Rockin' Ring Bearer

Steve and I had reservations about bringing Reed to one of our good friend's weddings in Boston over the 4th of July weekend. How much more relaxing and fun it would be sans the wild child, cost, who would watch him back home, ya know...cons. But the 4th is probably my favorite holiday and I was sad at the thought of not spending it with my boo. Icing on the cake was when the wedding couple asked for Reed to be the ring bearer, I just couldn't refuse passing up the opportunity to let his cuteness walk down the aisle...even if it did mean a different "vacation" for us than previously imagined.

Mere days before leaving, while looking over the upcoming weekend events, I panicked and looked into booking my sister a flight to Boston so she could help us out. Several friends of ours would be there and we wanted to enjoy long nights out as well as daytime wedding events that were scheduled to interfere with his nap. I am not too crazed about a schedule for him, especially in summer months, but with his very important RING BEARER debut (not to mention wanting to not only stay sane but have FUN myself), I wanted to avoid creating a cranky terror if at all possible. But, no such luck, flying Brooke out didn't work out. HOWEVER, bringing Reed along more than did!...

Reed couldn't have been any better and more enjoyable and made our weekend more entertaining and wonderful than had we gone ourselves (and, frankly, though I love him, I would not say this about all trips we've gone on or will go on in our future!). He was sweet and inquisitive on the plane, smiled and chatted with the pilots in the cockpit upon boarding and found the take-off and landing to be "AMAZING"! And that was only the flight there...

In Boston, Reed hammed it up with Steve's friends, got in a solid nap with no protest every day despite the varying times we put him down, and loved every minute of the social scene. I will say that after a too-long bus ride from our hotel to the wedding site (2hrs.), he did throw a fit as we hurriedly dressed him in his "duds" and made him go potty PRONTO while several well-meaning (too many) people tried to "help" in the panic of crunched time, but really just crowded him. Despite this, he pulled his professional self together! Pillow in hand, he "found Daddy" at the end of the aisle and rocked his role. Though the rocking didn't truly start until the reception where he definitely owned the dance floor for a good part of the night and definitely wanted to be on it ALL of the night! Assuming beforehand that I'd take the early shuttle home with him, I was proven wrong as he wanted to party on with the big boys :). His highlight, I believe, came at the end of the night when the two buses loaded up the guests, one 'party bus' and the other mellow. The bride and groom said a few words, started a few songs, on the mic up front and then Reed asked for his turn. He proceeded to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to all the guests, as well as "Happy Birthday" to the bride. Sweet hilarious thing! The 'spirited' guests found the kareoking pretty funny, but so did this sober mom because it indisputably was! So proud of my Rockin' Ring Bearer!

Will soon be posting a slideshow of the weekend highlights, including my great day at the Boston Children's Museum with him, his first baseball game (fun Boston Red Sox night!), and a few from our fireworks flop! Reed's greatness proved itself that night, too, as he waited with us (among a squeezed-together crowd of 200,000+!!!) for four hours before the lakeside firework show began. And I'm not talking picnic-blanket style, more like squished standing sardines in a can! Poor patient thing!
Anyhow...hope your Independence Day weekend also was a blast, happy very belated 4th!

Basketball Boy

Reed proudly calls himself a "basketball boy". At the ripe age of not-even 2 and a half, he insists on wearing jersys and/or "jersy shorts" only. If you see any pictures of him without these clothing staples, know that it was most likely quite a battle, bribe, or persuasive act to get him into something else. I will say one (of many!) things that we all enjoy in our household, though, is college basketball. Though we also represent a "house divided" in who we root for at times, we do enjoy the season of rooting the game on. And so, we were eager to take our "basketball boy" to his first games this year (Steve, myself, and my parents- a.k.a. "Grandpa and G.G." attended both).

His first game ever, naturally, was to see his Jayhawks in action (at CU in February), and shortly after- also naturally- we took him to see the Fighting Falcons at AFA. Though the Falcons have had more fight in them in years past, the beauty of it was that Reed could've cared less about that minor detail. He loved being a ticket holder (slept with his KU ticket and proudly held onto his AFA one during the game) and really loved seeing the mascots "live". He chased the Falcon around Clune Arena and "gave him a squeeze" which he still talks about...many squeezes that is.

Will be many o' years, I believe, of this basketball obsession, but we not only welcome it but share in the joy!

Mommy, Hold My Hand...

Reed is a hand-holder and how this sweet little-something is so important to me. Important and cherished as I know my days are numbered of "hand-holding" with my sweet boy.

In November, I had Veteran's Day off and so took Reed to the park (was super warm though November 11th!). A boy pushed him because he was about to pick up the kid's shovel or something, and Reed got that crumpled up, "wounded" face, burst into tears and shouted "MOMMY! Hold my hand!!!". I had to kinda love it, though his feelings were hurt, because I thought to myself...tomorrow he will be two and oh-how-fast these birthdays sneak up!...how many more until he won't want to hold my hand?

Come December, on Santa's lap, he kept calling over to me- in a timid little voice: "Mom. hold. my. hand.", (repeated numerous times). Would only stay on Santa's lap when I was holding his hand, though I eventually got a photo without my arm in it by bribing my child with fruit snacks...didn't think of it until now, but kinda wish I'd just had it taken with my hand as his comfort instead ;)

Over break, Steve cut Reed's hair. This took waaaaay to long and we have since learned from this experience :). Anyhow, because it was taking so darn long Reed understandably got restless in his high chair/"barber's chair" and Steve called to me, "will you come hold his hands?", meaning of course: hold his hands down, so he doesn't swat at the scissors anymore. As I was walking over there, Reed said, "yeah, Mommy, come hold my hand"...and that was enough to keep him perfectly content and still for the rest of the grooming! Poor thing...had to feel a little guilty that we'd thought of pinning 'em down and he, unknowingly, shed light and new perspective on our words....made the too-long experience much more pleasant for all involved!

Ah, do you think he will let me hold his hand when I walk him to school...high school even? :)

"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!

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