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two actual people

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Durel and I spent some time thinking about how Jack would react to "the new baby's arrival."  And yet, we didn't want to overthink it. 

(Side note:  That is generally our parenting philosophy.  Think about things, but don't overthink them.  Read a book, but not five books.  So far, so good, I think.)

Anyway, we bought a few small gifts for Jack to be "from the baby."  No great shakes here.  I think it was some markers, a Darth Vader notebook, and a new Star Wars t-shirt.  Jack displayed an inkling of advanced analytical thought when he seemed puzzled that a brand new baby had gotten to the store, but we hastily glossed over that to rave about how great the t-shirt was, and Jack obliged.

So, once it became apparent that Jack really loved Sawyer, I sort of stopped thinking about it.  I guessed that we might have resurgences of big brother stress.  Like, when Sawyer starts chewing on all of Jack's toys because he can crawl to and manhandle them.  I'll be waiting for that.  (It's close.)

But at the risk of sounding completely dense (probably too late, so I'll forge on), I forgot to think about how Sawyer would feel about Jack.  

Because, dude.  Babies are a full-time job.  Is it time for a bottle?  Is he still allergic to dairy? (Yes.)  Did he have a blow out?  (Probably.)  What can he eat now?  (SO MUCH.  He really likes penne pasta.  It's cute.)  Are his diapers the right size?  Why aren't his feet growing into those awesome moccasins I bought him for Christmas?  How many teeth are coming in at once?  (FOUR.) How much does that suck?  (A lot.)  It goes on and on.

Last weekend, the boys were playing.  I captured some moments.  And as I looked at them, it hit me like a bolt of lightning.   

Look.  Look at how Sawyer looks at Jack.

It's like that scene in Elf where Will Ferrell is singing to his dad in his office:
"So, I'm HERE NOW! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU, I LOOOOOOOVE YOOOOOU!"

Jack is still rocking the Christmas pjs.  Aw, yeah.

This.  I feel this in my heart.

They are two real little people!  And they like each other!  And Jack puts his feet on Sawyer and Sawyer doesn't even care!  Wow.

Hope you are surrounded by bare feet and adoring looks today.

Talk soon,
Heather

jack these days

Monday, January 26, 2015

Jack is really something these days.  And by "really something," I mean a joy, a genius, a goof, a challenge, a mystery, a blessing, and a firecracker.

See for yourself.



*     *     *     *     *

On beverages:

Jack:    Mom.  I'm a grown-up now!
Me:      Oh, you are?  Wow!
Jack:    So, I'd like an iced Americano.
Me:      Uh...no, that's just what Mommy drinks.  It's not for you.
Jack:    Oh. Well, then I'm just a kid again.
Me:      Oh.  Um, OK.
Jack:    So, now that I'm a kid again, can I have some chocolate milk?



*     *     *     *     *

On bubbles and soccer:

Jack:  "Mom!  You have to pop them!  Don't forget to KICK them, like soccer!"
Me:    "Right!  You know how to play soccer!"
Jack:  "Mom.  Soccer is easy.  If someone has the ball, you just KICK KICK KICK until you get it from them."



*     *     *     *     *

On bedtime:

Me:      "Jack, you have ten minutes until bedtime."
Jack:    "But MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, I didn't get to play with my toys!"
Me:      "Yes, you did.  You played with them all day."
Jack:    "Can I have just a few couple of minutes???"
Me:      "You can have two minutes while I get your bath ready.  Then, it's bed time."
Jack:    "Well...How about this?"
Me:      [thinking:  Holy shit!  He's negotiating!]
Jack:    "How abouuuuuuuuuut, I have ELEVEN minutes?"



*     *     *     *     *

On Sawyer:

"Mom.  I need BUNK BEDS.  I will sleep on the top and Sawyer can sleep on the bottom.  Because we need to do EVERYTHING together."

*     *     *     *     *

Hope someone keeps you on your toes today.

Talk soon,
Heather

speaking of adventures

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Sawyer is ready to have some.  (Adventures, that is.)



His hair told me so.


If he takes after his sartorial inspiration, his adventures may make a Thai lunch and a bookstore look positively humdrum.



I'll get our passports updated, just in case.

Hope you appreciate French things today.  

à bientôt,

Heather

magic realism and the car wash

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Weekend time is precious.

In reality, weekend time also has to be productive.

Also, I want to superglue myself to my children on the weekends because HAVE YOU SEEN THEM?

In a flash of magic realism, I told Jack one Saturday afternoon a few years ago that we were "going to have adventures."  

