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.

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

Yesterday, after arriving home from Reeves' (completely unnecessary) haircut, I did the same thing I always do when we get home at naptime. I carried Bennett inside with Reeves following me. I went straight back to Benny's roomand put him down for his nap. As I was rounding the corner to the hall, I noticed Reeves taking off his shoes. Perfect. One less thing for me to get him to do before he goes down for his nap. When I came back to the den, there was no Reeves. Not thinking much of this, I called him. No answer. No big deal. He often likes to huddle himself under and between the pillows on the side of the sofa. But he wasn't there. I checked his room, thinking maybe he had followed me down the hall and snuck in there while I was putting Bennett down. Nope. I was admittedly starting to get a little concerned now, but not too much. He must have gone outside to play in the car or ride his bike. Not there. OK, starting to freak out. Maybe he somehow got into Benny's room without me noticing. So, despite the fact that I had just put him down, I went bursting into Benny's room looking for Reeves. Not there either. At his point I am screaming for him and wondering how I am going to explain to Bryant that I lost Reeves. You know how it is in moments like these. Your mind runs through each and every possible worst case scenario. I hate that. I checked every one of Reeves' favorite hiding spots and still couldn't find him. Finally I heard movement from Bryant's closet. My whole body relaxed. I finally stopped holding my breath. He had had a little accident and was hiding in there. I explained to him that he should never hide from Mommy or Daddy like that. If he wanted to hide, he always needed to tell me, and then I would happily look for him. We addressed and cleaned up the accident. All was well, finally. But those were the scariest five minutes I had had in quite some time. Momma don't like to play dat!

Baby Steps

Bennett has been toying with the ability to walk for some time now. He is still a hard and fast crawler, but a few weeks ago at Doro's house, he up and took 4 or 5 steps across the floor. Since then, he has been diligently practicing and is slowly perfecting his technique. He hasn't been able to piece together more than 6 or 7 steps at a time, but he always tries to walk before falling down. I think watching his brother carry things around the house is going to be his biggest motivation to strut his stuff. He is beginning to get frustrated with wanting to have a toy with him in some other area than the one he is currently occupying.He's content to hold your hands and walk forever, at least it seems like forever when you're only slightly hunched over. You have to pry your fingers from his grasp, and before he realizes it, he's taking steps. We have learned not to applaud while he is walking. Rather than encouraging further forward progress, when he hears the clapping, he stops and starts clapping himself. This, of course, only leads to a breakdown in the precarious balancing act he is preforming, and he topples.
We're really trying to treasure these teetering moments because, although we look forward to the day when he is officially a toddler, we will miss the unmarred softness of the bottom of his feet - that kissable, delectable spot reserved only for those few precious months before a child takes off running, and the soles of his feet are never the same again.

You go, Benny Boy!

It's Just a Little Roachie, Lolly!

OK, disregard the last post where I was all lovey-dovey with Aunt Lolly. After last night, she no longer resides in that warm place in my heart reserved for people who make my life easier. B and I had Bible study, and Lol graciously agreed to come babysit, at the last minute, for both boys, while she was supposed to be helping Mom with Leeze and William. At first glance, she was doing me a huge, huge favor. That being said, I have always remembered the axiom from my tenth grade Economics class - TINSTAAFL - there's no such thing as a free lunch. Apparently, there's also no such thing as a free babysitter. Even if you don't pay her in money, you will, somehow, ultimately pay for her services.
When I left bible study, I called Lol to let her know I was on the way home. She informed me that Reeves was not yet in bed because, even though they had played in his room, read numerous books, and even gone so far as to turn the lights out, he still needed to get up to go potty. No problem. Here's where it gets bad. She told me that when they got into his bathroom, there was, quoting Lol here, "a three foot long roach" in there. Of the numerous ways this situation could have been handled, she probably chose the worst one with the longest lasting consequences for me, the mother. She screamed, grabbed Reeves up, ran out of the room, and slammed the door behind her. Wonderful! Now I have a three year old son who up till now had happily stomped roaches outside with Daddy. Suddenly he is now scared to death of them. He met me at the door with tears in his eyes, telling me about the big, big roach in the bathroom. He was afraid to go down the hall without me holding him. When Bryant walked in later, Reeves, even after having been calmed down, again broke down when telling his father the tale of the giant roach. Somehow sleep finally overtook his fear of the beasts.
I don't know when this phobia will move on, but for Reeves' sake, I hope it's soon. Sorry, buddy, it's tough to live in Charlie-town if you're afraid of roaches. It's kind of like not really liking salt water or drivers who refuse to use turn signals. It's a fact of life here. So, Lol, thanks for that. If it gets really bad, I'm calling you to come over every night to put him to bed! I see now what an evil grin you have in this pic. I wonder if you are even really afraid of roaches or if this was just some sort of sordid plan to make my life difficult....

