Here is Reeves, drinking from my ginger ale bottle all by himself. I was pretty impressed that he doesn't try to put the entire mouth of the bottle into his mouth and dump, thereby causing himself to swallow too much, choke, drop the bottle, spilling its remaining contents, spit out all that he has in his mouth, and generally create quite a huge mess. Very impressed, actually (enough so, apparently, to grab the camera and take a picture). He very carefully put the bottle to his lips. Positioned it just like he had seen me do, and cautiously tilted the bottle until the liquid reached his lips, careful to be sure he held it with both hands at all times, with some gentle remiding from me.
I must say, the show could have ended right there because I was so impressed that each child actually got up, made the long, solo walk to the microphone, and clearly and loudly enunciated his full name.
I think it speaks volumes to the confidence this school has given these children that they could do that on their own. These are the same children who, just nine months earlier, would hide behind their mothers' skirts when being introduced to only one person, and now they are speaking on stage in front of a crowd. 
Not only did they have to say their names, they also had to each give a quote from All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarden. For the record and posterity's sake, Preston's line was, "Flush the toilet every time you go to the bathroom." He had kept this part of the show a secret. I think he knew we would all laugh when he delivered it.
There were two musical acts. First, the four's entertained us with their version of the Adam's Family theme song, appropriately retitled, The Kindergarden Class. This song, as you know, requires snapping. Let it not be said that Preston ever does anything halfway. He has practiced and masterd snapping, through blistered fingers and all.
I wouldn't even be able to pick up a fork, much less snap if my fingertips looked like his do right now, but there he was last night, up there snapping perfectly, singing each word, and doing each sign.
Preston was, naturally, beside his friend, Meredith. She lives just down the road from him, and they are too cute together. The teacher had laid out their instruments along the front of the stage before they all got up, and we could all immediately see that Preston had eyed the one he wanted. It was too funny watching him have to be patient, but when it was time to pick up the instruments, he was sure to get his recorder, and he blew it like Dizzy Gillespie.
The five's did a rendition of "New York, New York" which was retitled "First Grade, First Grade". It was precious, top hats and kicks, but, hey, I'm here to talk about Preston.
Dressed in his bow tie from his Uncle B, he looked way too grown up for me. I can't believe he's already 5. Time has flown by. Preston got four awards last night - PE, Math, Reading, and Citizenship.
What a stellar student! It was so wonderful to watch all these children shine last night. They truly enjoyed what they were doing, and it was so great to see them all playing together after the show. I overheard one of Preston's friends come up to him and say, "Hey! Let's go find your grandfather!"
I suppose Reev-us even has a reputation with the youngest generation. Who wouldn't love to hear that accent?
Preston, we are so proud of you!
This is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning and discovery. I hope all your teachers can be as wonderful as the two you had this year. I hope you can approach each new school year with the same enthusiasm you began this year. I know you will be a wonderful influence on Reeves and Duece and your new brother or sister as the years go on. Remember how important school is. In the words of Aristotle, "Education is the best provision for old age." You have got a great start going here. Can't wait to see where you go with it.
That's Miller second from the left on the front row.
That's Reeves, hydrating after all the running he was doing during the hot graduation.
Hard to believe it's June already. Hard to believe Reeves will soon be two. Sunday, it was hard to believe Miller was graduating from high school. It seems like only yesterday, I was standing in the eighth grade room at CDS when I got the news that Andy and Carolyn had just given birth to a baby boy. The Crown Prince, we called him because, after all, he was the only boy after a stunning parade of 6 beautiful granddaughters. He was the youngest, he was the boy, and he was The Third. Of course, we all fell instantly in love with him. He was showered with attention and affection by all 6 of his older cousins (technically, 5 cousins and 1 sister) at every family gathering. Truth be told, it's a wonder he's come out as tough as he has because if it were up to us girls, we would never let a single thing hurt him - well, maybe Sarah would from time to time, but, of course, that's her responsibility as the Big Sissy.
That summer of 1989, Carolyn and Andy asked me to be Miller's godmother.
I had never been more honored by anything in my life. The weight of that responsibility is something I have carried to this day, and it is probably a large part of the reason why I teared up as Miller and his fellow classmates were processing in on Sunday. Again, thank heavens for the camera viewfinder!
We've watched as he went from toeheaded toddler, dragging his string of pacifier links, to little boy, just starting out at soccer and carrying the cross at our wedding, to high school graduate, accomplished soccer star, handsome young man, and for the last summer of his life, not yet a Citadel man.
