Football?

I will make no bones about it - I don't like football. It's boring and I don't understand it and all the crashing into each other and head trauma and... well, it's just not my thing.

Riley, however, LOVES football and is really good! He played last year and lo and behold, this year the kid is starting quarterback!

Despite my feelings about the sport, I am so proud of him. He had his first game last weekend and while they lost in the final seconds, he played great, had some good passes and was IN THERE on every play. He's #5 (or "numero cinco" if you ask him)Riley is now in 7th grade and, while he can generally be found on his iPod Touch (which he saved all his Christmas and birthday money to buy), he still has time to be an amazing big brother to Sophie and is truly enjoyable to be around. He came home from school on Friday with Watership Down, saying that he saw the book on Roy's bedside table and thought it might be good. What 12 year old boy reads a book about rabbits just because his dad does?

I continue to marvel how he walks the line between Dungeons and Dragons and starting quarterback. This kid is so cool.

His football games are also a good opportunity for us to spend time with his other family. When Sophie saw Riley's sister, Kamryn, she said to her, "My brother and your brother, Riley, he has two houses" and off they went to play.
Tonight is game #2. Go Patriots!

Miller Miller Caterpillar

It's hard to believe that our little Miller is already 2 months. More astonishing is how quickly he moved from newborn to full on baby. It's gone so fast!
Every day he is more willing to smile, such a gratifying milestone. Oh, and the way he talks to the little birds on his mobile and the animals that hang from his gym just makes me swoon. Lately he is more likely to vocalize his discomfort rather than cry and I appreciate this. He is terribly alert, always looking around and he loves to be carried and held face out so he can see the world.
He's gets fussy around suppertime each night, but it doesn't last for long and he generally keeps a very sunny disposition. If he's upset and refusing to nurse, rocking and singing works like a charm and he seems especially partial to "Peace, peace", which is sung every year at Christmas in my hometown church.
When Sophie was born, we didn't intend to co-sleep. Yet she needed this closeness and moved into the family bed. We planned to co-sleep with Miller, but he sleeps better on his own. For the past week he has been waking only once each night to nurse. You know how grateful I am for this.Every day my love grows for this little guy and my life feels somehow more complete. It wasn't incomplete before he was born, but the sense of fulfillment overwhelms me. As I return to work on Wednesday, I will carry these images and memories of his first two months very close. My little Caterpillar.

Kentucky State Fair

Yesterday we ventured to Louisville for the Kentucky State Fair. We saw cake wrecks and blue ribbon preserves and so many bleating goats that they completely freaked out our city girl. We saw burgers served on crispy cream donuts, lots of things "on a stick" and Sophie was covered in cotton candy within our first 15 minutes inside the south wing.

We saw bunny rabbitschicks that slideand ate roasted fresh Kentucky corn.Sophie participated in a tricycle race and impressed me with her maturity when she didn't get the purple trike and came in last.
Miller chilled in his stroller, rode in the carrier, and we enjoyed some welcome one-on-one time in the Central Baptist Hospital nursing room. Oh, thank you Central Baptist.
Sophie got in some games and rides.
was mesmerized by hatching chicks
and spent some quality time with the great grandparents. We will all treasure these memories.

I'd say we walked about 10 miles (no exaggeration) and I came home craving something green and fresh. The kids were cranky and tired (and so were we) but oh what fun!

The Circle Game

When did this:

Become this?:

Silly Sophie

Sophie has been avoiding the camera so many of the pictures we got of her are blurry or of the back of her head. And some are just plain silly.

car ride

Both kids (and the Wendy Dog) did beautifully on the car ride to WV. Miller slept, waking up occasionally to nurse, and Sophie played with her dolls, practiced rhyming (her new obsession) and drew pictures in her Cinderella notebook.

Her drawing has progressed so much lately, I had to post some pictures. Somewhere (probably still in the car) is a smaller notebook with more pictures of houses that she drew, but I can't find it.

mama and baby bird

pages and pages and pages of little figures that look like this:

moon and sun

I love how happy everything is.

Almost Heaven

It's not very often that we take a vacation that is without agenda. Sure, our trip to Canaan Valley, WV was organized around the Pickin' in Parson's Bluegrass Festival, but that was only one day out of five. The remaining four days' morning conversation went something like this:

Me: did you make coffee?
Roy: Yes. We're almost out of cream.
Me: Okay. What do you want to do today?
Roy: I don't know.
Me: Me either. I'm going to take Wendy for a walk and listen to my book on tape.
Roy: Sounds good.

In otherwords, this trip was bliss.We rented this house:
with this view:
We shopped at this grocery store:with this beer selection:
and when it rained, Sophie (and her umbrella) just had to be on the porch.
There was lots of sibling love.
and lazy days in our pj's
and we couldn't keep Sophie out of the hot tub.
Roy got some downtime, too.We went into Davis, WV where Sophie fell in love with this elephant.
and hiked to Blackwater Falls.
We enjoyed the Bluegrass Festival and the picnic of vendor chicken strips, lemonade and plates of Barbeque with all the fixins.
and I got to step away from the laundry, the mess, the housework, and remember what kind of mom I strive to be. Patient. Attentive. Loving. Did I mention patient?
and we all enjoyed our time getting to know this little guy a little bit better.