In adult speak, this can be translated to "running errands."  

That particular day, I think we went to the "fancy car wash." (The one that's not the drive through.  NEVER the drive through for Jack.)  We went to Trader Joe's.  We probably went to Starbucks.  

The day was a great success.  We returned home happy and accomplished.  

Since then, we've expanded our horizons.  We grocery shop, buy birthday presents for people, explore in bookstores, eat Thai food, tour the Capitol, visit my office, get haircuts, eat sushi, you name it.  

Having adventures is now one of Jack's favorite things to do on the weekend.  And you know what?  It's one of mine, too.

Errands can be adventures.  It's all about your lens.


Hope your lens is clear today.

Talk soon,
Heather

in a word

Friday, January 9, 2015


Hope you enjoy something musical today.

Talk soon,
Heather

so long, 2014

Thursday, January 8, 2015


2014 was hard.  And good.  And scary.  And funny.  And challenging.  And rewarding. 

Here's to 2015, may it be all of those things and more.  Because that's life, and it's wonderful.



Hope you get a drum set this year.

Talk soon,
Heather

ShortsGate

Wednesday, January 7, 2015



I went to college in Maine, at a lovely place called Bates.   

Maine is very cold.  Bates is very preppy.  Winter at Bates is very cold, and very long.

When preppy people are cold and bored at college, they have formals so that they can break the tedium of studying in fleece or flannel to drink alcohol in dressy clothes.

Far from casting aspersion on this practice, I fully embraced it and thought it was fantastic.

I think it is the annual Wilson House Formal at Bates that's held in January.  (Friends, correct me if I'm wrong.)  

My friends and I never took our coats to that particular formal, because we didn't want to lose them.

(Read that again.)

We walked across campus in our formal wear (not noted for warmth), without our coats, because we knew that they would be flung into a heap, have beer or punch splashed upon them, and then perhaps go home without their rightful owners.

We were cold.  We were young.  And tough.  And stupid?  (Yet really smart?)

We had our coats, though.  (Not with us.  Nevermind.  You got that part.)

*     *     *     *     *

Jack will probably not go to Bates.

He TRIES to insist on wearing shorts every day.

I know it's Texas, but it was 40 degrees this morning.  By Texas standards, that's time to break out the Uggs and watch out for ice.

We do not let Jack wear shorts when it's cold.  He is 4 1/2 and has zero body fat.  We love him and do not want him to get bronchitis, ear infections, pneumonia, the flu, or become one Star Wars enthused goose bump.

Today was a particularly rough morning in what I'll call ShortsGate.  I had the distinct thought as I dropped him off at school that if there was a pair of shorts in his cubby, he would have them on by the time I picked him up.  I prematurely accepted defeat, even.

His Most Excellent Teachers then sent this about mid-day.


That is not the shirt he wore to school. 

Those ARE the pants he wore to school.

ShortsGate has been averted for another day.  Hats off to Mr. Scott and Miss Hayley.

Hope you keep your pants on today.

Talk soon,
Heather

sawyer pants

Monday, January 5, 2015

This is Sawyer Pants.



(Full disclosure:  I have made up a song entitled "Sawyer Pants."  It is super silly and I will not tell you what it says.  The lyrics include the word "booger," much to my mother's dismay.)

He likes food, especially bananas and oatmeal.

He likes sleep, definitely all night.

He likes Pablo and Lucy, and with remarkable intensity (and dexterity) likes to bop them on the head in affection.

He likes kicking his arms and legs with delight when Durel walks into the room.

He likes the inchworm/Army crawl thing that he's currently mastering.  He's fast, you guys.  And he is so happy to be moving that he shrieks with delight as he inch-inch-inches his way around the house.

He looks damn good in stripes, which makes my preppy heart happy.



Hope you know that life is good today.

Talk soon,
Heather

christmas in these parts

Sunday, January 4, 2015

We had a wonderful Christmas.  And we hope you did, too.

Here are a few highlights.

Jack announced that Santa would eat the gingerbread house.
This saved me from making cookies.
How considerate of them both.

He IS a native Texan, after all.

The painfully cute Christmas program at school.
I've blocked out some of J's classmates faces because I don't know their parents, privacy, etc.
Note Jack's red nose, which is required for the "Reindeer Pokey."

We have movement, people.
We're pretty psyched about it, as you can see.

Jack wore these pajamas for a week.
Sawyer spit up on them and never wore them again.
My fantasies of having twin holiday elves were dashed.
2014 was a good year.  Sawyer joined our family and there are no words to express our joy.  However, 2014 was also challenging.   I bid it adieu without much sadness.

