Picture time!!!!

Here's your shot of Bo-tox and your Wes-fix:













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Speaking of behind ...

We just planted our pumpkin seeds last week.

We should have some pumpkins by Halloween (my favorite holiday), but they probably won't be too big ;) Hopefully they'll make for cute pics of the boys in their coordinating Halloween PJs!!!!!

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Boden's first bath

It's late and I'm having a heck of a time rearranging these pictures. Here's the story:

Wesley helps with the bath by placing the duck in the water.

Now that the duck is placed, we can commence with Boden's first bath (that's right, he wasn't bathed at the birthing center, just patted down.)

So, Boden gets a little upset ...

Then, I decide to post a pic o Wesley in a bath so you can see how well he's aged ;)

And then there's a picture of Daddy walking the boys to the museum in Raleigh.

They're not in order, but they're still cute.












































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Just a Swingin' and Dreamin'

I rarely post pictures without a dash of home-brewed wisdom, so let's see if I can come up with anything that relates to the following mega-dose of cuteness. I don't blame you if you can't tear your eyes away from the pictures long enough to read ... I keep scrolling down to see them again and again as I type.

I'm not sure why I keep looking ... I do know that to me, these images (by Aunt Casey) capture something special about childhood ... I'm still trying to put my finger on it.


Do you ever think if life gets any happier you might burst inside? I think that, or feel it, almost every night.

Almost every night Patrick and I go into Wesley's room and play with him for about 30 minutes, it's our way of winding down with him and ending the day -- no matter how hard it was -- with laughter, family togetherness, songs, prayers and whatever else flows from our hearts.



Throughout the evening last night Wesley spontaneously hugged my neck and placed his cheek next to mine. It had been a rough day. He had just spent a weekend away from us and came back ready to test his home and his boundaries to see if anything had changed. Nothing had: I was still firm and held age-appropriate expectations. He just needed to double check, and triple check, and throw tantrums, and throw things (at me), etc. until he knew for sure that he could still count on me, and that his world was still safe and supportive no matter what.

Later that night, toward the end of our time together, Wesley pretended he was a flying dinosaur and flapped his arms as high and fast as he could.

"I want to fly! I want to fly!" he said.

Patrick lifted him into the air and I laughed with joy at their delight. We gave Wesley affirmations, to the extent that we could, about his dream: he probably won't ever be able to flap his arms and fly, but there are other ways he can make his dreams come true.



Heck, for all we know, perhaps his dreams have already have come true, after all, as you see in the picture below, Wesley has two colorful wings and his feet are off the ground.

Who knows where he was going in his mind when this picture was taken, or where he'll take his life long after this memory fades... all I know is that I want a fraction of his belief ...




... that any dream is possible and that there is no reason in the world his dreams won't come true.

One day I want to be the one relishing in my safety and lack of fear as I jump on the bed, flap my arms, and exclaim, "I want to fly, I want to fly" ... and then one day ... look down to find my feet above the earth and my colorful wings outspread.

Even though he's the one testing me to make sure his boundaries are still safe and held in his best interest, I'm the one with a lot to learn -- from him -- about boundaries and possibilities.

I'm tired of confusing safety and fear. And I am ready to claim and name my dreams! Thank YOU, Wesley (and of course Patrick)! Read more!

You Get One Guess

What did we make today?

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Homemade Sailboat

A boy with a cold in search of an adventure makes a vessel that can take him anywhere he wants to go ... without infecting others. One diaper box; 1 wrapping paper roll; a handful of markers; some brown shipping paper,and a few feet of tape make ....

A Sailboat
(& a very happy boy)

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Value of Imagination, Family Play

Imagination Adventure:

A bed becomes a boat,
Blue silk below a sea,
Sticks catch fish,
We set them free.

Last night our small family sailed for 45 minutes in Wesley's bed. Together we turned our sail to capture the wind over the sea as our magic fishing poles pulled up whales, sharks, snakes, dragonflies and butterflies.

For those few minutes, we lived in a fantasy world, where Wesley was Captain and we his little mates.

The fantasy didn't stop when we tucked him in to bed. He saw stars and spaceships above his head and he heard the songs of frogs and birds though the night was silent.

Engaging a child's (along with your inner child's) imagination, and letting them fill the room with their fantasies shows them -- in a way that words can not tell -- that our time with them is valuable and their imagination and play time is valuable.

And still it's more: During the bedtime play Wesley re-enacted the time he fell into the bog at the Chapel Hill Botanical Gardens. I believe that during the re-enactments of having both mommy and daddy alternatively pull him out of the water and take care of him he was resolving some emotional residue related to the event. After about 5 re-enactments -- he started to swim in the water.

Play is a powerful invaluable tool for children -- and for the watchful parent, for we can learn through their play how they are doing. And often, how we are doing as well. Read more!

Finally -- DC Adventure pictures

(We left our camera and took these pics with a disposable we picked up at the Air & Space Museum ... so excuse the grain.)

Father and son bond on the mall.


























They're still stuck together at the Museum of Natural History (looking at dinosaurs).





























Mommy and Wesley get some time together in front of the tricerotops skull (same dino that is on his shirt).


























Also on the mall, Daddy and Wesley enjoy the merry go round.













Mommy and Wesley wait for the Metro to go to Cousin Andy's restaurant (Mmmm Mmmm she can cook!)










Cousin Andy:










Wesley enjoyed chasing pigeons while in D.C.
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Canoe Trip -- Changing Places

Canoe trips were a lot easier before Wesley came into the picture ... but they weren't this kind of fun!

