Memorial Day 2011

We had a great, relaxing Memorial Day weekend with Collin and family. I was able to take Friday off as pay-back for too much travel (I rewarded myself, but my boss was on the golf course and didn't care). So we hung out at home, with our only big outing to the library and park.

Friday marked the first time Collin checked out books at the library. I'm delighted to say that he's no longer eating books, so I decided it was time for some free variety and our library has a decent selection of toddler board books. With a book in hand as we drove home, I listened to Collin read to himself, which is mostly babbling, but an occasional "roar" from familiar-looking dinosaurs.

And on the topic of not putting things in his mouth, there's another item missing from Collin - his pacifier! I decided it was time to wean. When I was reading all the books when pregnant, I was sure he would be weaned from the pacifier between 6 months - 12 months. We're a little late and he isn't loving the process, but it's going pretty well. We'll see if Cas keeps it up when I'm out of town the next two weeks . . .

Saturday I took my first golf lesson, a skill I'm hoping only to develop for work, though it would be fun at some point to join Cas for a round (or 9 holes) of golf. Anyway, as expected I'm terrible. About 1/3 of my swings either missed the ball completely or hit 99% grass. I tried to remember just 3 things - position of my thumbs when I swung back, turning my hips, and watching the ball . . . but clearly I forgot that last one quite a bit considering I'd swing and miss at an embarrassing rate!

Sunday we were SO BLESSED to hear from our Sunday School leader, who had just returned from Ethiopia, about God's greatness in the adoption of his two children. Jay's testimony that as it says in Prov 21:1 - The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases - they were able to obtain the necessary paperwork in a day to bring their children home. We were blown away and praying for God to give us hearts that love orphans as He does.

After church and a nap, we threw Collin in his swim gear and took him to Great Aunt Debbie's for a pool party. He was immediately snatched by Grandpa Brownie, though he hadn't quite woken up yet -
Into the pool where, still slightly dazed, he splashed and kicked, but mostly clung to Grammy or me.

Sunday night Collin went home with Grammy and Brownie while Cas and I joined our friends for a Memorial Day party that went past Collin's bedtime. Grandpa Brownie decided my car needed to be washed - it did - and so Collin joined in on the work.

Monday we slept until 9:30, had a lazy morning complete with breakfast tacos, and then Cas and I went to the driving range so I could show off my learnings. After that it was time to pick up Collin from Grammy and Brownie's and head home. Grammy and Brownie, in typical grandparent fashion, raved about how perfect Collin was with them overnight, despite his 6:20am wake-up time on Monday. Of course he behaves perfectly if given everything he wants, a prerogative of grandparents (except the pacifier, they supported me on that)!

Cooking with a Cling-On

Collin hit a mama's boy peak over the weekend, being unusually clingy. On Sunday, Cas tried to distract him so I could cook. He took him outside, which normally is a sure bet for Collin contentment, but I could hear him screaming from inside our kitchen. He preferred being wrapped around my leg to being pushed on the swing by his dad.
So I made this with a toddler underfoot, and was feeling like a supermom . . .
Until I surveyed the aftermath on the counter top -
I am about to travel four of the next five weeks with my work - by far the most travel I've done so far, even though some of the trips are just one or two night stays. So Collin will have plenty of time to bond with Cas, but hopefully he won't be too independent when I'm home.

Bruno used to love me so much. Cas and I would be sitting on the couch with him sleeping the next cushion over. And when I'd get up to get a glass of water in the kitchen, he'd follow me. Bruno was my shadow, my cuddle dog, a mama's boy. And now he could care less when I leave and normally stays in the living room with Cas until Cas calls it a night, rather than going to bed early with me.

I am expecting the same pattern with Collin. Mama's boy until he discovers how much fun it is to wrestle with his dad or watch his magic tricks or play sports together. And then I'll be the chopped liver parent wishing for days where it took twice as long to get dinner together because my little boy would position himself directly in front of me and say "up." So now I'm picking him up when requested, giving him millions of hugs and kisses while he allows, and trying to soak up every preferred parent minute while they last.

Shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law

Last weekend Collin and Cas had a boys weekend at home while my mom and I met my brother in Louisville for a double surprise wedding shower weekend. After visiting their wedding venue and walking to a park we'll take Collin over the wedding weekend, we had dinner at the rehearsal dinner site.

Saturday morning we headed to Lexington for the shower. Coady had no idea we would be attending and believed Alex was out of town for work. So we were able to surprise her at the shower and then Alex was the second surprise when she arrived back at her parents' home.

