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A GRAND Saturday

 Boy's Toys...Napping with the Remote Control

Hey, little guy, you spent today with DeeDee and Papa and we had a wonderful time.

Your mama met us at Einstein's early this morning. She was going to work, so she left you and your cot with us. We had quite a morning. We ate bagels outside and you watched a little dog and the birds (who were begging for crumbs from the people eating on the patio). Then we went to SAMS and to REI to look around. We did not do a lot of buying, but we had fun looking.

After that, we went to the library and you had a blast in the Children's department. You tried out all of the kid sized furniture, picked out a book to carry around with you and found a toy to play with. Papa and I know that you (and Papa and DeeDee) walked at least a mile in the short time we were there.

The Papa tunnel...but you've gotten so tall
you are going to have to bend over to get through!!

When we got to our house, you played for a few minutes before you told us that it was time for lunch by heading to your high chair. You had a great lunch...and then it was time for your nap.We changed your diaper, took off your shoes and set up your cot. You fussed just a minute before you fell sound asleep. Although you woke up at the 2 hour mark, you dozed and rested for another 40 minutes before you decided that it was time to get up. You were such a big boy sleeping on the cot, and you took a much better nap than you do in the porta-crib.

After your nap and another diaper change it was time to meet Mama at Slopes for dinner. You LOVE BBQ and you ate almost the entire kid's portion...which is pretty big. Then we had to say good-bye as you and Mama headed to Trader Joe's and then home to take a bath.

We hated to see this GRAND day end!! See you soon!!

Learning Words!

 Papa just got home from work (notice the very sweaty hair)...
But, as soon as you see him, you KNOW its time for dinner!!

Hey, Little Guy. You are starting to figure out the intricacies of language. You have been able to follow directions for quite a while now, and you know, and demonstrate that you know, your body parts whenever I ask. Papa and I always know that you are content when you are riding with us and "chatting" to yourself...you always sound so happy and peaceful at those times. But, until recently, you had not begun to say meaningful words.

Yesterday, you called me DeeDee for the first time...it was a very special moment!!

I know that soon we won't be able to shut you up. You will be like your mama and talk all the time once you really 'get' the idea that the words you say can make your communication with others in your world much more efficient than sign language or whining. It is magical to watch you make this discovery!

Happy Father's Day, Big Dude!!

From your little Doodle!!

I love you, Papa!!

Very Busy Days

Hey, little guy, I can't believe how busy I have been since school got out. I thought I'd have some down time once school was out and I didn't have to sub.

Right after I finished proctoring exams, I had to go to St. Louis with your Aunt Peggy and Great Grandma for your Great Aunt Peggy's funeral. Aunt Peggy was very special to me...she was my godmother and my father's sister. She was 90 years old and had lived a very long, good life, but we were all sad that she is gone.

It had been years since I have been in St. Louis, so we took advantage of the free time we had there to do a little touring. We saw the house we lived in when I was a very little girl and we saw the schools that I attended in kindergarten and 1st grade. We also saw the school that my sister Peggy attended in kindergarten. Even though we did not move, she and I did not go to the same school for kindergarten.

 This is the house we lived in until early 1957

 This is the cool playground at Lee Hamilton Elementary 

School, where I went to Kindergarten

 This is the sign in front of the school where

Aunt Peggy went to Kindergarten

This is the back of the school where I went to 

first grade. It used to be called St. John and James,

but now it is Mother Teresa of Calcutta

When we were in St. Louis, we were able to see all 9 of Great Aunt Peggy's children. It had been so long since we have seen them!! It was very good to reconnect with our extended family.

 The boys and Ginny smoking Stogies

Shelley and Peggy

Kelly, Kathy and Sarah

Your Papa wants to make sure that I tell you that when we were in St. Louis, we ate lunch at Rigazzi's on the Hill and had frozen concrete's at Ted Drewe's twice!! Your Great Grandma LOVED Ted Drewes and wanted to go back for "dinner" the last night we were in St. Louis. Those concrete's were our dinner both times we went, so we weren't as bad as we could have been. We wanted to bring your Papa a frozen custard, but couldn't figure out how to get it all the way back here, so he had to settle for a Ted Drewes t-shirt. Some day we will take you to the Hill and to Ted Drewes...I know that you will love the Italian food and frozen custard!!