It's true. In August, he will be matriculating as a knob at Sing Sing on the Ashley. He comes from a long line of Citadel men, and as we have all grown up hearing the stories, I know there will be many new ones from Miller in the coming four years. From BE green to Citadel blue, I hope the transition is easy for him. I'm sure Reeves, Duece and I will be there at many Friday dress parades, looking to see if we recognize him below the brim of his hat. He will certainly be standing just a little bit taller and straighter than any other cadet. I know his marching will be slightly more precise than those around him. It may seem, to the outside world that all these cadets look the same, but we will be able to pick out Miller. This life was born and bred into him and he will merely be stepping into a role that has been waiting for him his whole life.
Like Grandmother, I get emotional around these uniformed boys (men). I can't imagine what it will be like next year when Miller, my godson, Miller, becomes part of the Long Grey Line. I guess those wipes will be used for wiping more than just babies bottoms on Friday afternoons.
Congratulations, Miller, on all your accomplishments! We are so proud of you. You are part of the reason I knew Bryant was the man for me. At his first Easter with us, you insisted on sitting next to Bryant because you liked him and thought he was a good guy. Believe it or not, the endorsement of a 9 year old actually carries some weight with me.
Reeves gets excited every time we mention your name. He loves you so much, and I can't tell you how much Bryant and I appreciate the fact that you take care of him at so many family gatherings. Even though there are always at least 13 other people around, we can relax knowing you are responsible for him. Again, if you've got The Almost Two Year Old in your corner, you must be a pretty special fellow.
And thanks for being so patient with him on Sunday, when he insisted on "helping" you open your presents. To borrow a tried and true quote from Dr. Suess, "Oh! The places you'll go! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go." But always remember, you're never really alone. You've got us all behind you.
We're family, and family is always there with you, no matter how embarassing we may be!
He loved flying it, except that he couldn't look at it as it was right in front of the sun. I pulled him on the boogie board. He was a bit nervous on it in the water, but balanced himself quite well. He loved when I would pull him on the sand, and while his 25 pounds may not be much for his age, it seems to increase exponentially with each lap up and down the gully. We even swam across the gully to play in the waves. I'm not sure I have ever seen the child so excited! I, who am a pretty laid back mom, actually got nervous as he showed absolutely no fear. If I had let him, he would have been halfway to the jetties. 
And then, there's nothing better than being pulled back, salty, sandy, and wet, in the wagon. I wish I could tell him how much he should relish these times of being waited on hand and foot, and get him to truly appreciate them because it won't be long before he'll be complaining about how hot and tired and sticky he is, and how the sand or the road is so hot and hard on his feet, and the bag is so heavy, and why does he have to be the one to carry all this stuff? Or was that just me?
So, I made a tomato pie last night. I had some cheese that needed to get eaten. I had bought tomatoes from Costco last week, and I had just two weeks ago thrown away rotten tomatoes from my last Costco run. Determined to learn from my mistakes and make better use of household finances, I decided not to let these go to waste. So anyway, since all I needed to buy was a pie crust, I thought a tomato pie would be a great idea. (Those of you who are right now pointing out that I probably did have flour and eggs and butter in the house, and most likely a pie plate, so why not just make the crust myself? Well, I may be good, but I ain't THAT good!) It is almost summer, and fresh tomatoes are one of the best things about summer.
Although you may be Almost Two, you are certainly 100% all BOY. There isn't a day that goes by that you are not playing with your bats and balls or pointing out big diggers and cranes or building tracks for your trains. You seem to have a knack for sports. T-ball has come quite easily for you. 
You are perfectly content for what seems like hours to be putting the ball on the T and knocking it off, putting it on and knocking it off, and so on and so on. As a bit of an anal retentive type, I notice that your hands are way too close together when you swing. I have tried to show you how to hold the bat properly, but you continue to hold it your way, and this is when I have to remind myself that you are not even two, and it's pretty amazing that you're doing even what you're doing. For some reason, you prefer to hit a golf ball rather than your baseball off the T. We're not sure why this is, but one night as we were all playing in the backyard, you made a little piece of my heart tingle with pride. Your father and I noticed that each time you would put the golfball on top of the T, you sould spin it ever so carefully so that the writing would be at the very top. 
Your father couldn't understand this, but he knew it must be something you have gotten from me. It is. Each time I would shoot a free throw in basketball, I would dribble three times, then spin the ball in my hands so that I was holding it exactly the same way each time. Same thing with serving in tennis. Maybe it's anal retention, or maybe it's just one of those silly sports superstitions, but whatever it is, you've got it, so I'm sure as soon as you win your first game, we'll all have to wear the same outfits we were wearing at that game. And I can't wait.
