. He is more worried about him than we are! "Kacky, hold on to him! He might fall!" "Kacky, I think Reeves needs his bottle." What kind of a mother am I that I am getting parenting advice from a 4 year old boy?! Hard to believe that at this time last year, Jenny and I were about to pop. We had no idea what we were doing or what lay ahead of us. What an adventure. Now look at these two boys! They are going to have so much fun together as they grow up. I just hope they don't get in too much trouble!! They are so similar and so different, but they both make our hearts melt.

All Hail the King

We had a coworker's sick child with us today, and she begged him to take her to BK for lunch. Not sure if any of you have ordered a Kid's Meal at Burger King lately, but the next time you do, be sure to read the "Rules of the Crown" printed inside the crown. Apparently, "Whoever places the Crown on his or her head first, then in a loud voice proclaims, 'I am the King' is from that moment forward, in charge." One of my favorite rules of the advanced play is that "The King must speak with some kind of cool accent." There is a Three Second Law - "The King's rule ends when the Crown is removed from their head for any reason, accidental or otherwise, for more than three seconds. The first person to exclaim, 'One…two...three...King' may claim the Crown." I guess this is similar to the three second rule regarding food consumption, but not nearly as disgusting - particularly in a BK restaurant. If you choose to become King, please note that regarding the magnitude of your kingdom, "If you are eating in s Burger King restaurant, your rule extends all the way to the edge of the parking lot. Off restaurant grounds, your rule extends to a radius of 10 feet around you in any direction." Of course, in our incredible litigious society, there is a warning, but it is refreshingly glib. "WARNING: This Burger King Crown is made of paper. Your rule may end prematurely if Crown is exposed to water or flame." (Ha! Just try to get around that one, Bill Green!) Kinda Makes showering and maintaining rule tough. Anyway…. Now, I must run because Chloe has abdicated her Crown for much longer than the required three seconds, and I am only four words away from complete 10' radius domination!

Where Are They Now?

OK, I can't take credit for thinking of this myself. I read it in a comment on a blog from a blog from a blog, etc. Anyway, this goes back to Grey's Anatomy for a minute..... What about Meredith's panties? She never found them. When and where will they turn up, and who will find them? You know they are going to be an issue, otherwise, why mention them at all? Ugghh, this is driving me crazy!

What a Show!

I took these pictures around 9:30 Sunday night. Our power was out, so when the lightning wasn't flashing, it was pitch black dark. It was very eery and super cool. And coolest of all, Reeves slept through the whole thing. He only later woke up crying because he couldn't find his pacifier in the dark - enter the battery powered Coleman lantern. Worked like a charm.

My First Mother's Day

Reeves turned 11 months old on my first Mother's Day, May 14. I can't believe almost a year has passed since we brought our Cinderella Man into this world. What a wonderful Mother's Day this was. Reeves slept until 8:30. That was a great present in and of itself. Anyway, as is usual for our Sunday mornings, we had to rush and hurry to make church on time. Bryant and Reeves gave me my cards and present before we left. It was so sweet and special. I love my boys! As soon as we got downtown, I turned around only to find Reeves completely passed out. Since we were having dinner at Andy and Carolyn's later, Bryant and I decided to let him sleep. We spent the next two hours driving around the Old Village. I had forgotten just how massive it is. We went to places I have never even seen before. Neither of us could get over how much new construction is going on. I didn't think there were any open lots left! The drive was unexpected and, given gas prices these days, expensive, but we had such a nice time. Sometimes you have to get away just to get together. Being stuck in the car is not such a bad thing. It's good to slow down and reconnect with your husband. Dinner at Carolyn and Andy's was wonderful. There might not be a better piece of meat out there than the NY strip from the New York Butcher Shop. And Andy rocks for having it for us! It was so nice to spend time together with the family and the kiddies. I feel like I never get to see them. Thank you, Andy and Carolyn for hosting us. We missed our Mom, but you know how she loves the golf. Why we ever got her that first set of clubs, I'lll never know!