Here's the beautiful bride standing on her new welcome mat with her soon-to-be new initial. Two of her bridesmaids threw the shower and it was incredible. They had a photo video montage of pictures of Coady growing up, an insane amount of delicious food, and a sweet photo book with pictures of she and Alex for us to write notes of encouragement to them.
Later Saturday evening, we had a great dinner in Lexington and then explored the college town. Sunday morning we had breakfast with Alex and then headed back to the airport. A photo opp on the side of a road -

We loved joining Coady for her wedding shower, spending time with Alex, meeting Coady's wonderful family, and visiting Kentucky. We can't wait to return in a few months with Collin and Cas to be a part of Alex and Coady's wedding!

An Aggressive Pointer

After a nap to give his pointer finger a rest following the zoo, Collin put it back to work in the backyard with Brownie and Grammy Saturday afternoon.

Pointing to his nose -

And to Grandpa Brownie's eyes. He's no dummy, any time we ask him where his eyes are, he'll gouge the eyes of the nearest person to demonstrate he knows the body part but would like his eyes to remain intact.

And when he realized his audience thought that was funny, he joined in on the laughter.

Next that pointer finger was intended to feel the slug. Clearly we have not mastered gently, and the slug suffered a terrible death at the pointer finger of my son. So gross and sad.

On to the next mess, the sandbox.
More laughter for his receptive grandparent audience.
Within thirty minutes of taking this picture, we also took his temperature - 104.1! Poor little guy. He had a virus that lasted five days, but he's finally feeling better. Praise God for infant Advil - it was night and day when the medicine was working and when it was approaching the time for another dose.

Pointing the way around the Zoo

Lions and meerkats and bears! We had a great time with wide-eyed Collin at his first zoo experience. Great Aunt Cheryl & Great Uncle Walter gifted us with a membership, and the first Saturday of every month allows members in an hour early - at 8 a.m. I had been talking up all week that we were going to get there at 8 a.m. I was pretty sure this was an impossibility since neither of us are morning people, especially Cas on the weekend, and Collin normally wakes up between 7:30-8:00 a.m. But we arrived at 8:45 and had a lovely 15 minutes before the general public joined us!

We'd practice the lion roar, point to the lion, and then see a big grin like this -
Collin was intent, pointing at all the animals he saw.

Staring down the jaguar (from behind glass, though from the picture you may think we let our child press against the chain fence)-
Posing on the bench with mom and dad. He liked the animals, but was equally entertained climbing onto the benches or finding leaves on the ground. Doesn't take much to entertain our 15-month-old.

Collin was not so sure about the monkey - he was particularly vocal Saturday morning. As long as he was on the other side of the cage in mom's arms, he was okay.

Sitting high to see the giraffes -

Finally, the highlight of every childhood trip to the zoo - the children's petting area -

Even though there were tame goats everywhere accustomed to receiving toddler pets, Collin really wanted to mess with the horned ram. Typical boy, drawn to danger.

Cas snapped an incredible picture of the fountain, a bird mid-flight, but unfortunately a cranky toddler. Once I set him down, he went running for the pigeons.

We can't wait for our second zoo trip. After we enjoyed 15 minutes of membership-level calmness, Cas assured us next time we would get there right at 8 a.m.

Getting used to the Grit

When Collin saw the sandbox in the backyard playset, he went running in its direction. We knew he'd like it because he plays in the sand at his daycare.
The feel of the soft sand in his hands -

Filling up the dump truck -

Sand in the ears -

While Collin loves the sandbox, I'm trying to get my mind around the new normal in our home: sand in the shoes, sand in the hair, sand tracked in the house with a visible pile by the backyard door, a layer of sand in the bathtub. Collin and our home may never be squeaky clean again (though with two dogs, I'm not sure our house has ever been especially clean).

Preppy duds, marker goatee

Since our church loves air conditioning, I dress Collin in long sleeves and pants even in the middle of the summer. Here he is in his church clothes right after he licked the window that was covered in window marker drawings. With a faint marker goatee -
I thought he looked so handsome, I drug him outside in hopes of better pictures in the natural lighting. No luck, but here are a few semi-decent ones in his preppy outfit.

Trying to blow bubbles, really just blowing raspberries/spit -

Can't get the bubbles to work, maybe I'll use the wand to dig in the dirt -

Besides seeking out opportunities to get messy, at 15 months, Collin loves to play chase, throw or kick any ball in sight, run up and down little hills at the park, and play hide and seek. We love when he learns a new word, plays hug ping-pong, and squeals, sings or giggles.