The day after we returned from St. Louis, Papa and I left for LA. It was very hot, but we picked almost 50 pounds of blueberries while we were there. Your Papa LOVES blueberries and eats them every day. We do think that we have picked enough to last us until the 2011 blueberry season.

 Fun at DeeDee and Papa's house

We finally got to spend some time with you the day after we got home. DeeDee came and picked you up from your house and you came over to visit and have dinner with DeeDee and Papa. It was so good to see you!! We really enjoyed our visit. When we took you back to the house, you gave Papa his Father's Day card and gift since you are spending this weekend in South GA with your Daddy and Grandaddy. We will miss you, but I'm sure that you will have a wonderful visit. Have a safe trip and we will see you when you get home.

Friday at the ELC

Hey, Little Doodle, we had such a good day on Friday.

When DeeDee arrived at the ELC, you thought that I was going to take you on an adventure. It took a while for you to get used to the idea that we were not going anywhere, but once you did, we had lots of fun and adventure right there in school.

We did lots of fun things...we went to the football field to play ball and stroll around the track, DeeDee taught you 'No More Monkies Jumping on the Bed' and you learned some of the motions, you 'painted' the building with water (and got wet enough that you needed a new set of clothes), your daddy came to visit and feed you lunch, you took a good nap, and enjoyed your snacks. However, the highlight of your day was getting to play at the water table...what a fun way to begin the summer!!

Here are some pictures of you, Bradley and Ella enjoying the water.

 You were having SO.MUCH.FUN!!

 Pouring water on your head...notice the water dripping off of your chin...

 Your outfit says 'Little Squirt'...quite appropriate.

 Your favorite piece of playground equipment...you love to climb up and go down the slide.

 Ella stayed pretty dry...but Bradley is getting ready to take care of that. Watch out, Ella!!

Bradley was quite wet.

You were the wettest of all, and didn't mind a bit!!

DeeDee had to take you inside, strip off your clothes, put on a dry diaper, and take you home to Mama in your diaper. We had such fun telling her about our adventures when we got to your house!!

Little Boy Heaven

Hey Big Guy!! What fun you had at DeeDee and Papa's house yesterday!! You were in Little Boy Heaven...sorry I don't have any pictures.

First of all, your Papa was working from home yesterday, so when you and DeeDee arrived, he was already home!! That was such a treat. You love being with your Papa so very much. When he came out to the car, you got a huge grin on your face and reached up for Papa to take you into the house.

You have a definite pecking order these days...Papa trumps DeeDee and DeeDee trumps Mama, when DeeDee arrives at the ELC and you know that you are going on an adventure with me. Your Mama was at the ELC when I got there, and you were just getting up from your nap. We both waved at you and you grinned at us. Miss Janice handed you to Mama, and quick as a wink, you turned to me and put your arms out for me to take you. You gave your Mama a ton of kisses, but you would not let her take you back. When DeeDee put you on the floor, you took my keys and went straight to the door. You stood facing the door and would not turn around. It was TIME.TO.GO!! (That's why DeeDee doesn't drop by to visit you at the ELC any more...every time you see me you think it is time to go on an adventure!!)

After we got home, while you were eating your snack, you heard banging going on in the back of the house. You kept looking toward the noise and we could tell that you wanted to investigate. So, when you got down from the highchair, you made a beeline to the back of the house and found that the electrician was working on our electrical box. HEAVEN!!

You spent the next several hours watching the electrician work. He was doing some very interesting things and you really wanted to see every little thing he did. He also had a big red panel truck parked in front of our house and you watched that whenever you were removed from the work area. You really had a fabulous time watching everything that was going on, and you also saw some areas of our house that you had not seen before. You really wanted to try to crawl up the pull-down steps into the attic when Papa and the electrician went up there.

The electrician did not finish until 7:45 and by that time you were well past your bedtime and having a VERY hard time staying awake. When he left, we plopped you in the car to take you back to your house. You were sound asleep before we made it out of the subdivision.

