Week 29 - Something to Swing About

This is my new favorite picture of my child. It captures everything that he is. Pure joy and light, a little mischief, motion personified. It captures his style at this age - Crocs and sunglasses at all times. He loves sunglasses. He wears them nearly all the time. He puts them on and passes out in his carseat like a college guy who was out too late. He pushes them to the top of his head like he understands how cool that makes him look. He'll even put them on the pack of his neck, which admittedly I taught him, but who would have thought he'd think THAT was hot. I love love love this age. He's stubborn and always moving and ALWAYS into SOMETHING. But he's funny and creative and so very full of life. He's all about learning new things - like swinging! And I love to see how his little mind works. He's a problem solver, and a copy cat. He overcomes fear and I am always moved just watching him steel himself for something new and scary, or to try again when he's fallen down. He's amazing. I know, we all think that as parents...and it's true, each of our little beings is just amazing to watch as they learn and grow and become who they will be.

Week 28 (maybe) - Someone to Watch Over Me

I like to LOOK at beaches. But I'm a pool girl. This pool was like an ocean. The largest pool in the continental US, or so they tell me. Perhaps I should set out to find out if that's true. A tour de pool. How cool would that be?

Week 27y- Nap or Watch the World Go By

We took Owen on his first vacation when he was 3 months old. And this year we took a 3-month-old Dane on vacation as well. Things we learned: Two kids are more than twice the work, go one place and just stay there, naps are our homeboy. Both boys did really well. We have great travelers, I'm guessing in part because we start them when they are 3 months old. Dane hates for people to eat, and Owen would rather play with an iPhone than do anything else in the world, but other than that, we had a great time. We often think of finding a little place by a beach and living the beach bum life. But for now, we'll just take our once-a-year foray to someplace tropical.

Week 26ish - And Two Become One

M's cousin got married. The music was late '90s-early 2000s fare...so, AWESOME! The couple used a quote from When Harry Met Sally, their vows talked about cuddling up to watch Step Brothers and there was a man without a shirt dancing at the end of the night. All in all, a good wedding, I would say.

I was listening to their vows and the sheer joy and simplicity of them were flooring. I remember when it was that easy. A phone call, a glance. When the work of being together wasn't work at all. But marriage is work. Worth doing, but work nonetheless. They've got the right idea. Connect, cuddle and laugh a lot. And every once in a while, strip your shirt off and JUST DANCE!

Week ... 25? - Two Sets of Hands are Better Than One

My mom has a picture of me playing with Play Doh with my grandpa. In a little box somewhere there is a village of Play Doh people going about their lives with their little wheelbarrows and their donkeys. All made by my little hands and my grandpa's big ones. My mom is passing down the same memories to Owen. He doesn't really get it yet, but he loves the attention and likes to play with Grama. He likes to take all the Play Dohs out of the containers and roll them flat and then try to stuff them back in the containers. He loves the pink one and won't go near the black one. I'm always curious about what these little interests will turn in to in terms of real-world skills, and likes and dislikes. For now, I'm just enjoying watching them play.