Charlestowne Landing

After seeing George Strait in his tight fittin' Wranglers on Saturday night, David and Jenny ended up spending the night with us, since Henry was happily snoozing away in the guest room anyway. The boys had a great time playing together, and we all enjoy watching them. Their personalities are very different, and it's fun to watch each learn from the other. I know this trend will continue throughout their lives. Not sure why, perhaps Jenny and I were still in a trance from the Wranglers, but neither of us pulled out a camera. Oh well, maybe next time.
So, since Reeves had not had a chance to tire himself out by wailing his way through being abandoned at the church nursery, we headed to the playground. While there, Jodie called to see if we could join them if they came to Charlestowne Landing.

I took it as a sign that while I was on the phone with her, Reeves climbed into the wagon. This was significant since he is normally content to stay at the playground all day, but climbing into the wagon clearly indicated he was ready to leave. 10:30? That's not too early for a nap! Perfect! He could sleep for the two hours that it would take them to get here, and we would meet them ready to go. And, believe it or not, my plan worked. He actually went right down when we got home and woke up as I was going in to get him.

Charlestowne Landing is a real jewel right in the middle of town. I barely recognized it.

We went through the animal forest - quite disappointing as there were no animals in sight. Well, there were the turtles, but even the children weren't very impressed with them. But then we turned around for our trek back and we inadvertently ended up behind the zoo keepers. This is the ticket. We followed them from enclosure to enclosure, and at each stop the animals came out - elk, puma, bears. It was great! I don't have any pictures of this bit of the trip since Bryant was not meeting us until picnictime, and there was no way I was dealing with Reeves, the heavily laden stroller, and the SLR camera. From now on, I'm bringing the camera which requires only one hand to use.
Reeves had his first bologna sandwich as we picnic-ed in the shelter. I bought him some soy mayonnaise, which is utterly reprehensible, but he doesn't know the heavenly bliss that is Hellmann's, so he enjoyed it. He looked like such a big boy!

He and Davis lasted for about 10 minutes at the picnic tables before they were up and chasing each other around.
From there we explored the rest of the park. One nice thing about it is that you can lock up the children if they misbehave. Although, it doesn't do much good if they can slip their feet out of the holes! And maybe Van will be a better boy next time as well.

It is great. I can't wait until the boat is finished.

Looks like it will be quite a while, but we'll be sure to stop by often to check up on the progress. As the day wore down, the boys actually got tired of running. Since Guerin was almost asleep in the double stroller, we came up with a solution.

At the end of our walk, we were rewarded with the museum in the visitor's center. They have done a great job to build a place that involves every member of the family. There are interesting things for us parents and great interactive displays for the children.

I really enjoy things like visiting Charlestown Landing with Reeves because I know that it is something he will only enjoy more and more the older he gets. He may be a bit young for some of the things we take him to, but I think it's good to familarize him with as many adventures as possible. I also want to do as many of these things with him as possible because I know that in the not too distant future, he won't get excited by family outings. Secretly, in the depths of his teenage being, he'll be happy to be spending time with the family, but he'll never let us know, and I'm OK with that because I was the same way.

The Hat

So, ever since we took Leeze with us to the circus, and she insisted on wearing one of Bryant's red baseball caps, Reeves has been enchanted. This is the boy who would only wear a hat in the most blazing of suns, and I think that was only because he realized that he could see better with it on. Now, he grabs his baseball cap (yes, this is a child's one that I bought a while ago for him) before we walk out the door. I don't know why this is. Maybe it's because Leeze wore that one that one time, and he thought she looked so cool. Maybe he is encouraged by all the strangers comments on how cute he looks with his cap on and that he is certainly going to be a baseball player. (Because, Lord knows, if you can wear the uniform [or any part thereof] you will certainly excel at that sport!) Or maybe, and although Leeze may have introduced him to the hat, I think this is the real reason, maybe it's because now that it's winter, he sees his father wearing his hat everyday, and he's becoming a little boy now, who wants to be just like his dad. And maybe that fact is one of the sweetest things in the world to this momma. (But just in case, I'm bringing Leeze over to show him how much she enjoys picking up ALL the toys!)