Luckily, when we stopped by to drop off her cards, Mom and Dad had already returned, so we did get to spend a bit of time with her on Mother's Day. Reeves managed to find every bit of dirt on their front porch. He was too cute. I love being a mother, even though I don't get to be with Reeves nearly as much as I would like. Sometimes I feel like two separate people, and it's hard to reconcile the two. But my guys make all the hard work and tears worth it. I don't care if Hallmark created Mother's Day. I enjoyed my first one immensely and look forward to many more!

....Of course, the one thing we didn't get was a picture of Reeves and me on Mother's Day!!

Pompion (Pumpkin) Hill

Sunday, April 30, we went with the Townsends and Willises to Pompion Hill.

It was wonderful. Pompion Hill is an old chapel way up the Cooper River. Twice a year they have services out there. Boo and Jimmy had arrived early and saved us seats. Unfortunately, they were in the corner of the church farthest from the only open door. We chose to wait outside - just couldn't count on the boys keeping still and quiet through the whole service and without a readily accessible exit, we weren't willing to risk it. But the weather was gorgeous, so we didn't mind a bit being stuck outside. And luckily, the chapel is under renovation, so there was a huge sandpile for Davis to play on.

After the service, we went to Blessing Plantation and had a picnic. Boo had put together quite a spread. Reeves napped in the car through most of the picnic. We had a great spot right under a big oak tree. Once he woke up, we walked around a bit. We got to see May Fitzgerald for, much to my embarassment, the first time. She is just beautiful.

I can't wait to watch all these children grow up together. I couldn't believe it, but the bugs were not a problem at all. What a treat to have a day like that in late April. The whole day was just what you imagine when you think of a lazy, southern, spring afternoon. All that was missing were the hoop skirts and the top hats. There was, of course, plenty of seersucker!

Ebb Tide

On April 29, Reeves had his second boat ride. (I swear this is it for counting. We are not keeping track of how many boat rides he has! But for now, it's only two!) Anyway, we went to Rockville for dinner with the Townsends and Willises. Luckily, we got down there with just enough time to jump in the boat and ride past the club before the sun went down. It wasn't really that cold, but I didn't want the breeze to get in Reeves' ears, hence the arctic get up he's in. It was pretty funny because when I put him on the cooler seat, he had so many layers on that he couldn't move. Davis loved having him sit beside him.

That night we had london broil, hashbrown casserole, and salad for dinner. I only mention this for two reasons. One, it was delicious, and I should thank Boo again for having us. And two, because, as far as I can remember, this is the same meal we have had every time we have been to Ebb Tide. I hope this doesn't sound like a disparaging remark because it definitely isn't. I can't remember a time when the Townsends weren't a part of my life. Jodie and I grew up right across the street from each other and were best friends. Part of the person I am today is because of her, and vice versa. I can't even begin to count the number of nights I spent over at her house and she at mine, the hours we spent playing in each other's yards and on the block. As such, I (and my sisters) were as much a part of her family as she (and her brothers) were a part of mine. So much so that, Boo would even made me sit at her dining room table until I finished my green beans. It was like having two families. And it was great. We don't get to see Boo and Jimmy so much now. All our lives are so busy, J and V live in Port Royal. It's just hard to get together as much as we should. But having that dinner at Ebb Tide takes me back everytime to being a kid. To weekends spent at Rockville - in the boat and at the beach all day, running through the azealas, building a tree house. And then stumbling in around sunset, exhausted and sunburnt, taking the best shower ever, and sitting in the chairs at the counter (the same chairs that are still there), and being served a delicious dinner. Oh, it wasn't london broil and hashbrown casserole everytime, but it has been that in the past few years, and I love the consistency. It was weird, eating it this time, feeling like a kid again, but holding my own son in my lap, looking at my friend as she helps her own son with his dinner, already 7 months pregnant with her second. What a strange and wonderful thing.

What Day Is It?