Hope you enjoy a fresh start; I sure do.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

two actual people

Durel and I spent some time thinking about how Jack would react to "the new baby's arrival."  And yet, we didn't want to overthink it. 

(Side note:  That is generally our parenting philosophy.  Think about things, but don't overthink them.  Read a book, but not five books.  So far, so good, I think.)

Anyway, we bought a few small gifts for Jack to be "from the baby."  No great shakes here.  I think it was some markers, a Darth Vader notebook, and a new Star Wars t-shirt.  Jack displayed an inkling of advanced analytical thought when he seemed puzzled that a brand new baby had gotten to the store, but we hastily glossed over that to rave about how great the t-shirt was, and Jack obliged.

So, once it became apparent that Jack really loved Sawyer, I sort of stopped thinking about it.  I guessed that we might have resurgences of big brother stress.  Like, when Sawyer starts chewing on all of Jack's toys because he can crawl to and manhandle them.  I'll be waiting for that.  (It's close.)

But at the risk of sounding completely dense (probably too late, so I'll forge on), I forgot to think about how Sawyer would feel about Jack.  

Because, dude.  Babies are a full-time job.  Is it time for a bottle?  Is he still allergic to dairy? (Yes.)  Did he have a blow out?  (Probably.)  What can he eat now?  (SO MUCH.  He really likes penne pasta.  It's cute.)  Are his diapers the right size?  Why aren't his feet growing into those awesome moccasins I bought him for Christmas?  How many teeth are coming in at once?  (FOUR.) How much does that suck?  (A lot.)  It goes on and on.

Last weekend, the boys were playing.  I captured some moments.  And as I looked at them, it hit me like a bolt of lightning.   

Look.  Look at how Sawyer looks at Jack.

It's like that scene in Elf where Will Ferrell is singing to his dad in his office:
"So, I'm HERE NOW! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU, I LOOOOOOOVE YOOOOOU!"

Jack is still rocking the Christmas pjs.  Aw, yeah.

This.  I feel this in my heart.

They are two real little people!  And they like each other!  And Jack puts his feet on Sawyer and Sawyer doesn't even care!  Wow.

Hope you are surrounded by bare feet and adoring looks today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Monday, January 26, 2015

jack these days

Jack is really something these days.  And by "really something," I mean a joy, a genius, a goof, a challenge, a mystery, a blessing, and a firecracker.

See for yourself.



*     *     *     *     *

On beverages:

Jack:    Mom.  I'm a grown-up now!
Me:      Oh, you are?  Wow!
Jack:    So, I'd like an iced Americano.
Me:      Uh...no, that's just what Mommy drinks.  It's not for you.
Jack:    Oh. Well, then I'm just a kid again.
Me:      Oh.  Um, OK.
Jack:    So, now that I'm a kid again, can I have some chocolate milk?



*     *     *     *     *

On bubbles and soccer:

Jack:  "Mom!  You have to pop them!  Don't forget to KICK them, like soccer!"
Me:    "Right!  You know how to play soccer!"
Jack:  "Mom.  Soccer is easy.  If someone has the ball, you just KICK KICK KICK until you get it from them."



*     *     *     *     *

On bedtime:

Me:      "Jack, you have ten minutes until bedtime."
Jack:    "But MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, I didn't get to play with my toys!"
Me:      "Yes, you did.  You played with them all day."
Jack:    "Can I have just a few couple of minutes???"
Me:      "You can have two minutes while I get your bath ready.  Then, it's bed time."
Jack:    "Well...How about this?"
Me:      [thinking:  Holy shit!  He's negotiating!]
Jack:    "How abouuuuuuuuuut, I have ELEVEN minutes?"



*     *     *     *     *

On Sawyer:

"Mom.  I need BUNK BEDS.  I will sleep on the top and Sawyer can sleep on the bottom.  Because we need to do EVERYTHING together."

*     *     *     *     *

Hope someone keeps you on your toes today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

speaking of adventures

Sawyer is ready to have some.  (Adventures, that is.)



His hair told me so.


If he takes after his sartorial inspiration, his adventures may make a Thai lunch and a bookstore look positively humdrum.



I'll get our passports updated, just in case.

Hope you appreciate French things today.  

à bientôt,

Heather

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

magic realism and the car wash

Weekend time is precious.

In reality, weekend time also has to be productive.

Also, I want to superglue myself to my children on the weekends because HAVE YOU SEEN THEM?

In a flash of magic realism, I told Jack one Saturday afternoon a few years ago that we were "going to have adventures."  

