Weekends, good things.

This week has been an indoors sort of weekend. The kind where you cuddle up with a hyper child and a good book and hope that they some how mix well. This does not usually pan out and you let the book go for a younger style book. In my case there are no pictures of these goings ons cause the lighting in my house is too poor for me to seem to grasp the concept of photographing in this setting. So I will leave it to your imaginations. Just think of a little sprite of a thing with blond hair and a little body climbing all over you, kicking you in the gut not knowing that it really hurts in a way that is so much worse than when there was no tenderness due to a growing pregnancy (Mothers can understand this feeling of tenderness, and guys I'm sorry but I don't know what to compare it to to help you get the picture.) It's not nice in the end that is what I can say. BUT, and yes I did that all in capitals cause I want you to know it is a big "but". There is such joy to have this healthy hyper child that wants to be loved. One that likes to be near you and hang out with daddy downstairs and mommy while she reads.

This little girl of ours is really starting to talk. She has had a pretty great vocabulary so far but now she is putting words together. "I did it. I got it. Why did you do that" of course all come from her tiny mouth with her own lilt on the words. Her own childish accent. Every child is born with their own accent and I happen to love hers (of course). And there is this great cheer that comes from her being when we are exuberantly praising her latest potty moment. They are not discernible words but the cheer holds such excitement. She is Truly proud of her accomplishment.

There has been this little thing that she and her father have had between them for some time. Really from the beginning of her life. He has always worked to make her jump, you know, a loud noise when she is not expecting it. His goal has been that she not be easily scared by a loud unexpected noise. So when she was younger she just jumped and smiled. Then she knew that she jumped so He makes her jump and she laughs and says "dumped". Well the last few days it has gone from "dumped" to "I jumped". It had been a few days since last he had done this so yesterday when He did it again she looks all intensely at him in deep thought and says "danced" and immediately she looks all confused and pauses for a minute, then she says "Jumped, I jumped!" with total recognition on her face. It made the two of us bust a gut.

Okay so last weekend (yes I am going back to a week ago now) we went over to Alex and Gabs
for their oldest boys birthday party.

This happens to be the best shot I got of him. The birthday was a jet plane theme as that is what this young man is all about. This kid knows his planes. I don't even know a portion of the cars (which by the way he knows most of) let alone planes. His interest is fueled and his parents work with it. They teach him all they can and when they don't know they find out.

Anyhow, planes, that was the party theme. So they bought these great foam type planes for all the kids and sent them outside.

This is what it looks like. Pretty great.


Two of our cousins were there with their families. Mike and Cheryl's middle, Jamie.




My other brothers kid Liam.




Rob and Monique's younger girl Zoe. They call this her Casper coat.


Here's why. Pretty cute kid.


Their oldest son Jake.


Mike and Cheryl's youngest Micah.


Fun of all kinds to be had by all ages.


Alex and Gab's youngest, Aleksei. (sorry if the spelling is wrong)


And our little Suzie found fun in the pine needles. A happy place for a little girl who doesn't yet know that planes are cool and to be desired.

There were more kids there but you know how it goes with kidlets. Either they are moving to much or, well,.. they are moving to much. It was great fun getting together with family for some fun visiting and child hang out time. It is not often that we get out around here so I enjoy every minute that we get.


And I enjoy a good weekend in as well. So now I am off to read "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy. One of my three younger brothers is into the old Russian authors and when I said I was in need of a new book this was his suggestion. So far so good.