Happy Birthday, Aunt Ya-yee!

We had a great time celebrating your 26th birthday with you. The dinner was good, but the company was even better. Just look at how loved you are. The children adore you and can't stand to leave you alone (thanks for being so patient with them), and to top it all off, you got your very own caramel cake! Long live the caramel cake! You are one very special sister and one super aunt. We love you!

Look! My Keyboard Works!

It's a good thing we have a wonderful network of blogger friends who do their best to keep us on our toes and keep us up to date with our blogging. I don't know why, but I have found it difficult to blog recently. It's not for a lack of things to blog about. There are always funny and important things to jot down with two growing boys in the house. I think what I need to do is put a "Blogging Appointment" on my calendar at least twice a week. It's so easy to get on the computer during naptime and although I do it nearly everyday, I find myself reading and not writing. So, from here on out, I will make a concerted effort to update more regularly, even if it's just to note something silly or momentous one of the boys has done.
In the meantime, I did find this great site where you can upload your pictures and make a short slideshow with music. As long as you only do the quick "movies", it's free. I spent (wasted) an hour or so playing with the other day. I can't figure out how to get it on this blog. It keeps going to my photo blog, so I've just embedded it as a gadget here. Hope it works.

And So It Begins

It's going to be a long autumn. The Democratic National Convention started tonight and so did Bryant's yelling at the television. Great. I can't wait for the back to back political ads to start. Time to turn of the tv. At least I agree with him.

Why have all the recent presidential elections all been about choosing the lesser of two evils? When are we going to get someone decent to make it all the way to the White House?

First Day of School - 3 Years

It began today. Reeves is now in the three's, half days, MWF. (I was really spoiled last year with full days! These three hours seem to fly by.) We went for open house on Saturday, and he did great. I think it will take him some time to adjust to the fact that Mrs. Ledbetter isn't his teacher, but when he went in this mornig, he seems to have settled right in. They are reading The Kissing Hand this week. It's a book where the mother racoon puts kisses in her baby's hand for him to take with him wherever he goes, so Bryant and I both gave Reeves plenty of kisses to take with him. He told me on the way that he had put them in his pocket. Eliza is in his class, and it is always good to have a friend around. Reeves was very excited she would be there. They greeted each other with a big hug when we got there. Unfortunately, while Eliza wanted Reeves to come play with her, it turned out he would rather play with the trucks than have a tea party. Luckily, she didn't seem too upset. Maybe if she offers him some make believe cake, he'll join the tea party.

We will definitely miss having Henry in the same class, but hopefully we will be able to sneak Henry out with us a few afternoons so he can come play with us at home.

Last year was tough for me. I was sending my baby off to school, still in diapers and jonjons. Today, it's our little boy taking these big steps. I can't believe how much he's grown in just a year. We are so proud of him, and I can't wait to hear how his first day was.

The Bopsy Twins

Poor Reeves. I hope Leeze starts letting Aunt Lolly brush and fix her hair soon! Apparently Lol needs an outlet. Of course, Reeves loved every moment of it.

