Happy Halloween

I wasn't sure I was going to get Bennett's costume done in time, but since Reeves insisted he be a dino-eggie to his T-Rek Dinotaur, I made it my top priority in the closing moments before we actually left for trick or treating. So with a few last minute stitches, we were ready to go.

We headed out to the country for our annual Trick or Treating Hayride. As the other children out there have gotten older, the numbers have dwindled, but the number of houses we visit hasn't, so Reeves still racks up a ton of candy.

I was able to get a few costume shots before the hayride. Preston was Spiderman again this year. How lucky for J and T that he not only was content with and could fit into the same costume from last year, but he really wanted to be it again. Reeves sported Preston's dinosaur costume from a couple of years ago. He has been in love with this thing since I got it from Julie. He has worn it almost everyday and even tried to sleep in it one night. That didn't last long since he is a hot sleeper anyway. I was worried that Bennett would completely revolt when I put him in his rather cumbersome costume, but he seemed to actually enjoy it. I couldn't believe it. He loved walking around, chasing the big boys - because, you know, an egg is much more frightening than a Spiderman or a dinosaur.

We finally took off on the hayride just as the sun was setting. Bennett and I made it for about 45 minutes, but then it got way too cold for us. We jumped off and caught a ride with another deserter back to the Bair's.

It wasn't long before the hayride finally made its way home. Reeves and Preston compared loot for a while, then we all headed to the back for a fire and hotdogs and smores, but mostly for the smores. I didn't bring my camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

It was a wonderful Halloween, and each year, I am learning to love it more and more as I watch the wonder of the holiday unfold through my children's eyes. Maybe one day soon, I'll even dress up too! Happy Halloween, Boys!

The Ta-Twarium

This is how Reeves has decided to pronounce "aquarium". Given his speech issues, I know I should try to correct him on every pornounciation, but sometimes they're just too cute to make him stop.
Anyway, Tuesday, Caroline and I took the boys to the aquarium. No big deal, really, except that this was the first time we had tackled taking all five of them. Luckily, Campbell didn't try to bolt too many times, so other than making sure we knew where his stroller was, watching him didn't require too much work. He was a dream and slept the whole time.
After a picnic lunch outside (and an early effort to run out some energy), we headed in. The boys loved it! Since we bit the bullet last year and bought the membership, I am always pleased to see that no matter how many times we go to the aquarium, the boys are always fascinated and amazed on each visit. How lucky. It is such a great place to go on days that are too hot or too cold or too rainy. Money well spent.
The touch tank was the first hit of the day, but it was really only the appetizer for Camp Carolina, which was where we spent most of our time. The boys LOVED it! They made scary faces with the scarecrow out front. It had been a little more done up for Halloween, so it was a little different than usual. There was a tree trunk with buttons they could push to scare themselves. (Who knew? It worked everytime!) The campsite was the location of choice. I think the big boys liked how spooky it was, and of course, the little ones just wanted to be where the big boys were. I like this tendency of younger siblings. It makes the group a lot easier to watch.
After a quick visit to the big tank we headed upstairs to play on the shrimp boat. Because, in a multi-million dollar building full of all kinds of aquatic life, what is really more fun than the elevator? Seriously, we had to beg the boys to stay and look at the fish. Hello!! There is a huge shark a few small feet from your heads! Anyway, now that Bennett is a certified walker, he can have his run of the shrimp boat. He does pretty well holding his own, even against big kids he doesn't know. I think he and Pinckney kind of kicked this one girl out of the wheelhouse. It wasn't that they pushed her or anything, they just sort of came in and took over. I'm pretty sure she was just being nice to these "babies" by leaving.
On the way out, Reeves insisted that we stop and see the "beaver". The only thing I can think is that this fascination with beavers must have come from Winnie the Pooh. I tried to point out to him that it wasn't actually a beaver but an otter. We'll see if this distinction sticks for the next visit.
Caroline, thanks for a wonderful day. The boys (and I) slept like champs that afternoon. We're up for an adventure anytime!

