He IS a cute little boy

Check out this video of our adorable little boy...

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Catching up

I know, I know! I am not behind, I am just getting started. But still... it is easy to feel a bit behind when you can't figure out what to eat or wear because grocery shopping and laundry haven't been done in at least forty-eleven weeks.

So, to catch up, I ...

• Went shopping for two hours in three stores (sans dh and kiddo) to buy ingredients for 7 recipes, each of which is at least doubled for the freezer

• Cooked one of the recipes furiously

• Wore the same clothes I wore yesterday so I that I would at least be covered while Kiddo and I
  

• Went to the Zoo for the whole afternoon and
  

• Left a whole pile of dirty dishes and piles of laundry

If you ask me, the Zoo was the best part.

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Reflections of a Happy Mother's Day

As you know, today was Mother's Day. I wanted to write a great post in advance that would be posted on Mother's Day morning. But, as has been characteristic for me lately, I didn't get it done. Happy Mother's Day anyway, sweetheart! (However, bloggerland, rest assured that this is not my first such profession today...)

I know I've been conspicuously absent recently. I guess it is even more conspicuous since I figured out how to make the posts automatically shade based on the post author. There have been a lot of pink posts in a row now. I'll try to get some more blue posts in once in a while. :)

Since it is Mother's Day evening now, I thought I'd share with you a couple of reflections from a happy Mother's Day.


First, this morning I got up early to get things ready for Mother's Day. Well, I didn't really pick the time, but Kiddo did. He was ready to get up before seven o'clock, but his momma wasn't quite ready, and asked for fifteen more minutes. So Kiddo and I went into the living room, and shut the bedroom door.

We started by wrapping a couple of presents, and signing the cards. Then, when that was done, we sat and played for a few minutes. I sat with him on my lap for a while, and I watched him observe the world around him. I am amazed at how observant he seems to be. He is funny in that when somebody is holding him, he can sometimes practically ignore the person who holds him up, while he looks at everything and everybody else. It is funny; if C is holding him, he will all-but ignore her and watch me. She passes him to me, and the same thing, but in reverse.

As I watched him ignore me this morning, it occurred to me that this is a metaphor for the future. Today he stands on my lap (with help), or sits on my knee, and because of me, he is able to have a better view of his surroundings. There will come a time when the possibilities of the world are open to him. He will stand on the shoulders of his parents as we stand on the shoulders of our own parents, and on down the generations, each generation benefiting from the sacrifices, hard work, and accomplishments of the one previous.

He may not be aware of the benefit of the vantage point he gains because of his parents influence, but as I watched him this morning, my appreciation grew for my own mother and father, upon whose shoulders I stand today, who gave me so many opportunities and advantages in the world.

In particular, this Mother's Day, we honor our mothers, whose love, dedication, and sacrifices have greatly enhanced our lives, but also allow us to provide an even firmer foundation for our children. Thank you, on behalf of ourselves and our posterity. Your sacrifices are not in vain, nor are they unappreciated, even if they seem unnoticed.

Another reflection I had today occurred as I wrestled with our five-month-old during Church. Some days he is calm and well-behaved. Today he was restless. He didn't want to be held, and he didn't want to be laid down. He was tired, but didn't want me to put him to sleep. I gained a greater appreciation for what C goes through all day long. It's not that I've not thought about it before, but after even a single hour of wrestling with him, I was ready for a break. I'm amazed that C is cheerful and does it for 9 hours in a row while I'm at work. She really is a wonderful woman. I can't believe I'm so lucky to have her as the mom of our family. C, you are an angel, and I love you desperately. You are the love of my life.

Happy Mother's Day. To C, to my mom, my mother-in-law, and to all women everywhere. You deserve to be celebrated everyday, but I'm glad we set aside a day especially to do it as well.

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The Million Dollar Smile

Kiddo smiles a lot. At everyone he meets. It appears that he likes to smile. I would go so far as to say that he loves to smile. But in all reality, it is my opinion that what he loves is the reaction he gets from people when he smiles. He seems to have learned that smiling at people universally results in a return smile.

What is especially cute now is that he seems to be differentiating between people he knows (large unreserved smiles, often squeals of delight) and people he is meeting (slightly hesitant, waiting for a response). It is so fun to watch him interact.

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It is beginning....

Today I left Kiddo on the floor while I worked on a project a few footsteps away. I looked up after just moments and he had moved about 3 ft. to go after a container of wipes.

I'm not sure what the allure of wipes is, but I believe it is the belief that wipes belong to the set of objects called Not Toys. Did Kiddo roll from back to front the first time for a toy? No, it was for a plastic bag. Does a lost toy prompt to wiggle across the bed? No, it is an open book.

Given that our bottom shelves are currently filled with Not Toys, I'm giving them about 2 weeks.

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