DeeDee gets to work in the ELC tomorrow, so I'm spending the entire day with you and your friends. I'm really looking forward to our day together. See you tomorrow, big guy. Love ya!!

Busy Days

 Ready for the Baptism

Hey, Buddy!! It's been two whole weeks since your DeeDee has had time to post to our blog. I have worked every day for the last two weeks!! School is almost over and everyone seems to need help. There were several days when I could have worked two or three jobs in one day, if that were possible.

You are feeling much better. Your cough is gone...but now DeeDee has it...and your ears are no longer infected. However, last Thursday morning you woke up with a terrible rash. Your mama did not know what it was, so DeeDee stopped at your house on my way to work to look at it. We just couldn't figure out what it was. It looked sort of like early chicken pox, but you didn't have many marks on your stomach and back. They were mostly on your legs. I wondered if you had gotten into a nest of chiggers, but since you were not scratching much, that theory did not make sense either. Since you could not go to school, your mama got you a babysitter for the morning and then DeeDee came over after I was done with work. I took you to the Dr. after your nap. The Dr. said that your rash was a reaction to the Amoxicillin you had been on. No more penicillin products for you. I am so glad that we found out about your allergy before you had a really serious reaction.

 Spots!!

You were a very good boy at the Dr's office. You even grinned at the Dr. a time or two, which is a real breakthrough for you. You weighed 27 lbs and were 2' 8.5" tall (32.5"). You are getting so big!!

On Saturday, you spent most of the day with DeeDee and Papa. Your mama dropped you off at 8:30 because she had a school activity to go to. We ran errands. You fell asleep in the car on the way home, so DeeDee sat in the car and read her book while you slept for about an hour and a half. Then you were ready to play with Papa. You watched him cut the grass...you really wanted to go outside and help him, but DeeDee told you that it was dangerous to be out in the yard with the mower running, so you watched from the door. You ate several snacks and played and played. By 2:30 you were so tired that you were getting unsteady on your feet, so you went down for a nap...you didn't want to go to bed, but once you were in there, you were asleep in minutes.

15 months old...Me and Papa

Your mama came to pick you up to go to Lila's baptism. Mama let you sleep until 3:30 and then she dressed you in clean dress clothes for your big outing.

Papa and DeeDee just loved having you at our house on Saturday. We hope that we can have another special day together very soon.

Sick Day #3

Hey, Big Guy...you were so pathetic yesterday. Your Mama took you to the doctor, who discovered you have Croup and an ear infection. After DeeDee finished subbing with the 5th graders, she came over to take care of you while your Mama attended a couple of events that she HAD to go to. Papa came over, too, when he finished at work.

Since you had not eaten much at all yesterday, we decided to take you to Havana, one of your favorite places, to see if we could get you to eat something. You love their black beans and yellow rice and you did eat quite a bit...very little hit the floor. You also had lots of people to watch, which distracted you from feeling quite so miserable.

When we got back to your house, we gave you your medicine (not your favorite thing...Tylenol is OK, but the Amoxicillin is not your favorite...and you HATE Motrin) and got you ready for bed. After a little playtime, you went to bed without a peep.

Unfortunately, that durn congestion kept waking you up. The only way that you were able to sleep was on either DeeDee or Papa's shoulder. You were so tired that you couldn't stay awake as long as you were being held upright so that the mucus did not choke you.

DeeDee and Papa hated to see you feeling so bad...but we loved having you snuggle down on our shoulder and sleep. You are such an active, independent little boy that you never let us hold you like that!!

Papa and DeeDee hope that you feel better very soon!!

Sick Day #2

Pictures from our day together...

 Resting in the rocking chair

You did not feel well...your fever was down since you were taking Motrin and Tylenol, your nose was running and you had a croupy cough. Your eye-teeth are coming in, too, and your gums are really swollen.

Even though you were feeling pretty rough, we did have some good times, too.  Your little personality is starting to show and you have begun to tease.

Watching the lawn guys work...wishing you could be outside with them...

Mischief in your eyes!!

Sick Day

Hey, Little Guy, your Mama tells me that you missed school today. She said that you woke up in the middle of the night with a 103 degree fever...your first ever high fever. I am so very sorry that you are sick. Lots of other kids in the ELC have been sick this week, too, with that same pesky fever.