Jumbo Shrimp

Dad and Bryant went shrimping Sunday night. I knew they must not be having too much success when, by 10:30, I still hadn't heard anything. Usually, if they're on them, they can fill up a cooler pretty quickly. Well, I was right. Even after all that time, they still only got about half a cooler. But what they lacked in quantity, they more than made up for in quality. There were some of the biggest shrimp I had ever seen in there.I think, despite not filling up the cooler, it's every so often catching these monsters that really keeps them going back. Well, maybe that and a night on the water, some beer, no nagging wives, and good company. But I'm pretty sure it's just the jumbo shrimp.

Columbus Day at Riverbanks

Since school was closed for Columbus Day, Jenny decided to go ahead and take the whole day off from work to keep both her boys. It being such a special day, she called me to see if we wanted to make the most of it by heading up the road to the zoo. Of course I did! I'm always up for something that will occupy the boys and me for any or all of the day, particularly when it involves getting Reeves together with his best buddy cousin, Henry. The zoo has reciprocity with the acquarium, so we got half off. Sweet!

The day started out with a bang as soon as the Humps got to our house to load up in the mini. It was then that R and H realized that, through some serendipidous hapenstance, they were both wearing red shirts. What are the odds! And hey!, Puppy's red too! There was much rejoicing. The ride up was pleasantly uneventful. The older boys were in the way back where they thoroughly enjoyed the additional bit of freedom those extra three feet gave them. I think they even enjoyed the fact that in order for us to get anything, ie, snacks, back to them, we had to throw it at them. This often brought about howls of laughter. I suspect the little ones equally enjoyed the fruit snacks whizzing past their heads as well.
We went in the back entrance this time. I'd never done that before, but it was neat because it took you into the garden part of the zoo - no animals there, but some really cool plants. From there, it was adownhill walk (hike) across the Broad River to the main part of the zoo. I was happy to see the tram pass us along the way as neither Jenny nor I were much looking forward to the return trip - at the end of the day, with a loaded double jogger, and two sure-to-be-exhausted three year olds hoofing it uphill back to the car.

Knowing how to read and understand a map is essential to any zoo visit. They were pretty good about showing us where things were. When we would then ask them which way we should go, they would say, "You tell me."

Reeves and Henry loved every minute of the zoo. The howler monkeys were the loudest I have ever heard them. You couldn't even carry on a conversation anywhere in their vicinity. This entranced the boys. We finally pulled them away in order to seek out lunch. We found it at the Kenya Cafe. Jenny and I tag teamed it. She got the food while I wrangled the children. (I make it sound hard. They were actually very well behaved.) We got lucky and the tortoise came right over to us.

Three year olds in the mist.

Here they are pretending to be elephants.

"You seriously dragged us all the way up to Cola to sit in this stroller all day? Yeah. Thanks for that!"
Lion Kings
It is much too tedious and mundane for me to mention everything we saw, but suffice it to say, and Jodie, I'm sorry to say this, the snake house was, without a doubt, the biggest hit of the day. They loved it. They went to each and every little window and stared and talked about what was inside (mostly rattlesnakes, as far as I could tell from my eavesdropping). The lizards were molting, so that only added to their coolness. Bennett and Cullen were thankful for the chance to get out of the stroller and stretch their legs. Reeves had been talking about seeing the snakes as soon as I had mentioned the zoo. I'm not sure from where this fascination came, but whatever it is, it has stuck around for a while, so it must be legit. Not much to say about these pictures other than to mention that we spent a good half hour in there.

We closed out our day with a spin on the carousel. Bennett and Cullen were DONE by this point. We waited for the tram. Of course, we were the next in line after the first trip filled up. Nice, that added about 20 minutes, but the boys spent that time exploring the "jungle" beside the tram stop. Cullen zonked immediately on the way home. He was followed quickly by Bennett. (This boy has to be super tired to sleep in the car.) Henry and Reeves stayed awake just long enough to make enough noise to sufficiently wake Cullen up, then they were out. Of course, then Cully was up, and so were his lungs. He was NOT HAPPY about his interrupted nap. He kept it up till about Summerville, where Bennett woke up and took over. Murphy's law. But it was all worth it. Thanks, Jenny, for calling to do this great trip!