Making Brownies

Finally, a positive thing about having a child with an egg allergy! Because we use the egg substitute instead of eggs to make the brownies, you can eat the batter without fear of getting salmonella! Oh, this is a child after my own heart! We made brownies for the first time on Sunday, and he just loved eating the batter - of course, he loved eating the brownies for his dessert later as well.The best part was showing him himself in the mirror before I cleaned up his face. It was priceless!

2007 SEWE Marion Square

After Reeves' glowing performance at the church nursery this Sunday (I was actually able to sit with Bryant for almost 15 minutes, and Lee said she thinks Reeves may have "turned the corner". We'll see next week), we stopped by Marion Square on the way home. He loved it. Already a pro, thanks to Julie's soft spot for animals, with the goats, we made our way through the petting zoo. And I suppose Reeves knows that all that sweet feed isn't necessarily so good fo these poor animals, so he would just pick up the loose grass and feed it to them. Again, I think this is a learned behavior from his time in the country. He was even brave enough to pet the camel, which I found amazing as we had just watched it nearly attack some poor lady. I was also a bit amazed that Bryant let him pet it, and that I allowed it, but we escaped with no bite marks, and, due to my constant "watch outs!", Bryant was on high alert for any dental disorderliness from this beast.The highlight of the day was when Reeves went on his first pony ride. I had assumed that he wouldn't be doing this as the last time it was around, for the Bud draft horses, the line was a mile long. Sunday, we were able to walk right up and have a go. He LOVED it. He immediately started patting the mane, and he held on the the horn just like a seasoned rider. Bryant told him to squeeze his legs, and he did, almost like he already knows how to get a horse to respond, sans bit and crop.This was bittersweet for me because, as I watched my son enjoy this fine four legged animal, all I could think about was his great grandfather and how proud he would be at this moment. Whoa, Dad's dad, was truly a horse whisperer. I'll never forget watching him with horses and, sometimes, probably more often than my mother would care to know, being saved from certain injury, by his words and hands in calming a horse and allowing me time to roll away. I wish he could have seen the joy on Reeves' face and heard his laughter.But, what am I saying, I know that he did, it's just that he couldn't share it with us. And if there's anything he taught me, it's that you always need to thank your horse for giving you a good ride. Just a good pat will do. Horses appreciate being appreciated just as much as we do.I'm not sure why I encouraged this picture because it kinda disturbs me. "Oh, Honey, let's take a picture of an alligator eating our child! That would be great!" I'm still wondering why it was even an option for us. Perhaps it is to encourage us not to play with alligators? Who knows. It was pretty crowded, but from what Nancy said, I don't think it was as crowded as it was on Saturday. Still, we weren't able to see the Purina Dog Show as the crowd was at least 5 rows deep. In the exhibition tent, I held one of the birds, and Reeves didn't really even flinch when it pecked at him as he tried to touch it. He also was quite interested in touching the Eastern Indigo snake that was wrapped around some man's neck, but luckily, we were able to divert his attention away from that pretty easily. Not sure Jodie could have forgiven us for that! He was intently looking at the cougar sleeping in its cage and nearly jumped out of Bryant's arms when it moved. He must not have thought it was real.

It was a gorgeous day, and I'm so glad we were able to do this. It is a treat to have this event right here, and to have all these free shows and exhibitions. As anyone with a toddler knows, attitudes can be touch and go some days, and it's nice not to have money invested in things that can be ruined by a bad mood!

First Haircut

Well, it took 20 months, but Reeves' hair finally got long enough to warrant cutting. It was truly starting to look straggly as you can tell by the before pictures, taken Saturday morning. Granted, the length is coupled with bed head, but that only goes to emphasize just how messy his hair could get. So, we headed to our appointment with Cindy, who has been cutting Bryant's hair for 20 years. We had to wait for a bit when we got there, and I got a little worried that we would miss our happiness window. We came close, he was not to pleased when we first put him on the booster seat in Cindy's chair, but then she pulled out the squirt bottle, and whatever was wrong in his world was instantly fixed. As soon as he fired that first squirt, the laughter was nearly uncontrollable, and combined with his father's reactions, this may be the most enjoyable haircut he ever receives. I would hate to think that it is all downhill from here, but I can't believe we started this lifelong process out with such a winner!