Where does the time go? I have been telling myself that, although I am behind on updating, I'm not really that far behind. Umm, actually, yes. I am that far behind. It seems that if I can't get motivated to blog after I have put Reeves down, after Bryant and I have eaten dinner, after I have cleaned up from dinner and straightened up the house enough so that if there was an emergency in the middle of the night, and we had to go to the hospital, and someone had to come inside our house to pick something up the next day, I wouldn't be totally embarrassed for them to see the mess, but they would probably still have some clue as to the fine line we tread in living like civilized human beings as opposed to a sort of subspecies, recognizable as human in form, but markedly underdeveloped when it comes to any sort of organizational or purging skills, (a little digression?), but before I get in bed, then the blog just doesn't get updated. Not to mention the fact that I am sometimes able to play at least 3 games of Free Cell before my photos actually upload to the blog. Long story short, this post is just a promise to let you know that I am, even as we speak, composing new posts to my blog, and I will (pinky swear) work on it tonight, and these posts will have pictures. In the meantime, if you would like the silent movie version of what has been going on in the Bair household, just check out the photo site.

Another First

My First Boat Ride - I Love It!
OK, I know I have been woefully neglectful in posting any pics of Reeves, and there have been so many fun things happen in the past couple of weeks. First and foremost, we took Reeves on his first boat trip on April 23. It was a perfect day for boating. A beautiful Sunday afternoon. We headed over to the Daniel Island, picked up the Smiths, and put in at their neighborhood landing. What a treat! As long as I have been in these waters around Charleston, I had yet to be in the creek that "makes" Daniel Island an island. It was wonderful having Caroline and Stephen there to educate us on all the various points of interest, and particularly to have Stephen's expertise in the soundings through the small creek, given that it was low tide. Reeves took to the boat like a fish take to water. He loved it and was, perhaps unwisely, not afraid of anything. I do hope this is an indication of his love for the water and all things associated with it.

Reeves and Momma on the bow.

Reeves helping Daddy drive.

Sleepy Fordham

Fordham, rejuvenated after his nap, and Stephen dangling their feet. The water was surprisingly chilly!

Just about to go for our first trip under the new bridge.

Reeves was a very sleepy boy after such a great day in the boat. Thanks, Smiths, for going with us! We can't wait to do it again!!

Frances Moore Frampton

John Donne wrote, in "Meditation 17", "When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated." To me, this represents exactly the way Nana Frampton lived her life and precisely the legacy she leaves behind. Saturday morning, she passed away, and those of us who were lucky enough to know her lost a truly special person. She was a warm, loving soul, who brightened any room she entered. My sisters and I were very fortunate to have Nana and Papa Frampton live next door to us for a few years, and the Smith girls were kind enough to share their wonderful grandparents with us. Nana always had plenty of clothes for dress up, lots of great nooks and crannies for us us to hide in, and songs and music galore. Those years were some of the most formative for us and the adults we would become. I have cherished memories from that time in my life, and the Framptons hold center stage in many of them. How many children can say they had their cat's funeral led by a Reverend Doctor? Thanks to the Framptons, we can.

Nana's passing was not a sudden or unexpected occurrence. She was nearly 88 and had been ill for some time. But it still saddens me to know that I'll never hear her sweet voice again, or feel her hands touch my face as she focuses on trying to hear what I am saying by reading my lips. You see, Nana was greatly hearing impaired, but that did not stop her from making the most of what God gave her. And, while all her friends and family are better people for having had the opportunity to be a part of her circle, there are countless thousands of others whose lives have been enriched by who she was and the things she did in her life. Quoting from her obituary, "Drawing on her musical background and continuing education in children's music, Mrs. Frampton formed large children's choirs in Anderson and Orangeburg that utilized the most advanced techniques of the day. Throughout her ministry she also led Bible studies that were in great demand. Mrs. Frampton was a certified Laubach reading instructor, a trained Hospice volunteer and a staunch advocate for the hearing impaired. She was also an accomplished and published writer of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. In her retirement years at The Presbyterian Home, she wrote a humorous monthly newsletter that raised several thousand dollars for resident aid."
While John Donne may have captured perfectly the impression Nana left, it seems she beat him to the punch. Rather than wait until she was gone to translate the lives of others into better and greater languages, Nana accomplished that while she was still here with us. She is certainly in a better place now. She is with Papa again, and I'm sure they are, together, making Heaven an even better place than it was before she got there. I know there are bands playing, and choirs singing, and the Framptons are leading all the angels in joyous celebration - just like they did in this world.

