Piano Men

Thanks, Dadda, for always being excited to come for a visit, a breakfast out, or to swoop in to the rescue when we need a casserole or other daddy/granddaddy-delights. Love you!

Even though I stink at piano-playing, while my mom, dad, and sister are truly gifted (not to mention Pat's a drum master!), I love to have this piece of my Grandma Ginny in my home. She was a spitfire; a gracious, giving, spunky entertainer who has left with us her legacy through books, this fabulous piano, and of course, daddy-o.

Wee Walker

Yesterday, at the ripe age of 11-months, cute Beckett decided to take his first 5 steps to the couch. I wasn't expecting it, and was completely delighted to see him reach one of his first little milestones. Love you, adorable boy.

Cousins

I've had the opportunity to watch Patrick and Emily's 2 cutie boys in the afternoons. The morning I was supposed to start my 'duties' as part-time helper, I woke up abruptly at 6 in the morning and wondered what I was thinking. But I am happy to say that things have gone so much smoother than I had anticipated. I love Ethan and Spencer and so do my kiddos. I enjoy knowing that they have become happy, instant cousins. They all play well together.

Ethan is smart. He knows what day of the week it is, what the weather forecast is, and his weekend plans. He, like Boston, loves Wii and always asks when we'll be playing it next. He enjoys playing outside no matter what the weather and riding scooters. He's a bird eater, but in true bird fashion, looooves fish (goldfish crackers, that is!).

Spencer, or wee little butterball (as Patrick sometimes calls him) is this adorable bundle of eye expressions, funny words, and awareness. He often comes to me with a disgusted look on his face, refusing to use the toilet because there's pee pee on the seat. He and Cassidy have funny conversations in the car. A few weeks ago Cassidy was telling Spencer that she wanted a gold tooth like her dad. Spencer agreed that that would be just wonderful. When the chatting gets to potty talk and I give them 'the eye' in the mirror, Spencer is quick to say that his mommy will spank his butt if he uses those words.

The other day, sweet Spencer was trying to take a little nap on the couch and as the energy and noise of the other kids moved from where we were in the kitchen, I found that some critters didn't think Spencer should be able to take a nap. So rude. Luckily, Spencer slept through the curiousity and sneakiness.

Cool Cats

*
You'd think being a native Californian that I'd bundle up extra cozy in the frigid cold. I don't. I believe in t-shirts. I'm inside most of the day anyway and it gets toasty--all the kid chasing, stair-climbing and cleaning. My friend Ginny always laughs at me when I run out to do carpool and she's in Uggs and cute sweaters. Maybe next winter I'll rock some cute winter duds. As for right now, I'm holding my breath for spring and summer goodness.

*I do have 2 or 3 sweaters, though I realize--even the one I'm wearing in this pic is only 3/4 length.

Interview

I'm not sure if many of you know, but when Travis and I were dating I put him through a series of question sessions. When I told my dad about this recently, he said--with a bit of man fear in his eyes--"Wow, how'd he feel being interviewed?" I replied, "Most important interview of his life!" I realize not all suitors would be so willing, but I'm grateful for Trav's willingness to communicate with me (then and now).

I feel like if you can't talk openly about things with a prospective husband, what success can come of the relationship? Anyway, I came across one of my 'lists' so I'll share.

This is dated January 27, 2000.
Favorite movie star? Female?
Famous crush?
What sport do you hope your children will play? Musical instrument?
When have you felt out of control?
Your daughter has her first boyfriend. How do you treat him?
Your 9-year-old refuses to go to church. What do you do?
You find your wife locked in a room, crying. How do you lure her out?
Your wife is mad at you. You don't know why and become frustrated because she refuses to talk. What do you do?
Your brother has just discovered he can't have kids and asks you to 'donate'. What do you do?
Your best friend (according to your wife) has been hitting on your wife. What now?
One of your friends claims your wife flirts with him.
What is the one quality you hope for most in a wife?
If your wife could do one thing every day to make you content, what would it be?
What makes a good husband?
How do you deal with criticism?

Some of these now make me giggle, and I assure you there were multiple lists, but I gotta say, I feel it sure paid off! As an effective 'interviewer', I was not only listening to his answers, but observing his willingess to go the distance and his ability and desire to communicate!

Happy Valentine's Week!

Juicy

Okay, so I have a lot to blog about: birthdays, Christmas, visits, etc. but that'll have to wait. I sent the kids off to one of their favorite sitters this morning (no school today in our district!) so I could make a few phone calls and cross a few items off the to-do list.

Mr. Beckett is now 9-months-old. He has captured my heart in a different way than my other two. Not sure how that is or if I'm just finally out of the sleepless funk, but he's just so squishable and delicious. The back of his head, oddly enough, is even so adorable--beautiful silvery blonde hair and a rolly neck.

He is the busiest little critter ever. He's always on the move. He's been crawling for a couple months and has been cruising for about a month. He pulls himself up and moves along with focused determination. Travis swears he heard him grab a toy from the dog the other day proclaiming, "No!" He's speedy in his crawl and no matter where I put him with a pile of toys to buy myself a little time, he'll find me, sit on his knees, flap his arms like a bird and make his presence known with his loud yells.

He rarely cries, but he 'talks' and yells almost incessantly. He's a snuggler (in 5-second increments), an eater (anything and all the time, but preferably food he can shove in his mouth by himself), and a little social butterfly. I love him like crazy. He's just so cute. Boston and Cassidy love him too. They love that he's less fragile now and they enjoy playing dead on the floor and letting Beckett tackle them.

20 pounds of yum.

Do you have the Bountiful Baskets co-op in your area?! Amazing. I got the organic basket this week.

Heaven

Sometimes as kids, my siblings and I would lay in my parents' bed for bedtime stories and my dad would sing, "Heaven, I'm in heaven. . ." My mom and dad have always loved us loudly--with passion, loyalty, and adoration.

Tonight I watched Christmas cartoons with my kids before bed and had that feeling of heaven. I also had to tell my kids that their precious Emma dog needed to go to the less metaphorical and more literal heaven tomorrow. They've known it was coming, but somehow that doesn't make it any easier. Through this I hope to teach them that it's always worth it to love and lose than to not love at all. We talked about how Emma was going to run in heaven without her 'fat paw' and chase our black kitty.

We love our Emma. She has been a part of our family: baby births, parties, park days, camping trips, baseball games, car rides, daily visitors, hikes, visits to grandma's house, sledding, fishing, gardening, and errands around town. She's always been content to just be with us. I never knew I'd be such a dog person! So tonight I thank my Emma for enriching this little family with such accepting tenderness. We will miss you, but we know you'll be in a better place. xoxo