Bryant's job was to save the rest of the shop from being drenched by the water bottle, as it wasn't long before Reeves had figured out how to twist down the nozzle in order to make the water shoot further. This may sound like an easy task, but when you consider that Cindy was constantly having to switch side to cut his hair, Bryant was likewise having to manuever around this woman who had scissors milimeters from our child's scalp without knocking her but still getting around in time to stem the tide of water flowing from the squirt bottle. As the documenter of the occasion, it was quite hilarious to watch. I only wish we had had the video camera, which Bryant reminded me to bring but which I forgot (let's not get into the delegation of responsibilities that particular Saturday morning, though.) Reeves was even content to sit when Cindy pulled out the trimmer or BumbleBee, as she called it, which I can only imagine must have confused Reeves a bit as this is what most other children call his father (thank you, Davis).

So, here is the final product, in direct comparison to the head of hair just two hours prior. I can't believe it's finally done. It wasn't emotional - no tears on our part, just another blatant example that our baby is growing up, faster than we ever could have imagined, and now, all that's left of those original feathers that finally started appearing after his first birthday are safely wrapped in a paper towel, awaiting my decision of what their final resting place should be.

As Elusive as the Holy Grail

For those of you who love the queso dip served in cheap Mexican restaurants as much as I do, you know that finding a suitable substitute once you walk out that restaurant door is virtually impossible. Sure, Frito Lay has made a bit more of an effort, moving on from their Yellow Dye No.6 dip to the new dip which bares a srtiking resemblance in color to the real thing, but that is where the similarities end. The flavor is BLAH and too spicy, and the consistency is much too thick to run off your chip onto the table on the way to your mouth. I wasted my money once on that junk. It will not happen again.
You think that you may find some acceptable dip by making a special visit to the authentic Latino aisle. There are jars and containers that look like they are surely the things LaHa buys in bulk. Again, you're heart is crushed as these dips rival only some concoction with Velveeta as the main ingredient.
Finally, you abandon all hope of being able to recreate this viscous bit of heaven with only your microwave, and you bring out the big guns - the pot and maybe even the double broiler or the crock pot. It's time to buy the block of queso blanco. This must be how they do it. All you have to do is melt it down, fix yourself a megarita, and you'll be enjoying the good life in no time. Oh, you silly, silly woman. This block of queso blanco is unmeltable! It's like trying to liquify an eraser. It may sweat a little, giving you the impression that something is happening, but that is it. It goes no further. Your disappointment is mighty.
But I have good news. Bryant has found the layman's equivalent of the as-close-as-you-can-get-to-LaHa dip.

Gordo's. I swear, you can almost feel your shirt sticking to the back of your seat. You won't need a thousand tiny napkins to make you think you're in the restaurant anymore. This stuff is good. It's not perfect, but let's be real, could anyone recreate DaVinci's Mona Lisa or Michaelangelo's David. What LaHa does is perfection, people. In the real world, you have to take what you can get, and if this is what you can get, then you can be happy.