I almost forgot. A close second behind the snakes for favorite activity was this.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

* Why is it that the one day that you don't shower and your hair is as greasy as the fry station at McDonald's and your clothes are horrible and your younger child is still in his footless pajamas even though it's probably too chilly outside for that but that's OK because you're not even getting out of the car.... Why is it that on that morning your older child's school closes down the carpool line 10 minutes early so that you have to parade your white trash momma butt and upcountry shoeless pajama-clad baby through the school?

* Sometimes, when I'm driving around town, particularly leaving James Island on the Connector, looking over at the city, I can't believe that Poppa isn't somewhere out there doing the same thing - driving through this city that he loved, this city that helped make him the man we all loved, this city that was so reflected in his speech and mannerisms and temperament. Sometimes when I see an old man in a car, memories of Poppa come rushing back to me and I'm overwhelmed that he is gone. I find that odd - that I only achingly miss him when I'm in traffic, and not at home, in the quiet, reflective times I would expect to grieve over his loss.

* I need to start making lists. I think I will be much more productive if I do. All the time, I think of things I need to do, but then, during naps when I have the time, I am often at a loss as to what I should accomplish during those precious few hours.

Look Out World!

I can now say with confidence that Bennett is a walker. He has been wearing Robeez for a while for those rare occasions when I would put him down to "walk" outside the house. Once his walk to fall rate dropped below 80/20, I decided he could do it. I took the plunge a couple of days ago and put the Keds on him. I am still having trouble believing that he's a walker now. Where did the baby go? I think the biggest change is that now when we go to a playground, he is free to move about as he pleases. No more will he be confined to the stroller, the swing, or my arms. This will make both Mommy and Benny happy.

I wish I had gotten pictures of it, but on Sunday, Judy and we headed to Wagner for a family reunion/monument dedication ceremony. It took place in the Tyler cemetery which is in the rolling hill country up there. Mr. Bennett, who up till then, thought he was hot stuff, couldn't quite manage the uneven terrrain. He did pretty well going uphill, but sideways or downhill was not so successful. As unstable and wobbly as any toddler looks who is just figuring out the walking thing, Bennett was falling down drunk on this uneven ground. Not that it really even fazed him. He just hopped back up and tried again - and fell again. The only worrisome part for us was making sure he didn't hit any of the stones. So we just ran interference and kept him safe, and he was happy and so were we. Benny Boy, the world is now yours to explore. Enjoy!

Officious, Please Bite My Hook

No, it's not a nod to all of you gung-ho politicos to keep your unwanted opinions to yourself. I'm not going to change your choice, you're not going to change mine. It's just a play on words and nothing more. I think I remember RWH,III using this in gradeschool as an example of a sentence with the word "officious" in it. I'm guessing he didn't do very well in vocabulary that year. Anyway...

It's official. My three year old is a better fisherman than I. In his short life, he has already caught 6 or 7 more fish than I have in the last decade. Friday evening, David took the boys fishing in the pond in their neighborhood. On his Scooby Doo rod, all 26 inches of it, Reeves reeled in at least 8 fish. Henry was equally successful on his Spiderman rod. I, on the other hand, failed to even hook a single fish. Granted, my focus lay mainly on taking pictures and half-heartedly trying to quiet the screaming toddler, but nonetheless, I'm beginning to think I will never catch another fish again. Reeves, however, will be able to pick up the salt water soaked match that I have dropped and revive it into a burning torch of piscine glory.
Here he is with his first ever fish. I have no idea what kind it is, but David did say there were some tilapia and brim in there. He wasn't even afraid to pick it up. All boy, this one is.
On the walk back, according to David, the boys started debating over who had caught the biggest fish. Luckily he was there to suppress any further argument by getting them to agree that, although Henry had indeed caught the biggest fish, Reeves had caught the most. Whether or not this was actually true remains a mystery since each of the fish was thrown back, but it seemed to have worked to appease both boys. By the time they returned home (Jenny and I had left a little before them), they were each happily reporting their mutual successes.So, here I sit, typing away about an instance in which my child has surpassed me. I know there will be more times like this for me, and I am sincerely happy about it. I just didn't think it would be so soon. Seriously?!? I'm losing out to a three year old already? I think it's time to dust off the old Ugly Stick and see if the fish really do prefer cartoon characters of if it's just me they loathe.Way to go, Reeves! I love seeing you this happy. I love that you finally have a real fish on the end of that rod and not jst a little orange rubber one. I'm so proud of you!