It Does A Body Good

Well, after three years, we are now (knock on wood) and allergy free family. Reeves had his milk challenge last Tuesday and passed with flying colors. Over the course of four hours, he consumed about two cups of milk. First they pricked his arm, then rubbed on the cheek, then rubbed on the lips, then the tongue, then he was finally able to actually imbibe some, in increasing amounts every ten minutes, of course, always looking to see if he started breaking out. It wasn't the easiest allergy challenge because towards the end, he wasn't the easiest child. I had to do some transitional breathing and make some outrageous promises to get him to drink, in a timely manner, the last few cups. Needless to say, we walked out of there with a lot of lollipops and enough stickers to cover his entire body. Truly though, for the most part he was an angel patient. He played with the toys in the room (luckily there were some dinosaurs and legos), and in the third hour, when the toy fascination wore off, he was content to sit and watch a Tom and Jerry video. I was so proud of him (other than those few moments when I was ready to sell him on ebay).

So now we're working on drinking "cow's milk". Unfortunately, who knew?, he doesn't really like it. The first time I gave it to him at home, he handed his cup back to be and told me the milk was old. He still isn't crazy about it, but luckily, the Hershey's chocolate seems to mask the "old" taste of it. He is, however, loving all other things dairy. He always wants cheese on his sammies now. He picked up the box of Cheezits, proudly took it to Bryant, and told him he could eat these now. I can't wait for him to try a milkshake and goldfish.

We went to a birthday party yesterday, and it was unbelievable how much more relaxing it was now that we don't have to inspect everything before he eats it. The freedom is amazing. I had only imagined how wonderful it would be to drop him off at the nursery or school without having to put a "MILK ALLERGY - NO GOLDFISH" sticker on his back. I am so happy for him. And for everyone else who no longer has to worry about whether he accidentally gets something with milk in it while he is in their care. We're all breathing a heavy sigh of relief. And the other good news is that Bennett doesn't show any signs of a milk allergy, so neither boy has to watch his brother eat something he can't. Yeah! One less sibling quarrel we have to deal with!

