"Mommy, I made you a BIRTHDAY!!!", says sweet Reed...

"Mommy, I made you a birthday party!!!!!", Reed kept eagerly and excitedly telling me. He led me into the bathroom to show me his "birthdy party" for me...lotions and whatnot all in the sink. He even 'stirred' it for me, smiling the whole time and talking about "mommy's birhday" that he made "all by myself". Sweet, sweet boy. Made my (birth)day!...who cares if my real day isn't until October? ;)

Thankful!

My Thanksgiving post is very late! Having left our camera charger in Colorado Springs until just last week, I hadn't uploaded any pictures from the holiday until just today. SO, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's photo organization is going down all in a day or so...a bit grueling when you snap as many photos as I! THANKFUL to be putting this task behind me, and fun to remember the great Turkey Day we had a month back...

Our Thanksgiving was full of chaotic fun, meaning we gathered with the Havenars this year! Fourteen cousins, mostly boys, nine adults, and two dogs all under one roof (thanks to the Palmer Lake bunch for opening their home, BTW!).

Our fun included a visit to the North Pole (a childhood memory of mine, such nostalgia!), a movie with the sisters-in-laws (New Moon, SO GOOD!), a wonderful multiple-dish feast, and of course much play and relaxation. We were blessed to have awesome weather in the 60's, so the kids were able to eat outside as well as run wild outdoors, too! And, speaking of running wild...

As many of you know, my son is a meek, shy, always perfectly calm and reserved child (insert: heavy sarcasm, of course :)!!!). But, I have to say, that his older cousins fueled his budding fire and he was "ON" that week, more so than I had ever seen. I noticed it the days following our holiday as he picked up a 'more mature', "nope!" sass towards me and tried to wrestle several- both non-living and human- beings as well. His nanny, too, noticed his new boldness and, hiding her smile, had no choice to put him in more time-outs than ever...couch-jumping, toy-throwing, weapon-making (out of toys), etc. I was lucky to capture this new Reed o' ours in the picture above, holding- and putting to use- a bat in one hand and toy pistol in the other, 'on the draw' and all...nice! Am gearing up for some years of wildness that I never had the chance to experience in my all-sister, Cabbage Patch Doll 'mothering' days ;)

Am VERY THANKFUL for our Havenar family, 'twas fun y'all (that's for you, Texan branch!).

Halloween+Birthday+More to Come=FALL FUN!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our falls are especially packed as, in addition to Halloween and Thanksgiving, we celebrate a household of birthdays. Mine in mid-October (skipped this year due to my dad's retirement, though well worth the great time we had!), and Steve and Reed's ten days apart in early November. All in under a month!

I put together another "Smilebox" that combines Reed's Halloween and birthday. I loved these special days especially this year as I feel he is now "getting it". We read Halloween books as well as birthday-themed reads, discussing the routines and rituals of each beforehand. It's fun teaching Kindergarten this year, too, because I teach him all the songs and poems that I teach my class.

We had several costume options for Halloween, but ended up going with the least constrictive one as R's a finicky one! The fireman costume consisted of boots and a coat, two things he enjoys wearing daily so easy to trick him into wearing :). Plus, he's more than into the fireman/firetruck/firehouse/hose/fireman dog/ladder- you get the idea- thing as of late too. We had three trick-or-treating type of events, the first just the two of us at the Children's Museum as I was on fall break. He loved it! On Halloween day, we went to "Boo at the Zoo" as a family, with our friends The Brooks'. That night, we did the traditional neighborhood trick-or-treating with the girls next door, Kennedy and Chandler, who Reed adores! He was in awe of all the costumed kids and it was awesome to be a part of his wonder.

Next up was his Cookie Monster themed party. We didn't have the big bash that we did last year for his 1st, just a handful of kids that he knows well and plays often with, as well as my parents and his nanny, Jessica. Reed talked about his birthday several days beforehand, often confused when we'd sing to him like at a family dinner we had one night as well as on his actual day, he'd ask "where's the party", or demand "birthday cake?!", he knew what a birthday entailed and wasn't going to be short-changed!

And, so, here's a Smilebox o' smiles from Reed's great month. More happiness to come with our Havenar Thanskgiving (14 cousins= craziness and fun!) and Christmas in South Dakota yet ahead!

Happy Birthday TWO Reed!!!

Happy birthday TWO you, Reed-O!!!
(above pics are "through the years" :))
Reed turned two on November 12th and it is amazing how the last two years flew by, yet it is hard to remember life without him as if it were long, long ago. Funny how that contradiction just seemingly makes sense as a parent!

Though two, Reed is "going on ten", or at least three...he told a lady at the store that he was three when asked recently ;). He is very deliberate, inquisitive, verbal, strong, and independent...the combo of some of these characteristics make for some unbelievable fits o' rage ;)! On the flip side, he remains very cuddly which I savor every second of! Hugs, snuggles, and head resting all allowed, but not kisses..."Ow, that HURT!" is now what we get when we dare to sneak in a smooch!

Our celebration for Reed this year was not the big bash that we had last year, but a great gathering nonetheless. He was excited and seemingly awkward at the attention, not knowing quite what to do with himself as guests arrived. He rolled around and made weird sounds when his first friends came- way to "be cool", Reed! The party's theme was Cookie Monster, and he wore a cookie shirt, I made a cookie monster cake, and the favors and house were "cookied out" as much as possible (the teacher in me :)).

Having had the flu shot, Reed knew all about the process of vacinations at his two year appointment. He only had to have the H1N1 shot at his check-up, but he freaked out at everything that came before it, probably shouldn't have prepared him/talked up the appointment beforehand as much as I did. His fear-struck tantrums when poor nurse and doc tried to listen to his heart, check his ears, measure his length and get his weight made for an unnessesary drawn out appointment! He remains 99%tile for height, and 50%tile for weight...just like his mama was growing up (though the weight part caught up a bit in my later years, ha!). We followed up the appointment with a family outting to Red Robin for the birthday song and some great grub, just like last year...maybe a 'tradtion' now, know it's one I wouldn't object to!

Looking forward to another great year with our one-of-a-kind, fabulous son. We are so blessed to have him in our lives, each day a new adventure!

Make a Smilebox slideshow