610 Days

One year ago today...
Well, Happy Valentine's Day, Boo. You are 20 months old today. I can't believe it. You have been so much fun these past few months - not that you weren't before, but you are truly turning into a little boy now, and the new things you do seems to grow by the day. Trains continue to be your absolute favorite mode of transportation, followed closely by airplanes - not that you have actually ever travelled by either one of these vehicles. Your father and I are looking forward to taking you on your first trip by train or plane, as we know you will warm our hearts with your wide eyed fascination and unrestrained excitement. I'm not sure when it will happen, but we can't wait.In these two months since my last update, you have celebrated your second Christmas and New Year's. You have welcomed a new cousin and a new friend. You have fallen out of your crib and climbed a ladder all by yourself (with my supervision, of course.) You can, with enough time and patience, put on your socks all by yourself. You can also, as we learned Sunday morning, remove all your clothing (pajamas) and your diaper. Luckily for us, everything was clean, and there were no accidents during the time of your unbeknownst-to-us nakedness. I think this may have been your favorite morning ever as you were bouncing up and down and running back and forth in your crib, and once you noticed us watching, the show only increased. I have been surprised that you have not disrobed in the mornings since then, but maybe this is like the climbing out of the crib thing - you are satisfied just knowing you can do it.
Saturday mornings are special as that is our one morning to be truly lazy. You spend time snuggling with us in bed. We all eat a liesurley breakfast, and then you get your favorite treat. You get to shower with one of us - usually Daddy. Oh, how you love this! You do your naked shower dance, which is basically just running around the bathroom and bedroom and banging on the shower door, while we wait for the water to warm up. Then, as soon as Daddy opens the door, you rush in and wait for him to lift you up onto the bench - your shower spot. This week's shower was especially eye opening for us as we now know you truly are watching and absorbing everything we do. Naturally, you wash your hair. You do that in your bath as well. That wasn't the Aha Moment. It was when you picked up a thing of shower gel, in a container shaped similarly to a stick of deodorant, and started rubbing it in your armpits. I guess it's time for us to stop flicking matches onto the carpet and running with scissors. You're watching!
We finally bought you some new shoes this past weekend, specifically some new saddle oxs. It was time, really. Just the sight of your old size 5's would bring you to tears. We bought size 6 1/2. Granted, they are a whole size bigger than your foot actually is, but we are cheap, I mean frugal, and they don't look like skis on you, so we're all winners. After shopping, we went to LaHa for lunch. You were not at your best, but we were pushing naptime, so I can't really blame you. I can, however, blame the waiter when, out of the kindness of his heart, and I'm sure with the best of intentions, he gave you a sucker in order to keep you happy until our food came. I should have just stuffed it in my pocketbook and dealt with your fussing, but those suckers are for sale at the front, and I didn't want him to think that I was just taking it and not using it for the clearly intended purpose of keeping you quiet so as not to disturb the other diners. So, for lunch on Saturday, you had a Blow Pop and three bites of chicken fingers. We're well on our way to parents of the year for that one!
Sports has become a new interest for you. You actually enjoy watching football and basketball on television. You entertained us all at Bob and Alicia's Super Bowl party, Pavlovianly responding to each of our cheers by immediately throwing your arms into the air signalling a touchdown. We were going to take you to your first basketball game on Monday, but you apparently decided that a nap was not necessary that day, so when you fell asleep in the car on your way home from the country, Daddy and I decided we would have to attempt it another day. We're hoping to be able to watch the Dogs beat Furman on Saturday.The church nursery continues to be your own personal torture chamber, so Daddy and I have been taking turns going solo to early church. The last time we tried to go to 10:30, they wouldn't even let me out of the nursery. You apparently already have a reputation. However, on the babysitter at home front, I am happy to report that we have had two great Saturday nights in a row. You are loving Janine now, and that is so good, because I was almost convinced that you had scared her off last month. You still are not happy when you see her walk in, but it is not long now before you and she are playing and reading, and you are, if not happy, at least content to see us leave. She is truly a godsend. You continue to bewitch your father and me. I can't believe it's possible, but we love you a little more each day. You give us big drooly kisses and love to bump foreheads. You have brought so much joy to our lives. We love you, ReeRee!

Another Boy, Of Course!

So, for a while, I was doing pretty good. I was fairly accurately guessing (predicting) what the sex of any given child would be. Then, I went on a run where I was like, 0 for 5. So I gave up. I decided I would no longer even venture a guess. Heartrate, carrying high or low, morning sickness, swelling, all of these old wives tales meant nothing to me anymore. These tried and true predictors were failing me. I have remained quiet on the sex recent little ones. If I don't guess, I can't be wrong, and, just ask Bryant, I don't like to be wrong. But with Caroline's Butter Bean, I got back in the game. I knew, just knew, she was having a girl. I'm not sure why I knew this, but I did. Almost to the point of buying a little barrett for Anna Pinckney. (Thank heavens for a busy day yesterday!)
Well, I'm back on the wagon. Mr. Pinckney Syms entered this world and smacked me back down. Just when I was beginning to feel confident again, he put me in my place. I am off in a minute to meet the newest arrival, and I can't wait. I can't believe how big our little group gets getting. I think we're up to at least two a year now. Pinckney, please know you are so loved, and you have a horde of older friends who are ready to indoctrinate you into the ways of a true Southerninfant, toddler, and child. Welcome to this world, Pinckney!