Almost Two!

It is almost September…the month you will become two years old! You are so talkative and you have a very big vocabulary. Yesterday when I picked you up at school as we walked to the car past the fenced-in play area you said “I play there.” A spontaneous unprovoked complete sentence meant to share information with me. It had been a week since I had seen you. You had grown a lot in a week! Since your Dad started back to work this month I’ve begun my time of staying with you while your Mom works. You have become somewhat more assertive and more easily provoked and impatient. I think that is a “rite of passage” and part of the challenges of parenthood. But you have also started showing more delight and excitement about things--such as chapstick! You are able to put facts together and figure things out without specifically being told. You remember many details like the morning at breakfast you reminded me to push up your sleeves. You take my telephone and talk to your Mother on the phone in the car. And you took a picture of your leg! One day early in August you surprised me by running ahead when I set you down as we came out of a restaurant. It scared me to death but I retrieved you and learned a lesson. The world was calling to you…as it will continue to do. En route to and from school we listen to a CD of children’s songs. You remember them & ask for specific songs. One favorite right now is “Happy Birthday”. You don’t sing along yet but you are taking in the songs. You love pop sickles, blowing bubbles & your dog Sunday. You had allergy testing this month and went to the dentist for the first time. And you’ve started “potty training”. And when you turn two, there will be “no more bottles”. You have a small bottle before nap & at bedtime. I think you will be able to give it up okay, but it will be significant that bottles and diapers will be over soon. Although it is no longer a new awareness, I continue to admire what good parents you have. They love you and work together to do what is best for you, even if it’s hard sometime. One day after I left your house while you were napping your parents told me you cried when you woke up and I was gone. I told them that I cried too. Maybe not literally…but I do have a sense of loss as I leave you for a week! How lucky I am that I can spend time with you at this time of your life.    


After reminding me to push up your sleeves

Almost too big for swing!

Shopping Cart at Target

Self made Photo of Leg

Pop Sickle time!

My Friend Sunday

Delighting in Chap Stick!

Eight Days in July 2013

 

Neighbor cat

Cooking with Daddy

After nap Popsicle with Granny

             Chace Lake Poolside & Swings


The end of the day at Music Camp

Wearing Back Pack for Music Camp

I got to see you eight days in a row in July! Before that I visited one afternoon while your Dad did some errands and came to visit with Maggie Rae and Papa. I stayed overnight while your parents went out and when they went overnight to a concert in Atlanta. But during the time your Dad went to Wyoming, I was with you 8 days in a row…although not all day every day. I took you to Music Camp at Hilltop Montessori 5 days and it was fun to watch you go from being teary- eyed when I took you to your classroom to being comfortable then happy to go into your class. After class the teachers had all of you sit on a bench waiting to be picked up. It was so sweet to see you sit with your back pack ready to go home. En route to & from school we listened to a CD with several songs you really liked…Itsy Bitsy Spider & Happy Birthday were 2 favorites. And you liked the many American flags displayed on Highway 119. The trip was a little long, but you were never fussy. One day you played with Maddyn next door then we went to music at Gymborre and had a short swim after nap time. You were always sweet to hold at naptime and bed time and so funny to hear talking on the baby monitor. One morning I heard you count to 11. I was amazed but your mom said you had been doing that for awhile. You are coloring well and love for me to push you around the house while you ride on your “auto”. And you still love books and really pay attention to the words & pictures. Every afternoon we did some travel time outside in each of 3 vehicles: your red wagon, the stroller and the tricycle. The picture of you with the cat was made by your mother at a neighbor’s house. The cooking picture was with your Dad after he returned from Wyoming. But the messy popsicle one was made by me & was part of a routine post-nap popsicle experience! Next week your Dad will start back to school and our fall routine will begin. You will be going to Hilltop on Thursdays and Fridays every week. You are growing up so quickly! Your vocabulary grows every day. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead!

 

More Pictures Spring 2013!

Your parents make some funny pictures!

