We get by with a little help from our friends

Whew! I just made it through my first-ever stint as a "single parent" to two children, and I'm pleased to say we all survived--well, maybe not my parents, who flew up to help out. They went home last Friday a little worse for the wear I fear, and I'm sure they were saying all the way back to Arkansas, "I'm so glad we don't have little kids anymore!"

With Kevin in France and Italy for "work" for the past two weeks, my mom came and took over the dishes, the laundry and the dog-walking, and my dad helped tend to the incessant demands of the two year old. They both mowed my lawn. It wasn't a trip to France or Italy but it was almost like a vacation for me. Almost ...

Christmas in Arkansas

It's always hard for me to believe when Christmas is over--especially this year, when I know it will be my last Christmas visiting Arkansas for some time. In my nearly thirty years I have only missed Christmas in Arkansas once, and that was the year that I was too pregnant to travel, so Kevin and I spent the holidays in Edmonton.

Although I won't be pregnant next Christmas (hopefully, although I'm already feeling like I've been pregnant forever!), we will have an eight month old and an almost-three year old, and Kevin and I don't feel that we can really make that trip during the holiday crush, I mean, rush. This Christmas the trip almost killed us.

And so next year, we'll celebrate Christmas in snowy Edmonton--a novelty for me, really, since Arkansas only gets "brown" Christmases. In fact this year, we had 60-degree temperatures a few days after Christmas (not that I'm complaining). Kevin also feels that we should start some of our own family traditions. Well, he had me at "start new traditions"! I'm already busy as an elf planning all the things I want us to do as a family next holiday season: an Advent calendar, a gingerbread house, ice skating and cocoa, a fancy Christmas feast on my own china--maybe even a Christmas goose!

However, I'm also taking my time to savour every moment of this particular Christmas at home in Arkansas and all of the long-standing rituals it entails: Christmas Eve church service, Christmas Eve dinner at Aunt Matilda's, presents and coffee cake on Christmas morning, Christmas Day lunch at mom's house, and lots of cousins, cousins, cousins. I sure will miss all this next year, but perhaps some of them--both the people and the traditions--can be convinced to make the trip to Edmonton ...

The Lawnmower Man

There's a popular book in the parenting section of most bookstores called I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids. I haven't read it (because what working mom has much time to read a book about motherhood?), but I really like the title. It's a good reminder to me of all of the great ideas Kevin and I had about parenthood--but have (of necessity) let slide since actually becoming parents.

One of the ideals Kevin and I have managed to maintain with more or less success was our rule to limit the number of noisy, plastic blinking toys that we allow into our house. The theory being such toys that do everything for kids actually inhibit the development of their imaginations. The underlying theory being that they are ugly and annoying.

But even I know when a rule was made to be broken. And this past week, when we were in Arkansas--and at Colin's grandparents' house--was the perfect opportunity to break a few rules. After all, that's what grandparents are for. So at my mom's insistence, we made a trip to *that* big box toy store to buy Colin his very own noisy, plastic, blinking lawnmower, because this--above all things-- was the one toy she knew he needed to have.




And Mae Mae was so right. I have rarely seen Colin play with so much enthusiasm. He must have pushed that lawnmower around their yard for two hours straight. And afterwards, he was so exhausted--and content--that he went straight to bed and slept through the entire night. I'm still not sure that we need to have a plastic lawnmower at our own house, but it's an idea I'll keep in mind.

Now, if they had child-size push mower, that might be another story...

Zoo!

When we were in Arkansas last week visiting the family, we took advantage of some exceptionally beautiful weather to take a trip to the Little Rock Zoo. And we could not have asked for a better outing. The animals were out in full force, and Colin was eager to great them all.

We've been reading a fair amount of Eric Carle books these days -- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and, our favorite, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? -- so Colin has become really interested in pointing at and attempting to name every animal he sees, such as "ba-ba" (brown bear), "duck duck" (any bird, really), and "DIS!" (anything else).





It was also a treat to watch my parent enjoying their grandson enjoying the zoo. And there was lots to enjoy: a cool train ride, fresh squeezed lemonade, the new baby chimpanzee, and my favorite: Colin playing in the "farmer's garden." It looks like my boy might have a green thumb yet!

My Father's Day

Father's Day happened to fall right near my own father's birthday this year (as it does many years). Happily, we got to spend it together -- and he got to spend both days with his first grandchild.

Now, my Dad never struck me as much of a "baby person," but he was absolutely smitten with Colin. Every morning, right after breakfast, I would find them both outside in the garden, taking a survey of the "grounds," and just talkin' and talkin'. It was so sweet, I couldn't help taking a few photos -- or half a dozen of them.

Pool Party

Aunt Matilda's sun-drenched summer pool party (and fun with PhotoShop).

Colin's christening

Colin's christening was on June 21st -- Father's Day -- and we had a huge turn out of family and friends for the two-part event. First up was the christening itself at our family church, the First United Methodist Church of Little Rock. Three generations of ladies were turned out in their hats (even yours truly), and Dad wore his vintage seersucker suit. Colin looked absolutely adorable in his christening gown and bonnet. (I wish I could dress him in it every day!)

It was a really nice ceremony, even though Colin cried the entire time the minister was pouring the water over his head. Normally, babies are just "sprinkled" with water in our church, but we were using the family christening cups, which have been christening generations of our family for at least two hundred years, and so Colin was thoroughly drenched, poor boy.

After the church service, we had a beautiful luncheon at Aunt Matilda's house, with no less than fifty friends and family. It was such a whirlwind event, with so many people to see, that I didn't have a chance to take any photos. So if you have any from the afternoon, please send me copies. Here's all I've managed to collect from folks so far.

The Zoo!

Also while we were home, we paid a visit to the Little Rock Zoo, a favorite haunt when I was a kid, but some place I don't think I've visited in the past 20 years. Remarkably, everything was the same, just smaller. It was as if I had eaten one of Alice's currant cakes and grown twenty feet high.

We went with our friends Sarah and Katie's two kids, Lily and Andy, and it was so much fun watching them watch all the animals. We visited the big cat house and the elephants and giraffes. (Incidentally, the old elephant, Ellen, has been there since my mom was a little girl.) We road the train and saw the live bird show. I even road a camel, as I had done as a child. I had forgotten how smelly they are.

I don't think Colin thought much of it. It was incredibly hot and humid -- even at nine o'clock in the morning -- and he mostly just wilted in his stroller. But next time, next time...



Some photos courtesy of Ms. Razer:

Farmer's Market

A few photos from our visit to the Little Rock Farmers' Market, when we were home in June. Despite the heat and humidity, there was no finer place to be on a Saturday morning, with strawberries and raspberries and blackberries in jumbled profusion. The Bradley County "pink" tomatoes were at their peak. And the air was suffused with the perfume of ripe peaches. Heaven!