In adult speak, this can be translated to "running errands."  

That particular day, I think we went to the "fancy car wash." (The one that's not the drive through.  NEVER the drive through for Jack.)  We went to Trader Joe's.  We probably went to Starbucks.  

The day was a great success.  We returned home happy and accomplished.  

Since then, we've expanded our horizons.  We grocery shop, buy birthday presents for people, explore in bookstores, eat Thai food, tour the Capitol, visit my office, get haircuts, eat sushi, you name it.  

Having adventures is now one of Jack's favorite things to do on the weekend.  And you know what?  It's one of mine, too.

Errands can be adventures.  It's all about your lens.


Hope your lens is clear today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Friday, January 9, 2015

in a word


Hope you enjoy something musical today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Thursday, January 8, 2015

so long, 2014


2014 was hard.  And good.  And scary.  And funny.  And challenging.  And rewarding. 

Here's to 2015, may it be all of those things and more.  Because that's life, and it's wonderful.



Hope you get a drum set this year.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

ShortsGate



I went to college in Maine, at a lovely place called Bates.   

Maine is very cold.  Bates is very preppy.  Winter at Bates is very cold, and very long.

When preppy people are cold and bored at college, they have formals so that they can break the tedium of studying in fleece or flannel to drink alcohol in dressy clothes.

Far from casting aspersion on this practice, I fully embraced it and thought it was fantastic.

I think it is the annual Wilson House Formal at Bates that's held in January.  (Friends, correct me if I'm wrong.)  

My friends and I never took our coats to that particular formal, because we didn't want to lose them.

(Read that again.)

We walked across campus in our formal wear (not noted for warmth), without our coats, because we knew that they would be flung into a heap, have beer or punch splashed upon them, and then perhaps go home without their rightful owners.

We were cold.  We were young.  And tough.  And stupid?  (Yet really smart?)

We had our coats, though.  (Not with us.  Nevermind.  You got that part.)

*     *     *     *     *

Jack will probably not go to Bates.

He TRIES to insist on wearing shorts every day.

I know it's Texas, but it was 40 degrees this morning.  By Texas standards, that's time to break out the Uggs and watch out for ice.

We do not let Jack wear shorts when it's cold.  He is 4 1/2 and has zero body fat.  We love him and do not want him to get bronchitis, ear infections, pneumonia, the flu, or become one Star Wars enthused goose bump.

Today was a particularly rough morning in what I'll call ShortsGate.  I had the distinct thought as I dropped him off at school that if there was a pair of shorts in his cubby, he would have them on by the time I picked him up.  I prematurely accepted defeat, even.

His Most Excellent Teachers then sent this about mid-day.


That is not the shirt he wore to school. 

Those ARE the pants he wore to school.

ShortsGate has been averted for another day.  Hats off to Mr. Scott and Miss Hayley.

Hope you keep your pants on today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Monday, January 5, 2015

sawyer pants

This is Sawyer Pants.



(Full disclosure:  I have made up a song entitled "Sawyer Pants."  It is super silly and I will not tell you what it says.  The lyrics include the word "booger," much to my mother's dismay.)

He likes food, especially bananas and oatmeal.

He likes sleep, definitely all night.

He likes Pablo and Lucy, and with remarkable intensity (and dexterity) likes to bop them on the head in affection.

He likes kicking his arms and legs with delight when Durel walks into the room.

He likes the inchworm/Army crawl thing that he's currently mastering.  He's fast, you guys.  And he is so happy to be moving that he shrieks with delight as he inch-inch-inches his way around the house.

He looks damn good in stripes, which makes my preppy heart happy.



Hope you know that life is good today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Sunday, January 4, 2015

christmas in these parts

We had a wonderful Christmas.  And we hope you did, too.

Here are a few highlights.

Jack announced that Santa would eat the gingerbread house.
This saved me from making cookies.
How considerate of them both.

He IS a native Texan, after all.

The painfully cute Christmas program at school.
I've blocked out some of J's classmates faces because I don't know their parents, privacy, etc.
Note Jack's red nose, which is required for the "Reindeer Pokey."

We have movement, people.
We're pretty psyched about it, as you can see.

Jack wore these pajamas for a week.
Sawyer spit up on them and never wore them again.
My fantasies of having twin holiday elves were dashed.
2014 was a good year.  Sawyer joined our family and there are no words to express our joy.  However, 2014 was also challenging.   I bid it adieu without much sadness.

Hope you enjoy a fresh start; I sure do.

Talk soon,
Heather
 
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