Grow Baby, Grow

Time is passing so quickly I can hardly keep up with my feeble attempts documenting Kennon's milestones.  He is so much fun.  He is beginning to laugh - most at his brothers.  He recently graduated from the bouncy seat to the exersaucer.  He loves to be in an upright position looking at the activity and ciaos that is our house on a daily basis.  Seeing him learn to play in the exersaucer makes me feel so excited to see him grow and learn new things, but sad, too, because it seems like just yesterday Brayden and Grayson were playing in the very same exersaucer. 

For the record in the picture below it looks like my sweet little Kennon has a giant tear running down his cheek.  In fact, is little tear ducts are still clogged so his eyes have teary goo allot.  The doctor assures me it will go away. 

Look how cute he is....

And just when I thought my other baby - Grayson (2) - was growing up he reminds me that he still appreciates the simplicity of being a baby and enjoying baby things.  He climbs in on his own, but always needs help getting out. 

Rock and Roll

Kennon is starting to turn tricks and his personality develops a little more with each passing day.  His eyes sparkle when we talk to him and he is starting to coo and talk back.  He brings so much joy to our lives each day.  He gets so excited when he rolls over.

Propped up tall to take a look around.

Ready to roll.

So proud of himself.

Cute as can be.

Little Memories

The older I get the more I appreciate the simple little memories and moments in life.  As I watch and listen to my oldest son race through the day - always wondering what comes next - I find myself working harder to slow down and set a better example of just living for and enjoying the moment rather than always being so caught up in preparing for what comes next.  As I listen to myself tell Brayden not to worry about what comes next and to appreciate the moment he is living in now, I realize I should heed my own advice. 

Over the weekend my dad and mom picked up apples recently fallen from my grandpa's old apple tree.  Grandpa has been gone for nearly five years now, but little memories of him show up all the time.  As my dad held up the bags of apples he was leaving for my sister and me, I could almost see grandpa milling about in his yard picking up apples from that same tree.  He would spend hours peeling and prepping them to stew, can, freeze or share with friends.  At times, on a warm summer or early fall day he would take a break and sit down under that same tree to take out his pocket knife and make a snack out of one of those apples right then and there. 

Grandpa knew how to enjoy life and to enjoy it at his own pace.  His pace always seemed to be a couple of notches south of slow.  He drove slow.  He walked slow.  He never got in a hurry telling a story.  He worked slowly and meticulously on woodworking and other projects.  His slow pace used to drive me and others crazy.  I realize now, though, he could accomplish more in a day than some of us do racing through the day with dozens of activities and endless 'to do' lists because he was focused and undistracted.  He appreciated life and little moments.  He lived for now rather than always wondering what came next.

I decided to take those apples and make apple pies yesterday as a mid-week surprise for all four of my boys.  As I prepared the apples and made the crust I shared my thoughts with little Kennon who was listening and watching intently in his swing.  I shared with him more stories about his great grandparents and I realized in doing so that my paternal grandmother taught me how to make the pie crust when I was in fifth or sixth grade.  I entered one of those apple pies in a local fall festival and won first prize a few years in a row.  The first pie I ever made my grandpa bought at the pie auction for $50.  He said it was the best pie he had ever eaten.  I never considered how many lessons I learned from just those few little projects. 

I understand now that the compounding interest of little lessons and experiences shared with people we love and respect help each of us grow to understand and appreciate that some of the best things in life are the things we don't even realize are lessons at all until much later.  And, sometimes, the simpler the task the greater the lesson learned.

For now, I am going to work harder to live life a little slower and appreciate each little moment and to help my boys learn this lesson much earlier than I did.  We started by sharing our pie and dancing together in the kitchen after dinner to some of our favorite songs.

Happy 2nd Brithday, again, Grayson

We are having a great time dragging Grayson's birthday out as long as possible.  Yesterday, to celebrate his true birthday we spent the morning with MOPS friends and the afternoon with Nannie B at the zoo.  She treated us to dinner and ice cream too.  We had a great time even though it was warm. 

