four.

delight { a cause or source of great pleasure.




four months old.

you are a big fan of your feet right now. those toes are the only thing more entertaining to you than your brothers.

this is typically the position you get yourself in when you are in your bouncer. gotta get to those feet! just look at those thighs!

irresistible.

you love to be held, to be with the people.

you are starting to really get ticklish. which is so fun. we'll do anything to get a giggle. you love to "talk" to your paci, to be bounced so that you can listen to how your voice changes, and you love to eat!

i love it when you get that sweet look on your face when we are nose to nose...just waiting for another kiss....you know it's coming because we can't stop showering you with them. or when you stop eating to look up at me and grin...

you are a delight and the joy of my heart.

God, Castles and Cowboys

Grayson has really been talking more about God lately and saying Scripture back to us. Of course, we are encouraged to see this in him and love to hear his questions and prayers.
He also sweetly resides in LaLa Land 90% of the time and we never know what he'll say next. The other day Jamie took the boys fishing and all of a sudden Grayson shouted this out across the water: "God! Where are you? I want to see you! I want to see what you look like! Say something! Ring the doorbell God!" ~3.17.08


This morning, the boys came running out of their room exclaiming about a castle they had built with the oversized blocks they have. After viewing all the hidden passageways, I asked the name of the king who owned the castle. Grayson replied,
"King Spanehoder!" {he's quite good at making up names on the spot} "And Peter (of Narnia) is the Prince. And Susan is the Princess."
"Well, Hello Susan, pleased-" I started to say, but Grayson cut me off... "She doesn't talk to mommies. Only other tiny people." ~3.21.08

On the phone the other day with his aunt who lives in Texas, Sumner asked,
"So...have you fallen in love with any cowboys?"
~3.17.08

new eyes.

one of the things i love most about photography is how it has changed the way i view everything. i look at details, light and colors with new eyes...things that i once would have passed by now make me stop in my tracks. i am more awe struck by the beauty of God's handiwork. like when i open up the images i've captured with my camera and see my reflection in my child's beautiful brown eye...or when i look at one of God's creatures with an appreciation like never before. the richness of the pink of this flamingo, the texture of his feathers, the odd carriage and gait that this bird has that is entirely unique. the handprint of God can be seen everywhere.

firstborn

you are six today. what better way to start your first day as a six year old than by having your parents sing happy birthday to you while wearing silly st. patrick's day hats? after that silliness, you had a breakfast of your choosing: green eggs for the holiday of your birth, grits and strawberries! now you are off fishing with Dad. we have a fun filled day planned just for you....fishing, lunch outside on this sunny day, a trip to mcwane, and to the pizza place for dinner. i wonder if we can fit it all in?

last night i looked at you while you were sleeping and my mind went back to the day you were born. the day that i became a mother. the day that changed my life forever. i never knew such love. how those six years have flown and yet at the same time, it seems like just yesterday we brought you home to summerbrook lane.

now you are a big, boisterous, full of energy, front-toothless boy!

you are such a delight.

things i love about you...watching the wheels in your mind turn when daddy and i spell something (when we are trying to keep you and your brothers from knowing what we are talking about) and the light bulb moment that always follows. no more spelling for us! we are going to have to learn conversational italian or something.





the joy you take in learning. your observations of the world that are no match for my thirty-one years.
how you puff with pride when you do the things to help me or your brothers that only a big boy can do!

the high pitched voice that you soothe your baby brother with, the way you peddle with such fury down the bike path on our walks, talking to yourself in your own little world as you charge forward.

how your creative side is coming out more and more. you are really enjoying art. how you always seem to have a song in your heart these days. i love to hear you singing in the back of the van with abandon....like your life depended on it...whether it's three tall trees, hide 'em in your heart, or yellow submarine.


and a million more things...

you are my buddy, my gift, my sweet firstborn.

happy birthday!
i love you so.

It's official

I am officially a soccer mom now...and I love it :)

Sum had his first practice a couple of weeks ago and his first game the other day. He's very much into learning about the Presidents and all the different battles in history right now. So, he's pleased to be on the Patriots team...although there was a little confusion as to whether they were the Patriots...or the Revolutionaries....or the Dictionaries as he told us the other night ;)


Mom and her player before the game.
Good thing one of my best friends is married to a soccer coach so I have a go to for all my questions! Otherwise, I'll be buying Soccer for Dummies. This girly girl has a lot to learn about the world of sports, but I'm so excited! I could hardly wait until his first game.

Coach Antonio kidding around

One on one with Coach (trying to squelch a grin...so cute!)

Yes, that's the goal you want....run that way!
VICTORY for the yellow team! They won their first game.

This is how Grayson passed the time on the sidelines. He frequently reminds us of the little blonde curly headed boy on the movie Parenthood....

And I'm happy to report that no yellow or red cards were shown during the game....at least I know the terminology, huh?
;)

Sumner and Grayson Recommend

This Caldecott winner by Norman Juster is Grayson's current favorite. We love this sweet story of the window at the grandparents house. "It looks like a regular window, but it's not." Told from the child's perspective, it is spot on!

Sumner's current favorite is Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. This is a very clever book about the town of Chewandswallow where food drops likes rain from the sky as told by a Grandpa to his grandchildren . "Wouldn't it be marvelous? Or would it? It could after all be messy. And you'd have no choice. What if you didn't like what fell...?" He notes that his favorite parts of the book are the pea soup fog and the gorgonzola storm.

Ever get tired of the annoying run of the mill children's music? If so, this is for you! I would say it's probably best for the 4 and up crowd. Our friend Diana gave this to the boys last year and it was an instant favorite. These two guys, Keith and Ezra, really remember what it was like to be a kid and offer a lot of funny sing alongs. Jamie says he likes it so much he's going to load it on to his Nano for his jogs! Our favorites are What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee, I Think I'll Need a BandAid, The Window and Pico de Gallo.
I would totally listen to this even if the kids weren't in the car!

a few more

a few more i couldn't resist posting...

such a willing model

i wish i could record all these little conversations. i love how they make each other giggle...how they use a silly language all their own. how the younger never wants to leave the side of the older.

on the way home the other day, i was struck with the beauty of the sky. i had my trusty sidekick, mr. canon, riding shotgun, so i had to pull over right there in the middle of traffic and shoot the sky. the clouds looked like lambs wool. like you could just reach out and touch them.

sunday was a glorious day. we spent the better part of it barefoot in the gardens.
these boys+sunshine+a day in the gardens=my favorite things

"in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." -margaret atwood

and they did...