I think you were almost as excited about his medal as he was.
Your doctor says that her children didn't really start talking till they were two, and you are, after all, only Almost Two. And, given the track record of your Pops, you've got another four years to go before we need to get worried. We do find it amusing that one of the words you say quite well is "boat", and while your lack of speech to this point may be attributable to your Pops, your pronunciation of the few words you have mastered is certainly due to the time you spend around your Grandy. From your mouth, "boat" has a minimum of two, and sometimes three, syllables. Clearly, you are carrying on the Reeves Bair, Geechee accent tradition. Personally, I think that's great. Television has zapped too many local accents, so carry on with your thick tongue!
I suppose I should mention the white elephant in this post, the thing that is about to rock your world - your new sibling who will be arriving at the end of the summer, but I'm not really ready for that yet. This is your post, your last Almost Two post, and suffice it to say that you are very aware that the baby is in my tummy, but I think we could have trained you to say that there is a pot roast in my tummy, and you will still be just as surprised when we come home from the hospital with this little bundle of joy. You're just a little too young to grasp what's getting ready to happen, and that's OK with us because we know when the time comes, you're going to be a wonderful big brother. 
You absolutely made my Mother's Day yesterday - which is, after all, your sole responsibility on that day. After church, Daddy went out to be with his mother, and you and Gams and I went to Big Laura and Rod's. You put on quite the show and loved on everyone there. 
Lucky for you, Reagan had come to town, and you got to sit in her lap as you ate your lunch. You quite impressed her with your strawberry eating ability. You only ate one cap, but you were sure to wipe your hands after each bite. You particularly enjoyed that I let you play in the rain as much as you wanted.
Of course, as a true boy, you found the one spot of dirt in the yard and tried to spend as much time there as possile. Daddy really needs to polish your saddle-oxs. As wonderful as you were to me all day and all night, I think it was your Uncle Andy whose day/week/month you truly made. After playing your heart out with anyone who would be in the yard with you, I brought you in, changed you into dry clothes, and put you on Andy's lap on the sofa. 
You looked at him, put your head on his shoulder, and fell sound asleep for an hour and a half. It isn't often that you slow down enough to snuggle on people, and the fact that you did this to him made him one of the happiest people yesterday.
I suppose I've been a bit long winded on this post, but I think this is just a preview of what's to come this next month. Can we just make it go on a little longer? Can we hold off on turning two for a few more months. You are such a blessing to your father and me. You have changed our lives in ways you will never begin to imagine until you have a child of your own. We are fascinated daily by you and find ourselves happy just to be watching you do the things you do. We love you more and more each day, Monkey Man.
Our back porch is alive with wildlife. This nest, which I thought the mother had abandoned, has become home to two little whatever-these-kind-of-birds-are. I'm not a huge fan of animals on the porch, but Reeves loves the birds and looks for them points to them each time we enter and exit. And yes, those are Christmas lights still up. I had to leave them because the mother bird couldn't have gotten the nest to stay up there otherwise. I love that you can see the fuzzy feathers on top of the babies heads.
This is the view of the house when you drive up, and then it just falls away down the back. you would never know it.
Apparently you can see the mountains of Georgia and South and North Carolina from here. It was an amazing view. 
It was so much fun watching the two of them play together. I wish we could have stayed longer because when we had to leave, they were really starting to warm up to each other.
Unfortunately for us parents, most of that warming up took place on the most dangerous place on the property - this path that ran in front of the down-mountain side of the house between the bottom deck and the driveway. Why are children so attracted to places that make my fear of heights rise to the surface? 
I let Bryant do most of the chasing on those little toddler jaunts. I much preferred to be responsible for them in the security of the only-one-exit porch.
Reeves got his first taste of Oreo cookies and instantly fell in love.
I had no idea he would even be able to eat them, but according to the label, there is no milk or egg in them, and judging by his non-reaction, it must be true. Luckily for us, he hasn't remembered how much he likes these cookies. I do not like the thought of black Oreo cookie all over everything!
Here are Bopper and Bryant across the lake from the house. It's that small dark spot right above the middle of their heads. 
It is hard to determine just how high up you are when you are standing on the porches, although the teeny-tinyness of the boats in the lake does give some indication. This is a nice perspective of seeing where we had been. Unfortunately, it was on our way home, but we look forward to more trips to this amazing house.