Won't be long until you really drive!

Dancing at the library!

The Chace Lake swing...one of your favorite places!

Elmo is your favorite for sure!!

Bitty Baby's Hat!

Catching up on Pictures!

For some reason there was a time I could not upload pictures to my blog! But today I can! I tried to load pictures associated with past blogs, but that was quite a challenge so I decided to just make a "catch up" blog with some of my favorite pictures...not sorted well but all from spring of 2013!


Bath time!

Neighbor's porch

Bench at UAB Hospital

Firefighter at MOD walk

Dinosaur at April 27 MOD walk

Back yard tour in wagon!

A beautiful family!

Cousin Micah at Children's Hospital (born Nov 22, 2012)

Hugs to a Dog visiting Children's Hospital

Dog at Doo Dah Day 2013

A favorite picture-Chace Lake Pool 2013

Morning in sprinkler!

Mother bird on nest!

June 2013 visit-Cousin Maggie Rae

Dad & Bear

All 14 of us at Dog Sled Ride in Juneau Alaska!

July 4th 2013!

3 cousins in deck chairs

You are at the beach right now with your parents, Uncle, Sabba  & Safta. Your parents have “tweeted” several pictures which show you are having fun and growing up so quickly. Since my last post the biggest event has been our wonderful trip to Alaska! It was an amazing time to be with you every day and see you interact with your five cousins…Jacob (12), Abigail (9), Jackson (5), Maggie Rae (5), Eli (2) and Uncles Frank & Eric and Aunts Kristina & Shari and me & Papa Wayne. We were celebrating 20 years since we married. A lot has happened in 20 years. And a lot has happened since my last blog posting!  One day at your house there was a momma bird sitting on a nest on the post of the front porch!  Your mom got sick and I unexpectedly spent a sweet day with you. I got to hear “Granny! Granny!” several times & we went to the pool together. Maggie Rae and Kristina came for a short visit and we ate out together. Then on June 9 we got on a plane to Alaska and returned on June 18. The ship was so much fun. We made stops at Skagway, Juneau & Ketchikan. One of the best parts of the trip was seeing you every morning. One day we happened to run into the whole group of Disney Princesses waiting for an appearance. You met many of the Disney characters and learned to give “high 5’s” and 4’s and even “high zero”. One of the most fun things was a dog sled ride in Juneau where we made the only pictures of all 14 of us. Almost every evening the 14 of us ate together. You enjoyed climbing stairs and riding elevators a lot! You & I went to a Pixar party in the atrium with me & you loved dancing with the crowd and blew kisses to Mrs. Incredible. On the last day we went to a Character Dance party; your parents went too & made videos & pictures of you having a wonderful time dancing! It was such a joy to see you have so much fun. We had a special Pirate Dinner on the last night and Abigail gave you & Maggie Rae dresses so the 3 of you dressed alike. So cute! The staff from 60 countries sang “It’s a Small World After All”. Wayne & I went to the 10:00 pm “till we meet again” party and interestingly as we were leaving it, they played “Sweet Home Alabama”. We stopped to listen. As much as you like to see planes from the ground, you did not like flying! After we finally arrived in Vancouver you said “no more planes!” but we had to do it again to get home! Only the Denver to Vancouver part of the flight was comfortable. Since returning from the cruise I’ve only had one day with you; you had obviously grown up a lot! One thing I noticed was you were more independent. For example, you would ride in your wagon rather than insist on being carried. Although I love carrying you, as you’ve grown it’s hard on my back. When I put you to bed we read many, many books and you reminded me to take the empty bottle when I left your room. I don’t think there are many bed time bottles ahead for me to give you! Because your Dad is going on a long hike in Wyoming this month, I will be spending more time with you which will be delightful. I’m looking forward to it. You grow so quickly. Today the USA is 237 years old but this is just your second 4^th of July. Happy Independence Day 2013! 

1st pose with a character!

 

Three cousins & 2 Aunts!

 

Delicious food every day!