In true Grayson style he enjoyed every minute of the zoo often stopping to have a seat on the sidewalk and just watch the animals.  His little face was bright red from the heat, but he kept going just as happy as could be.

It was a great, fun and special day for him.

Stopping to study the animals.

Happy, happy 2nd Birthday, Sweet Grayson

Nothing marks time more quickly than watching babies grow before your eyes.  When they are little every day brings a new adventure or simple little lesson....a new word learned, a new trick...whatever it is it is precious.  Recently, Brian and I started calling and referring to Grayson as a "big boy".  It pains me a bit every time I say it only  because it forces me to realize how quickly he is growing. 

Yes, I realize he is just turning 2, but his growth and progression is passing more quickly because he has the advantage of having an older brother to show him the ropes. 

It seems to me I use the word 'sweet' to address or describe Grayson often.  I've thought about that allot recently and the thing is there just isn't another word that describes him better for now.  Yes, he is smart and handsome (what mother wouldn't say that about her child), but his personality sets him apart.  Grayson is just full of love.  He passes out hugs in the middle of playing without solicitation.  As I push the cart through the grocery store he reaches out for a bear hug every other isle.  He kisses baby Kennon and baby Matney about every 5 minutes (and, no, I am not exaggerating). 

Because of his sweetness it is easy to celebrate his birthday continuously.  We kicked the celebration off with a swim party at Brandon, Ashley and Matney's house a few days early.  We will do something on his real birthday with just our immediate family and then have a special outing with all his other cousins later this month.

Grayson LOVES tractors and cows.  When I say "LOVES" I mean he talks about them pretty much non-stop.  The theme of the party started out as tractors, but evolved into a swim/farm theme quickly to take advantage of the beautiful weather.  Papa G, Nannie B, Papa K, Brandon, Ashley and Matney joined us. 

We started with cow, chick and piglet cupcakes.  He did a great job blowing out his candles and really got into opening presents.  I love that he takes time to appreciate and inspect each gift still rather than just throwing it to the side and rushing to the next gift. 

He got a new backpack and lunch box for preschool in the fall with cows and tractors (picture to come on the first day of school, two great books, some really cool trucks that are like puzzles, some cold hard cash, clothes and a remote control dinosaur.  We think the dinosaur was mostly for daddy.  

After Brian/Daddy messed around taking 50 million twisty ties of the dinosaur parts and putting it together only to realize we didn't have the right batteries for it we headed outside for one more gift from Papa G and Nanny B. 

On approach, it was covered by a large white cloth making it appear as a dead body awaiting a chalk line.  Alas, this is how we disguise gifts in the county when wrapping paper just doesn't stretch far enough.   He will learn quickly that a gift covered by a sheet, tarp or requiring a trip outside is pretty much always going to be good.  And this one was.......he is the proud new owner of a JD tractor complete with trailer and all. 

He and Brayden will have a ball working at Papa and Nanny's with their gator and tractor.  So far, they take turns nicely.  

We ended the party with swimming and a cookout.  As only little Grayson does when Papa K got ready to leave he got off his new tractor and ran to him saying, "Tanked you, Papa, money" which translates to "Thank you, Papa, for the money."  I did tell him to give Papa K a hug, but I didn't tell him to say thank you.  He remembered to say thank you and exactly what Papa K gave him all on his own. 

We attempted to get a family photo, but Grayson was having a not-so-sweet-moment when he wanted to swim. 

 

We love you more than all the stars in the sky sweet baby GrayGray. Happy Birthday!

Traditions Evolve - Happy July 4th

Traditions evolve and transform slowly.  They evolve and transform more quickly when you add three kids to the extended family in less than two years.  For the past 31 years I can count maybe 5-6 times my parents, sister and I missed our hometown parade to celebrate the 4th of July.  In our small town the parade is easily THE event of the year.  It is the place to see and be seen. 

Joking aside, the parade really is fun and always something I look forward to.  My sister and I used to obsess about what to wear, worry about what kind of havoc the weather and humidity would reap on our hair and - at a younger phase - dream of that one boy we so desperately hoped to accidentally-on-purpose run into.  After a couple of sweltering hours standing around the square watching the festivities we would proceed for our annual stroll around the square to scope out old friends to catch up with.  Every year dad would take the lead walking at his regular fast clip stopping to chat with what seemed like everyone and their dog.  He would be 10 people down the line and mom would still be back talking to the very first person we stopped to chat with.  So goes the story of my sweet mom and dad. 