In a Handbasket

What is happening to our society? While some may blame Colonel Sanders (before him, the only thing to eat food out of a bucket was a hog [J.G.]), my vote is currently for Wal-Mart. I don't know whether it's the "always low prices" or the fact that you can buy a car battery, underwear, and blue cheese all in the same place that makes people forget any semblance of courtesy, or the fact that no matter what time of day or night, the place is packed with droves of people. Personally, I believe it is because, even though there are at least 25 registers possible, the brain trust that run that place only open about 5 of them. Even the self-checkout lanes only have 2 of 4 open. Really!? Would it require that much more work from your crack team of employees to let us check ourselves out by opening those two other self-checkouts? I would rather you just get rid of the unused registers because seeing them sitting there, an untapped resource of efficiency, makes me more frustrated than just waithing in your neverending line. It doesn't matter that each line is backed up past the main aisle of the store. It doesn't matter that half of the employees seem to be aimlessly wandering the store looking for something to do (or probably trying to hide from having to do anything). For some reason, customer satisfaction no longer exists when it comes to actually paying for your things and leaving the store. Trust me, if this is some sort of corporate mind game to make me stay in the store longer and buy more things, you've only accomplished the exact opposite. It makes me never want to enter the store again.
Anyway, my most recent encounter with the dregs of society was on Monday. After naptime, I took the boys to pick up a couple of things. Unfortunately, there was some sort of accident between me and the other nearest grocery store, and traffic was backed up and not moving, so I headed to Wally World. I actually got a decent parking place, picked up 5 items in all of 8 minutes, and went to check out. Welcome to 30 minutes you'll never get back. I was paying cash. I got into the 1 of 2 open self-checkout lanes, behind approximately 10 people. Prepared to settle in for the subsequent whining and fidgetyness, I started counting the minutes. But then! What's this? A cashier is opening up in the lane next to me. I, my two children, my five items, and my cash make our way over. Suddenly we are nearly hit by a teeny bopper sorority chick with a cart full of things. Technically, it was a tie, but, being southern, I said, "Oh, may I just go ahead?", fully expecting freedom from this hellhole in a matter of minutes now. She said, "No!" I was dumbfounded. Are you kidding me. What a bitch! Furious and knowing that if I opened my mouth it would surely make it onto the six o'clock news, I went back to my previous lane, luckily, there was a very nice woman who let me back in. I think she was a shocked as I was. How rude!
I regret not saying anything. I had thought that if I bumped into them on the way out, I would say, "This will come back to you." and leave it at that. Luckily, there was no such encounter. I was still fuming and probably couldn't have kept my cool like that. At home that night, B actually gave me what would have been the perfect thing to say. I should have looked her straight in the eye and said, "This will be you someday, two children, the witching hour, a few items in your cart. I hope you bump into someone just as rude and inconsiderate as you are and remember this day." Why didn't I say that!?!? I feel like George Costanza coming up with his "Jerkstore" comeback later in the day. UUGGGHHHH! The only saving grace to the whole thing was that, even with her obnoxious behavior, I still made it out before her.
But wait, there's more. Later that night, at the movies with my peeps, we noticed a man speaking very loudly during the previews. No big deal, we were sure as soon as the movie started he would stop. Only he didn't. Although I'm sure he was constantly talking, I only occasionally noticed it, probably due to all the songs in the movie. Anyway, the last time I noticed it, about three quarters through the movie, it was incessant and loud. We took it for a while, then, bolstered by my reticence at my earlier encounter with rudeness, I finally got up and said something to him. I wasn't rude or loud, I just went up to them and whispered that they were being a little loud. Shortly after I sat down, they got up and left. I didn't feel bad about it or sorry for them. If they had wanted to get together for a chat, they should have gone to a restaurant. I mean really, this was a middle aged couple. Shouldn't they know better?
I think it's time we all stood up to rude and obnoxious behavior. I'm tired of sitting by and letting jacklegs ruin what should be enjoyable times for the rest of us. It's hard to always come up with something to say spur of the moment, but remember, if all else fails, you can always hit them with, "Yeah! Well, the Jerkstore called, and they said they're all out of you!"