Papa and I babysat for you last night, but we didn't even get to see you. Your Mama said that you were fast asleep by 6 o'clock, and we didn't get there until 6:40. I looked in on you a couple of times...once you lifted your head, but did not really wake up. Your Mama said that you did not take a good nap at school and that you had been cranky and clingy. You must have been getting sick yesterday. I hope you get better very quickly.

On Monday, Papa and I babysat, as well. You were feeling pretty good then. You greeted me at the door of the ELC with a huge grin on your face. I was so glad to see you, too, since I had not seen you in almost a week. You kept trying to open the door for me, but you (thankfully) couldn't do it...as much as you love to be outside, you will become a real escape artist once you learn how that door works!!

We drove back to your house and played for a while before dinner. You were eating when Papa arrived and you had to get out of your chair to help him pack his bicycle in the car...and then you had to show him some interesting things in your yard before you would come back inside. Once inside, you finished dinner, got your PJs on and played with us until your Mama came home...and then, you were very ready to go to bed.

If  DeeDee doesn't get called in to sub tomorrow, I am going to come over and stay with you while your Mama works. Because you still had a fever at 11am today, you can't go back to school  tomorrow. You can't go until your fever has been gone for 24 hours. I do hope that you will be feeling much better tomorrow. It is so sad to see a little guy who is not feeling well.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Easter!!

Lunchtime with DeeDee

Hey, Dougie, we all enjoyed  a great Easter. We had a party at Great Uncle Eugene's house and you loved getting to spend so much time outside. It was sunny, and quite warm, but you didn't care because you LOVE being outside.

Chillin' with Papa
 

A slinky from DeeDee and Papa

When you came into the house to cool off, you practiced going up and down the steps. You got very good at climbing up the steps...no crawling allowed. You even refused to crawl down the steps, which made life a bit more challenging!! You are a very busy boy, and you really wore your Papa out. (Sorry, no pictures of the stair climbing...)

You found 7 eggs during the egg hunt. Your cousin Lucy was the egg hunt winner...she found 97 eggs.

 Got the keys...gotta go!!

After the egg hunt, it was time to go home. You were hot and tired and it had been a very long exciting day!!

Walkin' ALL the Time

 Happy Easter Everyone!!

Hey, Big Boy!! You are SUCH a big boy...you never crawl any more. You love the view of the world from your feet...you can see a lot more AND you can get into a lot more, too.

Papa and I had a nice visit with you on Wednesday and we had so much fun. DeeDee picked you up from school. You were outside playing when I got there, and once you gave me a big hug, you went back to climbing up the ladder to the slide. Oh, my, you LOVE playing outside and you did not want to leave the playground.

DeeDee had to park a long way from the ELC and you were so happy that you got to climb up the stairs all by yourself (with me standing close behind you). You were so tired, but you wanted to explore everything and had your own idea about the route we were going to take to the car. I think you walked an extra half mile so that you could explore all of the interesting things that caught your attention.

When we got back to your house, you ate a bit of dinner and drank a ton of water. Your were so thirsty after getting hot and sweaty outside, and you just weren't interested in eating.

You were so excited when Papa arrived on his bike. You helped him with his bag, and then you led him into the extra bedroom to show him your favorite "toy"--the telephone. You showed him that you even know how to turn on the speakerphone!!

 Raspberries for Papa!!

Papa took his shower while DeeDee gave you a bath and your Mama left to run some errands. Then we went for a ride in the car to pick up a sandwich for dinner. You fell asleep in the car, but woke up when we got home, so all three of us ate dinner...this time, you were ready to eat. After dinner, it was almost time for you to go to bed. You were a little unsteady on your feet since you were so tired...but you weren't too tired to show off your new talent -- blowing bubbles and making raspberries!! You love making this new sound!!

Then it was time for bed and time for DeeDee and Papa to go home. Night, night big boy...see you soon!!

More Milestones

Hey, Sweet Boy, this has been another week of milestones for you.

