Moving Right Along

  The last two months of 2011 have been very busy for the Pattillo family. As we end another year, I’m so thankful for our family and friends who make our lives richer and brighter.

At Thanksgiving, we made our annual trek to Alabama and spent six days sharing food, fun, and a (thankfully big) house with the very large Pattillo family. We all enjoyed the beauty of the ocean. It was so refreshing to be out in the sunshine and hear the sounds of nature. As always, the kids really had a great time playing together. Meanwhile, the adults marveled at what family gatherings will be like as the band of grandkids gets older and larger. It certainly made me wish we all lived closer and could spend more time together.

 

 

December has been full of celebrating with family and friends, shopping like mad, and of course, eating to our hearts’ content. We’ve had parties with friends and co-workers, continued traditions and merry-making with family in Midland, and all the other great stuff that comes along with Christmas time. I think it’s been as happy as it possibly could be. Benjamin has had such a month of fun; I’m hoping that his memory bank is full of holiday magic to look back on someday. (If his memory fails, I will have much photographic proof of just how nice it’s been.)

 

As we roll into 2012, I hope for continued blessings and everyday miracles. 

Happy New Year!

And to All a Good Night...

photo.JPG, a photo by RobinPattillo on Flickr.

Merry Christmas!

November in New York

There was sidewalk strolling.
There was bus ride clinging.
There was playground exploring.
There was marathon running.
There was people watching.
There was stomach bug enduring.
There was taxi cab hailing.
There was sight seeing.

But mostly, there was memory making this November weekend in New York.

Promises (I've Broken)

Parenting a preschooler is all about compromise, finding middle ground, and even doing things I swore I’d never do.

Here are a few promises I’ve broken the last couple of months:

My child will eat food that is nutritious. He will not walk around eating candy and such.

My child will be potty trained at an early age. He will not be an over-grown, diaper-wearing kid.



My child will be clean and neat. He will picture perfect – clean clothes, clean body.


My child will not spend time in front of television and computer screens. He will show little interest in such things.

My child will absolutely not wear strange clothes – no ridiculous, puffy costumes and no inappropriate get-ups. I will choose to fight this battle every time.

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the promises I’ve broken recently. I can look back over Benjamin’s almost three and a half years of life and find so many more. I suspect the “compromises” are only beginning as the wild ride of parenthood continues.

Fortunately, one promise I have managed to keep is to love him, love him, and love him some more. This is a pretty easy one.

These Are the Days of Our Lives

Despite the insane heat that is baking Dallas at the moment, in my book – summer is over. The Pattillo trio has returned to life in the fast lane. Well, maybe it’s not that fast, but I do have to get up and dressed before 10:00 am which seems kind of fast to me. I’m pleased to report that we’ve all adjusted well to returning to work and school. Don’t get me wrong, we’re pretty tired and cranky, but that is to be expected if you ask me.

We spent the last few weeks of our summer on the go.

We made a quick trip to Austin,

beating the heat with some ice cream

book browsing on South Congress

A long journey to Alabama,

creative poses courtesy of Olivia

Benjamin and his latest obsession - Cars

a mediocre time on the swings

skee ball

Tim and one of his catches

our best attempt at a grandchildren group shot - tough crowd

on the big ferris wheel

at the seashore

And a mad dash to Midland.

Ryan playing it cool

very chilly pool

enough said

Granny, Dad, and Mom

Dad playing pool boy

my granny one day shy of her 83rd birthday

being manly

me, relaxed at Mom and Dad's

While summer vacations always seem to fly by, this was a particularly fast one. And with the new school year looming, Tim and I made a desperate attempt to potty train Benjamin in mid-August. It seems potty training is one very important entry on my summer to-do list that I failed to attend to. I wish I could now describe how my super smart and obedient son was trained in two days, but no such luck (or skill) at our house. The potty charting, potty pleading, and potty bribing continues…hopefully, the training is on the horizon. At this point, it’s one of our greatest hopes for Benjamin – a day without peeing or pooping in his pants. These are the days of our lives, which is pretty funny when you think about it.