Bennett at One Year

365 days. What a drop in the bucket, and yet I find myself marvelling at the fact that you have been with us for more than even a week. You came rumbling into our lives two weeks early, and while I thought we weren't prepared for you at all (no infant clothes washed, Reeves still in the crib), your easy going demeanor and precious smiles made you fall right into place, and we all grew around you. It was like you came into the family and filled in that missing piece. You completed our puzzle.There were some frustrating, exhausting times early on, namely the couple of weeks when you completely forgot how to latch on and refused to eat, but you have generally been the easiest baby ever. You have slept when you are supposed to and for as long as your supposed to, you eat when you're supposed to, and you put smiles on all of our faces because yours is so often lit up in happiness. It is the rare occasion that you are upset and not easily placated. You are on a wonderful schedule - a morning nap, an afternoon nap, and bedtime around 7:30. And heaven forbid you are forced to stay up much past that betime. There is nothing that can make your life better other than your crib and your blue blanket. Unlike Reeves, you are not one to be rocked to sleep. You fuss and fight until you are in bed. It's like you must have read Babywise in the womb because you have definitely made us be better parents in that respect.I must mention here your blue blanket. Never in my life have I seen a child so enamoured with a "blankie". Oh, Reeves loves his froggies, Lolly loved(loves) her Abby, and I apparently loved my Moppie so much that all that is left is a postage stamp sized piece of it, but you adore your blue blanket. Maddelle gave it to you, and you take the corner where your name in embroidered and scrunch it up under your nose with your right hand, put your left thumb in your mouth, and roll over. It's really the cutest thing. Even if you're not in bed, if someone gives you that blanket, your hands already have muscle memory and do the same thing. (This is why I have bought four more and had Maddelle embroider them exactly the same way as the original.)What is interesting is that you only suck your thumb when it's time for bed, never at any other times of the day. I hope it stays this way. Once we realized you were a thumb sucker, I started dreading the day we had to get you to stop, but honestly, if you only do it at bedtime, I'm OK with that.
You and your brother absolutely adore each other. Your face lights up (even more than it already is) when you see him. You let out a squeal of delight when he says hello to you. He greets you each morning with a "Hi, Benny Boy!" and a kiss on the forehead, and he sends you off to bed each night with the same kiss and a "Night, night, Benny Boy. Love you." The two of you are really starting to play together a lot. You are always interested in whatever he is playing with, and he is generally good natured about it unless it is something he has had to build. I have now permanently moved all my mixing bowls to the den as you and he thoroughly enjoy putting on a drum show almost everyday. Reeves also likes to hop from bowl to bowl, and I know, as soon as you can, you will be doing the same thing too. For the most part you seem to endure and even enjoy some of the physical pain he (lovingly) puts you in. Just this morning, I heard you cackling with laughter and poked my head around the corner only to see him pulling you around the room. Even though you loved it, I had to put a stop to it. It's not all about your enjoyment; it's also about training Reeves, and I'm certain most children wouldn't have enjoyed the same treatment, especially since, for most children, Reeves didn't hang the sun, the moon, and all the stars. Just a hunch.
You haven't started walking yet, but I have occasionally caught you standing up all on your own. I know perambulation isn't far behind. Probably my fault since I only recently brought out the walker toys to help you in your development. Oops! Funny how that happens with second children. You are making all kinds of sounds, but best of all, and much to your father's delight, you scream "DaDa!!" whenever you see him. This just makes his day, especially at the end of a work day. Of course, he doesn't always make it home before your bedtime, so you have also learned to associate the phone with Dada. It's pretty cute. I have heard you say "Mama", but never in connection with me, so I'll have to add that to the Honey-Do list. You wave at anyone who will wave at you and you never meet a stranger. You are possibly the happiest child I've ever met. I envy you your disposition and the fact that any problem you have can be fixed by food, drink, sleep, or a diaper change. How nice it would be if we adults could have life be so simple.
Benny Boy, you're a year old now. I can't believe we're not measuring you in months anymore. I don't want to blink. I look back at pictures of you from only a few months ago and wonder where the time went. When did you start looking like you? Certainly not when you were first born, but I can't pinpoint a time that that newborn look changed. When did you start being you? When did you blossom into this little boy, this baby on the verge of being a toddler?
But I know, from the moment you were born, you've been an amazing, precious child that God made just for us. You and Reeves are the most wonderful gifts we have ever been given. You make us all better people and parents, and with God's help, we will spend the rest of our lives molding you and Reeves into the wonderful men we know you will be.

And the Award Goes To...

I hate to break it to all you other mommies out there, but apparently I am, to quote Reeves Monday night, "the BEST MOMMY IN THE WHOLE WORLD EVER!" I'm not sure if I get a trophy, but I'm expecting a certificate in the mail any day now. Of course, this was after he had been reprimanded for something or other, but touch black, no take back. I have the award, and I'm not giving it up. I really want to thank the little people for this because without them, well, I wouldn't be a mommy, so I'd probably have to give it to someone else. Thank you, Seattle, we love you! Peace out!

Up, Up, and Away!

This is the child who, at the beginning of the summer would not even jump off the side of the pool into my arms. What a difference one half of a summer makes. This was on the Forth of July.

Of course, once you consider that the swimmies are actually HUGE muscles, you get as brave as a super hero. I mean honestly, who could stop a man whose biceps are bigger than his head. No mere mortal, for sure! (In the first frame, he is revving his engine like Lightning McQueen and saying, "Gentlemen, start you engines!")