You have started to engage in pretend play. You love to "talk on the phone"!! You pick up the toy cell phone DeeDee gave you, put it up to your right ear, and say "Hi" with a distinct southern accent. You then proceed to walk around (still mostly holding on to furniture) holding a conversation with someone on the other end of the line. You usually don't say a whole lot...but you do respond in monosylables, just like you are listening to someone tell you a story. I wonder who does that at your house??

 It's GONE DeeDee!!

You love to eat. You are impatient, too. If we put two pieces of food down on your tray, you stuff both pieces into your mouth. So, DeeDee and Papa have started giving you one piece, and waiting for you to tell us that the food is gone before we give you another. You often sign "More, please" while you are still chewing!! Now, we ask you to give us the sign for "Gone" before you get another piece. You learned very quickly to tell us that your food is gone...smart boy!!

You also learned how to drink from a straw last weekend. That will make it so much easier on everyone when we go out to eat and have forgotten your sippy cup.

When you were at our house last weekend, you learned to climb up on the camel stool. You are the third generation of Papa's family to enjoy that special stool. Papa played on it when he was a little boy, your cousins Trey and Hailey played on it too...and now, it is your turn.

  Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

It has been a month since  you took your first little baby steps and you are beginning to favor walking over crawling. On Tuesday, DeeDee and Papa babysat for you and whenever you wanted something, you dropped to a crawl immediately. We babysat again on Wednesday, and what a difference a day makes!! On Wednesday, you took off walking whenever you wanted to get something...except when you wanted DeeDee and Papa to chase you to keep you out of the computer cords. That is one fun game in your book and you giggle happily when we catch you and drag you out from under the computer table.

Papa and DeeDee have loved the time we have spent with you this week. It is so exciting to see how fast you are growing and learning.

Eating Like a Big Boy!!

Hey, Dougie. You cane home from school on Thursday with DeeDee. It was really fun having you over at our house for a change. Since you have moved, you don't get to DeeDee and Papa's house very often.

DeeDee helped to proctor exams at your Mama's school on Thursday morning and then I came to pick you up about 12:30. You had already had lunch, but had not yet had your nap. You enjoyed riding to the car in my Grandma stroller. You fell asleep in the car on the way to DeeDee's house. DeeDee stayed in the car with you while you slept. I had a good book to read and the sun was shining brightly, which kept the car nice and toasty, so I didn't mind. You slept for about 40 minutes after we got to the house.

Once we got inside, you ate a 2nd lunch while DeeDee ate her lunch. You had goldfish and applesauce and ate the rest of your peas from your lunchbox. You also ate the rest of your bread, which I spread with hummus. You did not want the strawberries your Mama had packed for you...you are not really fond of strawberries yet.

After lunch we played and played. You were so cute with the TV remote controls. Whenever I told you to call Papa or to call Mama, you crawled and got the remote and put it up to your ear as if it was a telephone. By 4:20 you were really tired, so DeeDee got out the MP3 player and cranked up the children's songs. You chilled on my lap while the music played and I sang the songs to you. It was a really nice cuddly time that lasted almost an hour.

After your cuddle time with DeeDee, it was time to eat again. You had crock-pot chicken and red beans and rice. You LOVE beans and rice. DeeDee bought you a new bowl last weekend, so I put your food in the bowl and I gave you a spoon. You did very well with that spoon considering that it is the very first time you have tried to eat using a spoon. I was very proud of you!!

Sometimes, your hands are just more efficient!!

Papa came home just as you were finishing your dinner. You wanted him to pick you up right away...and he did, once we washed the food off of your face and hands. You and Papa played while DeeDee did the dishes and then it was time for a bath. OH, how you LOVE your bath. You swam and swam in the water and didn't want to get out even when the water was getting cold.

After you were snug in your PJ's, Papa put you in the car for the ride back to your house. You fell asleep in the car yet again. This time, you were out for the night. When Papa brought you into the house, we took your coat off and put you in bed. Your Mama said that she did not hear a peep out of you ALL night. Playing with DeeDee and Papa wears you out!!

We love having you visit us and can't wait for you to come to our house again. When DeeDee went to the consignment sale today, I found a toy cell phone for you so you will not have to pretend with the remote controls any longer!! I'll bet you will enjoy your new "cell phone".