Destructo Boy

Guess What I Got Last Night?

A) A lesson in flipping off the bed.

B) A real kiss from this funny guy.

C) All of the above!

Dog Wash

Poor Dewars took the brunt of the water to his face. And as usual, Grady was semi-nude playing in the water.

Life Is Precious

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." - Psalm 90:12

A Warren Buffett In Training

My son is the most generous person in the world. Here is a short list of the presents he gave me last night:

He shares his cookies, raisins and graham crackers with Jeb. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Jeb is his favorite when it comes to sharing food. Jeb and Dewars will stand side by side, tails wagging, and he decidedly walks straight to Jeb and sticks out his offering. He can be kind of an indian giver though. (politically incorrect? yes. but we all are at times) There are many times the food makes it all the way into Jeb's jowls and is snatched back at the last second to be enjoyed by Grady.

But this morning he gave me the sweetest gift of all. This morning as he slowly awoke from his restful nights slumber, and I know it was restful because there was drool to prove it, he handed me his duce.*

His most cherished possession. The healer of all things. The mother of all comforters. The holy grail of all things encountered thus far in his short life. As I sat there, mouth gaping open at the sudden generosity of my boy, wondering if it was true that mothers and sons really do have a special relationship and thinking that he finally realized this and to show how much he loved me, he was offering up his duce, he did it again. He snatched his duce, stuck it back in and stared at me like I was crazy for actually believing he would ever willingly give it up.

*Duce-for those who have not been schooled in Grady language, duce is actually a pacifier. The word stems from "juice", i.e., the fruit flavored stuff in the sippy cup with the lid that resembles a pacifier. You don't have to share your comments about how smart he is for connecting the dots like that, I already know. Dr. Castles confirmed his IQ the other day when he showed off his multi-tasked goodbye, also known as the wave, blow a kiss, say bye-bye all at once.

I Can Wait

When he was first born, I couldn't wait for a smile.

When he first smiled, I couldn't wait to hear his sweet voice.

When he first spoke, I couldn't wait for him to walk.

When he first walked, I realized I don't have a baby anymore.

I'll give you a big cookie if you stop growing right now.

What To Do When The Power Goes Out

Light Candles.

Let Jeb stick close by because he is afraid of thunder and Grady will protect him.

Look for things to play with that you shouldn't be playing with.

Like sharpies.

Make something so smelly that a diaper change cannot wait for the power to come back on.

Rearrange the spices.

Because as we all know, they belong in the living room, not the kitchen.

A New Member of the Family

This sweet lady is going to be Grady's new aunt! Congratulations Brian and Elizabeth!!!

Should I Jump?

Thankfully, we haven't tested those waters yet. But did you know that these bushes

(the ones on the left)

do a really good job of catching him when he steps over the edge?

Red Face Update

Behold, the much talked about warm, rosy cheeks* and sleepy eyes.

*Disclaimer-No baby was sunburned in the creation of this photo.

17 Months

My big baby starts swimming lessons on Saturday. I can't believe that he is growing up so fast.

Water Baby

Here is a weekend recap. The pool was by far the highlight of Grady's weekend. We tried a lesson in blowing bubbles but all he really took from it was "stick your tongue in the water" and "while your at it, Marney wants a good lick of that tongue" but hey, he tried.

We took a trip to Tryon for the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. It looked like it was a lot of fun, carnival rides, lots of food and bands. Unfortunately when Grady gets hot, he turns red. Not just red, but REALLY RED. And too many strangers couldn't keep their comments and finger pointing to themselves so we were back in the car within thirty minutes or so. I'll post a picture tomorrow. But do we really look like the kind of people that would let our sweet child fry in the sun while we casually eat a plate of BBQ? (If your answer is yes, keep it to yourself) It actually crossed my mind to hang a sign from his stroller that read "I'm not sunburned, just warm."

And while the highlight of Grady's weekend was swimming, the highlight of mine was getting to sleep in until 9:30 yesterday. I guess the BBQ festival and all the excitement of the day really wore him out because he didn't make a peep until 9:30. I love him so very much for that.

Sick Day

Grady was sent home yesterday with an upset stomach and look of pure misery on his face. We spent the afternoon rocking and getting better. Today he seems to be fine but per day care rules, he gets to stay at home one more day. So Patrick gets a playmate for the day and Daddy gets a day off to play with his little boy.

My Sweet Boy

I really think I could sit at home and kiss on these cheeks all day long.

Sunday's Activities

The best dad in the world blew up the bounce house and let mom have a Sunday nap after lunch.Then we had an awesome shrimp and scallops dinner, with steak for the non-seafood eater. Grady couldn't get enough of the pool. We forgot his bathing suit so he was naked for most of the afternoon splashing around.

He was kind enough to put on his diaper to eat though. Even after dinner he couldn't resist a few good dunks.

Bathrobe Revisited

Remember how sweet Grady looked here? I think he may have outgrown not only the bathrobe, but his fondness for it as well.

The Boy Who Could Fly