The Sky is Falling

Be careful what you do in public. CNN has cameras everywhere. We have CNN on in the background at work, and on any given day, there are at least 15 "Developing Story"s and "Just In"s. And they have footage of each one! It's not just some talking head reading a prompter. It is actual video of the event - blown plane wheel, car chase, school shooting, mall shooting, church shooting, church burning, wildfire, you name it. If it's sensational, they're covering it. And, hopefully, it will go on all day. For example, if something is wrong with an airplane in the air, they will cover it non-stop until the plane lands. We have seen quite a few of these recently, and the plane has always landed safely. And even though we don't have the sound on, you can almost hear the cries of disappointment from the comentators when it doesn't go crashing off the runway in a ball of flames. Oh well, maybe next time! It is just terrible. What kind of society looks forward to bad news they way we do? Something's wrong there. No matter what the story, it is presented in such a way that if something's not done immediately, we could all die. This Avian Flu pandemic has them all excited. And when the earthquake hit near Fiji yesterday, they were like Pavlovian dogs waiting for the tsunami. Again, just like with the planes, you could feel the wind come out of their sails when nothing happened. There's no real purpose to this post - just to vent....and to let you know that I haven't forgotten that I do have a blog. I will get caught up here shortly. I promise!

Springtime is Finally Here - and After Only 2 Years

About 4 years ago, Bryant first experimented with growing a beard. He had been on a long weekend, guys camping trip near Helen, GA. He of course had not shaved, and when he got back, I was sick as a dog, so there was no urgent prompting from me to get him to shave. He decided to let it grow. For those of you who have never experienced first hand, the growth of a full beard, it is an interesting few weeks. Now, Bryant and I knew nothing about beards, so we just figured all you did was let them grow. But something just wasn't right. He would ask me how it looked, and while at some times, I thought it looked OK, for the most part, he just looked like a hungover guy who hadn't been able to get home to his razor for a while. Neither of us could figure it out. Then I went to Memphis on business. Bryant was coming up a couple of days later. He wanted to shave the beard off because he was convinced that in post 9-11 airports, he may just look suspicious enough to be dragged away and questioned. Well, he didn't shave it, but when he walked off that plane in Memphis, he looked like a new man. He had shaved his neck! That was it! That is what keeps a bearded man from looking like a marinated Grizzly Adams! So, long story short, the beard stayed. This was in October. That spring, he shaved it off, and things remained that way until the following October. The beard reappeared. No big deal, we could live through another winter with a beard, after all, Bryant was a beard grooming professional by now. But spring arrived. Easter came and went. We celebrated Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, and the beard was there - through everything! It never left, never hibernated, never went north for the summer. That was in 2004.
Fast forward to today, last night actually. We have dinner with the Smiths, Egelstons, and Halfords. Spencer has always been Bryant's Beard Buddy. Difference being that Spencer shaves his off in the spring. Well, something clicked. Maybe it was the warm weather, maybe it was seeing Spencer's clean shaven face, maybe it was the Miller Lite. Who knows, but the clippers came out last night, and the razor and shaving cream appeared this morning. It's official, Bryant no longer has a beard! Reeves didn't recognize him at first, but then he heard his voice, and all was well. Likewise, Preston didn't recognize him either. "Mommy, whose that man?" Oh, Bryant has not had a beard the whole time Preston's been alive, but he has for all of the years he would remember.
Anyway, shaving the beard is actually kind of fun because you can do it in increments. Bryant let me take pictures of each stage last night.

Last Picture of the Bearded Bair

Goatee - Hhhmmm, Not so Much

Still Bad From the Side

My Name is Earl

There He Is!