In earlier American rural life, communities raised barns because many hands were required. These events occured in a social framework with a good deal of interdependence. Members of rural communities often shared family bonds going back generations. They traded with each other, worshipped with each other and celebrated with each other. Barn raisings were an integral part of life and socializing.

In our modern American life, communities don't mean nearly as much as they did back then. It is our family's goal to bring a sense of community back to our lives and those lives that touch ours.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Number Three Turns Two

   Today T turned two. How two years has passed is completely beyond me. This little guy has been a bright and shiny spot in our lives since the moment he first hollered and blinked his eyes in the hospital delivery room. He was also born via c-section, like Brother and Sister before him. His birth made me grateful for the opportunity to live in this day and age, in this country, with skilled doctors on hand. It seems my little guy played with his umbilical cord to the point that he was totally twisted up in it. The cord was around his neck twice and his arm once. Had he been a vaginal birth, the end result could have been more frightening than I even want to imagine. He is funny and loving and naughty. He is always immediately apologetic after finding out that his actions have led to someone else's unhappiness. He would rather be with people than watch a movie or play on his own. He likes making "music" and sings his favorite song, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" while he goes about his business. What this sounds like to other people is Pawpaw High, repeated over and over again, as he tries to say Up Above the World so High. He loves getting cheek kisses and asks for them by saying, "other side" and turning his face from side to side. He has the sweetest spiral cowlick on the front right side of his hairline. He loves water in any form. I can't wait to see what the next year brings as he learns and develops and grows into his own special self.
  He started his day by opening a gift of cowboy boots, which he immediately needed to put on and then refused to take off. All day he wore his boots, even during nap time! It was pretty entertaining to watch him learning to walk in his boots. They have a slight heel and managed to throw him off balance just enough to make it humorous, but not enough to actually do him harm. Since we are in the middle of moving and I have pregnancy brain to the extreme, I moved all of my wrapping things (including tape, I had to use packing tape) to the new house. This only posed a brief problem, however, and in the long run made me get back in tune with my creative side. M and I had fun trying to find ways to wrap T's few gifts. We rummaged through our burn bin and managed to find enough boxes and magazine pictures to make it wonderful. One Thomas the Tank Engine friend ended up wrapped in tinfoil. His train tracks ended up wrapped in a repurposed paper grocery bag with a custom drawn by Mommy Thomas picture. The rest were put into a tea box, a cereal bar box and a cream cheese box and covered in various pictures. My favorite was the one with the picture of sushi. Nana and Papa and Meme and Papa all came over for burgers and cake. Nana made a wonderful cake that tasted as good as it looked.

Brother and Sister are so smitten.


That swirly cowlick! His head isn't that
small, Hubby's hands are just that big!

His first hike. He wasn't even one month old yet.
Poudre River time

Our little tie-dyed cowboy.

On his first birthday.


As a gnome last Halloween.

Birthday nap with Hazel and his boots.

His hodge podge wrapped gifts.

He loves his cake!


1 comment:

  1. I'm pretty sure he cannot possibly be 2. You were just pregnant with him yesterday!

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