If I thought back through every year I know I could come up with one special family memory from the 4th of July.  The most important is that nearly every 4th I've been with family and friends I treasure.  One particular year that does stand out was the year after I graduated from highschool.  For some reason we moved our regular position to watch the parade to the east side of the square.  As we adjusted our position to get a better look at all the floats we ended up standing by this cute college guy watching the parade with his mom.  I remember thinking "Wow, that guy must really love his mom to spend the day with her at the parade when he could be hanging out with his friends.....or...maybe he doesn't have any friends. "  Turns out that cute college guy did love his mom, appreciated his small town roots and had lots of friends.  Good thing because four years later I was standing by that same cute guy at the parade as his wife.

In the spirit of evolving traditions, these days we forego the parade for a quieter setting at the lake with all the kids.  We had a great weekend of cookouts, swimming, naps, waverunner riding, visits with the neighbors, a neighborhood ice cream social and parade. 

The boys decorated and rode their JD Gator in the 4th of July parade in the lake community.  They rode the entire parade route side-by-side.  We were pretty pleased with our decorations considering they were last minute and we had to buy them at the grocery store.  We enjoyed lots of fireworks too.  Who knew paper plates could be so festive.  Papa G did the shopping and walked the parade route.

Attempting a biker looker with a giant mosquito bite on his forehead.

Babies Matney and Kennon were there and hung out in their swings most of the time when they were not eating, sleeping or getting their diapers changed.

Very serious face.

Traditions evolve, but the essense of the traditions is always the same....time together with family and friends is precious and priceless.

2 Month Weigh In

Our little champ weighed in at 11 lbs 5 oz today.  He is in the 75th percentile for height and the 50th percentile for both weight and head circumference.  Babies are such an amazing gift.  It is equally amazing to see and experience their uniqueness and individuality.  Kennon's stats are very different from those of his brothers at this stage.  His hair is shades darker.  Time will tell, but I definitely think he will grow to be a man all his own.  In the mean time, we are enjoying each day. 

Kennon's most recent achievements include:
*  Cooing when spoken to
*  Smiling - mostly at his brothers when they talk to him
*  Rolling from belly to back
*  Sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches at night

He loves....
*  to be wrapped up tight in a blanket to sleep.
*  to watch his brothers talk and play nearby.
*  to cuddle with mom for an afternoon nap.
*  to be held. 

I admit to sitting and holding him more than the other boys.  Not because I love him more (in case I'm accused of it later), but simply because I appreciate now how quickly time passes and how fast little boys grow.  

Queen of Hearts

The smell of peonies in the air, porch swings, homemade apple pie, chicken and noodles, laundry hanging on the clothesline...these are just a few of my favorite things that always make me think of our very own Queen of Hearts - Grandma Janie.

In mid-June I joined my three aunts, mom and cousin Julie in celebrating Grandma Janie as she competed in a regional nursing home pageant. She advanced to this competition after being crowned "Queen of Kindness" at her own home. I couldn't have thought of a better title for her myself. Kindness is the perfect word to describe Grandma Janie. I'm hard pressed to think of even one time she has said something about or to someone even remotely unkind. After falling and breaking her arm a little more than a year ago she has made the absolute best of every day in the nursing home. 

At nearly 91 years young, Grandma Janie is friends with all and participates in nearly every activity. She has an exceptional memory for birthdays and anniversaries.  She easily has more of a social life than I do, but it keeps her young and busy. During her interview at the pageant she spoke of her love for her family, her faith and hobbies.  When asked what her one pet peeve was she said, "people who complain".  Never or very, very rarely one to complain herself, Grandma Janie reminds me to welcome every day with a smile and a positive attitude, to be kind in every situation and to bite my tongue when I'm ready to say something not so nice about or to someone else.  She inspires many and is loved by all.