So As Not To Forget...

• Yesterday, while Reeves and I were washing the car, he came up to me and said that he needed some "dam bubbles". What!?! Not that he hasn't heard that word before, but he hasn't ever said it yet. "Great, I'm winning Mommy of The Year now", I thought. He then explained to me that he needed some bubbles to make his bubble dam. OK, much better.
  
• Just now, Reeves told me that Bennett wanted to play "Tackle Baby". Ummm, I don't think so.

Lovin' Him Some Henry Time

Last year Reeves and Henry were in the same class at school. According to their teacher and any and all assistants they ever had, the two were inseparable. Whenever the class would go somewhere, Reeves and Henry would be side by side, holding hands. This was such a perfect set up because it was the first time in "school" for both of them, and it was comforting for them to have each other, especially in the beginning of the year. If you ask either of them, they are each other's "best buddies".

Unfortunately, this year, they are not in the same class, and to make matters even worse, their paths don't even cross during the school day. As such, there has been a vast Henry void in Reeves' life. We all get so busy that we often forget to make time for those most special to us. This has been the case with our families. Well, the last two days have done wonders to remind us all just how important it is that we get these two little guys (I mean BIG BOYS) together more often. It all started on Monday, when I walked Reeves into school. Normally, I just drop him off in the carpool line, but that morning, we were passing out the directories. (Thank you, Aileen, for all your hard work!) Henry's classroom door, which is usually closed, was open, and Henry was just inside. Reeves saw him and immediately ran to the doorway to talk to him. After a moment, he looked up at me with an almost pleading look in his eyes. I knew exactly what he wanted. I leaned down to him and told him he could go give Henry a hug. There should have been some sort of theme music playing. You would have thought they were long lost brothers. It nearly broke my heart to have to pull Reeves away to go to his classroom. Well, that sealed it. These boys needed to spend time together - and soon. I called Jenny, and we agreed that I would pick Henry up from school on Friday when I got Reeves.

As luck would have it, Jenny was also in last minute need of a babysitter for Thursday afternoon. Since Reeves had spent Wednesday night in the country, we headed out there. They had a blast! They ran through Judy's freshly hung laundry. They raced along the dirt road. They found a skull in The Back. Henry said it was a treasure. Reeves decided it was probably a dinosaur bone. They got filthy; they got hungry and thirsty and tired. It was a perfect afternoon all around. The only saving grace to it ending was the knowledge that they would see each other again the very next day.

Reeves was jumpy with anticipation this morning on our way to school. He couldn't wait for the school day to be over so he and Henry could play again. So, at 11:30, I met Reeves' class as they were walking through the lunchroom. He and I waited outside Henry's door until they were ready. Reeves would try to call to Henry through the vent at the bottom of the door. I had to quickly put a stop to that. For some reason, it was a little distracting to the teacher who was trying to read them a story. Go figure. Henry lined up at the front of the line inside the door. Reeves was just outside it. They were jumping up to see each other through the window that was just a few inches too high for them. Finally, Henry was free. We three jumped in they car and headed to Chick-E-Lay in Mt.P to meet Caroline and her brood. (Thank heavens for Lolly who had Bennett this whole time!!) Reeves, Henry, and Fordham played great together - so refreshing to see in a group of three. After a quick rest, we headed out for the Citadel parade. It was a Chamber of Commerce day, and how could we not oblige the urge to be outside?They loved it - climbing the canons, checking out the tanks and the jet, a bout of uncontrollable energy, ultimately hemmed in with the appearance of lollipops. From there we headed straight to Henry's house. (Could this day get any better for Reeves? Playing AND not having to go back to his own house!) David took the boys fishing in the pond. Oh the joy. That is a post in and of itself. I will get to that tomorrow.

Needless to say, we had to filthy, exhausted boys by the time night fell. And four very happy parents who count our blessings each day that not only are our boys best buddies, but they are family and already seem to know just how special and precious that makes them to each other. I watch them playing and look back at only a couple of decades ago when I would wait for David and his family to come into town so we could play. When we were their age until middle school, they lived out of town, and there were no happier times in my short life than those spent with my favorite cousin and best friend. I cannot express how happy it makes me that my son and his son have the same relationship. What a blessing.