Wesley enjoyed the riding in the canoe along the Enoe River. He also enjoyed the hiking trail that went along the bank. So he would ride in the boat and then walk and then ride in the boat and then walk ... etc. So did Rosie ... she couldn't decide if she wanted to swim, ride in the boat or pull me and my 8-month belly along the trail as we struggled up some of the large rocky areas.

Despite the constant changing and adjusting we did along the way, we all had fun!

Well, except perhaps Sam. Sam was at the groomer's getting a bath and nail trim ...







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This is why I should ...

NOT attempt to listen to Patrick's research presentation and see him pick up his shared award for Outstanding Resident of the year with Wesley.


Can you blame him? Of course he'd rather be outside swinging on whatever he can find to swing on than inside sitting down and being quiet in a room of suit-clad people. What WAS I thinking?

So ... we left ... and we'll surprise daddy by taking him out for dessert tonight at our favorite place for dessert: Foster's Market. Read more!

Emily & Patrick

And here WE are in a rare picture of the two of us. Wesley was taking this shot, but Patrick reached out at the last minute to lift the camera to us rather than the ground. He had the camera pointed to the ground and said, "Smile!"



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Picture of Emily, Wesley and Baby Brother

You can see baby brother poking out to the left of the picture. We all went out to a dinner tonight for Patrick's medical society leadership group. We had a lovely time. By the time we returned Wesley's white sweater was smeared with red velvet cake. Sorry, no after shots, he's already in his PJs and in bed. Daddy is reading to him as I type.

As a mom who rarely dresses up, I enjoy the opportunity to blow dry my hair, put on some lipstick, and wear a nice dress (thank you, Maren, for the maternity donation).

Good night! Read more!

Explore for Life!

We had a great time at the ...
(Update: Pictures here)

Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
(Lee guessed correctly.)

Of all the days to show up, we happened to get there on Space Day!

... more to come ... I'm off to vote ;) (OK, I voted so I am back now.)

So what happens on space day? There are all sorts of booths set up with give aways of posters, stickers, etc., and of course a ton of information about new advances in rocketry, space weather, etc.

The best booth was the one with the two astronauts. Wesley, of course, did not want to stand in line, but just in case he decides to grow up and become an astronaut himself, I thought it'd be cool to have their pictures to hang in his playroom.

While this may sound pushy, I don't think it is. We're talking about a child who gets upset because we can't take him up in space. "But I want to go up in space right now!" he demands. "I want to go on a rocket ship adventure!"

If the interest in space and the transformation of every rocket-shaped object, such as pens and pencils, into a rocket ship fades, than I'll drop the space talk, but I say as long as he's interested, I'll nurture it.

So I stood in line for 30 minutes to get the photos. During that time one astronaut went out to lunch, so only one is autographed. The astronaut wrote, "Explore for Life!"

I hope that no matter the subject area, that Patrick, the boys and I will do just that.

Here's what we are exploring lately:
Patrick -- San Antonio (he leaves tomorrow for a quick trip to check out our soon-to-be home)
Emily -- Friendships (she is seeking more time with friends ... without Wesley)
Wesley -- The outdoors at large
Baby Brother -- Emily's ribs

I hope that you are exploring something new or old in your life too ... if so, leave a comment and tell me about it!
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The Family

We are a very statistically typical family holding on to our idealism and the dreams of traveling the world that started it all. It's very hard sometimes to plan to go overseas when all I really want to do is plant some roots!

Related Posts:
Saying Good-Bye
Importance of Imagination and Family Play Time
Our Toes Have Been Busy!
No Need for an Alarm Clock!

Craft Fun:
Homemade Boat
Name that Craft (Rainmaker)

Religion:

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Wesley finally names something!

Wesley's favorite car: "Yellow car"
Wesley's favorite puppet: "Caterpillar"
Wesley's favorite plane: "Green plane"
Wesley's favorite accessory: "Blue glasses"

Notice a trend? Er, he's very concrete ...

So what does "Max" mean?

If he were to apply that name to something, you would think, based on prior criteria, that he was naming something that is fast right? "Max rocket ship" perhaps?

Nope.

Try, "Baby Brother Max."

Out of the blue he came up to me and told me that the sweet baby in my belly was "Baby Brother Max." He has said this at least three different times.

(Insert puzzled smiley face here.)

In fact, he has told me that the baby was not "Baby Brother B___ . It's Baby Brother Max."

I'm not feeling any pressure to change my mind. Heck, my mind isn't even made up and I doubt it will be so until I take a look at the little feller myself. So ... for fun ... what are Patrick and I to do? Go with our original name? Or go by Wesley's name?

I'm curious ... what would you do?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think of Wesley's choice. Read more!

Rain, rain ...

STAY a while!!!

We had a great day today playing in our own backyard ... It took me quite a few shots to capture his "busy toes" in action with our camera. So by the time I did (darned digital camera delay), most of the mud was already splashed out of the puddle or onto his body! (Mental note: mothers of boys need to upgrade to SLR cameras.)







Oh, and look ... he can ride his tricycle in the rain too.

We had a lot of fun and I hard a hard time getting him indoors, but I finally did and he currently is in the tub next to me as I type this long-awaited pictured update.

Next we'll heat up a bowl of chicken fajita soup (thanks, Rachael Ray for the delicious recipe) and cuddle up on the sofa ... hopefully. (Perhaps he'd rather go back outside.) Read more!