Oh, How Time Flies!

So much has happened since I last wrote. Just as I had anticipated, this summer is turning out to be a fast, busy one. I cannot believe that August is just a few days away!

We enjoyed our vacation in Alabama. Tim’s parents live on the water, so Tim got to do plenty of fishing. We spent some quality time in the pool, and of course, we had a great time eating all the wonderful food!! Somehow, we never made it to the beach (I know, weird), but it was nice all the same. We watched fireworks from the dock, had a shrimp feast, and celebrated Benjamin’s birthday once again with the Pattillo side of the family. Benjamin had a blast with his cousins. He played and played and played. It was the sweetest thing. All the cousins were so nice to him and showered him with tons of attention. We also got to meet the newest member of the Pattillo family – Luke, a cute, red-haired baby. Someday soon, he and Benjamin will have so much fun together.

When we returned home, our wood floors were installed- very exciting!! They look great. In addition to enjoying our new floors, we’ve been keeping pretty busy with visiting libraries, playing at the park, swimming, and chasing Benjamin around. We’ve gotten to have a few play dates, too, which has been fun. Last week Mom and Dad came for another visit. Benjamin enjoyed seeing them and showed off his walking skills. He is getting fast, can stop and pick up things, and doesn’t seem to be bothered when he falls down. It is amazing how quickly he has “mastered” this skill.

Along with all of that, I’ve been working diligently (mostly) to finish up my last six hours of graduate school. I’ve spent lots of late nights on the computer – planning programs, writing book reviews, and reading class discussions. Thank goodness Tim is such a hands-on daddy; he puts Benjamin to bed most nights and lets me sleep in to recover from my night-owl ways. Needless to say, I’m really excited about graduating in mid-August.

That’s all for now. I will enjoy a few more weeks of this wonderful, busy summer. Here are some pictures from our latest adventures.

Fun in the pool at John and Andrea's house. Isn't it pretty?

A little post-swim relaxation...so sweet.

One of Tim's more interesting catches while in Alabama - a sting ray!

Benjamin and Molly playing Grandma's piano. They had such a great time together.

Benjamin on his bike during a particularly warm visit to the park here in Big D.

Recapping Instead of Packing...

Well, my last post was in honor of Benjamin’s birthday, but I skipped a few noteworthy summer events in my blogging. So, tonight I’m going to do a little summer vacation recap. It’s important that I do this now because we will be leaving early (??!) in the morning to drive to the beach – Gulf Shores, Alabama – and our summer vacation will become even more laden with memories. I need to recap before I forget all the fun stuff we’ve already done.

First of all, the Wootan side of the family went on our annual lake vacation. This year we stayed in a really nice log cabin on Lake LBJ. The cabin was three floors with three bedrooms, a huge kitchen, a wrap- around porch, and lots of televisions. It was a far cry from our lake vacations of old when we camped for real – Coleman stoves, tents and pop ups, Ivory soap in the lake, and take your own tp to the public bathroom (which some years boasted stalls without doors)! Although I have some really great memories of my family and lots of laughter from the old days, I cannot tell a lie: I like cabin dwelling much better. In fact, I don’t even like having to share a bathroom, so this was year’s accommodations were awesome in my book.

Anyway, the point of the whole trip is that we did have lots of fun and ate lots of good food. Benjamin swam in the lake and absolutely loved it. Our swimming hole had a rope swing. Many of us tried it; one or two of us were actually successful. Also, our cabin had its own swing set and a sandy spot near the creek. We all enjoyed the sand and fishing and swinging. Benjamin and his cousins, Emma and Olivia, seemed to adjust to life at the lake well. I think we all could have stayed there a few more days without any complaints. All in all, it was a great time.

Emma Rae, Gina, and Benjamin enjoying some lakeside laughs

Andrew showing off on the rope swing (he was one of the more successful of our family)

Olivia, Emma, and Benjamin checking out the little fishy

Tim's big catch!!! What excitement.

Last week was also a very busy week. Besides celebrating Benjamin’s first birthday, Tim and I decided to do some house cleaning/rearranging. Consequently, our den is now much more spacious and Benjamin-friendly. Well, actually, at the moment, it’s covered in wood flooring boxes because last week we also came to the decision to replace our carpet with bamboo. That will happen when we return from the beach.

In addition to our cleaning and rearranging, we got to visit with the Wootan clan again. My brother Andrew played softball in Mansfield, so we got to see everyone again which was nice. Mom and Dad came over on Sunday and spent some time with us here. They returned home Monday- wish they could have stayed longer, but we enjoyed it while it lasted.

Finally, on Monday, Benjamin went to the doctor for his one year visit. I absolutely cannot believe it has been an entire year. So exciting and a little crazy and a tiny bit sad that he’s changing so quickly… His visit went well, and he’s still at the upper end of the charts on his growth, especially head size. He must have a really big brain!

All in all, this summer has been great so far – busy but great. We’ve gotten to see and visit with friends and family, and Benjamin seems to be enjoying all the new experiences. Tomorrow he’s off to Alabama for his first beach vacation. How wonderful. Speaking of which, I need to finish packing.

I had to add this one of Benjamin sporting his baseball outfit at the softball park- what a cutie.

Milestones

To Benjamin-

You arrived.

You looked at us.

You saw us.

You smiled.

You held up your head.

You laughed.

You cooed.

You went to school.

You rolled over.

You sat up.

You played and played and played.

You read a book (in your own way).

You crawled.

You chased the cats.

You pulled up.

You talked (daddy, hi, I love you).

You took your first three steps today.

June 26, 2008




June 26, 2009

Happy birthday, Benjamin Felix. We love you more than seems possible.

Thank you for a wonderful year.

I Love You

Wow! We have had quite a week. Today Benjamin went for his first swim, on Thursday we survived a crazy rainstorm, and Wednesday we enjoyed a friend-filled play date. Best of all, Benjamin is trying to say, "I love you." It is so sweet. He is saying "Hi" quite often now, especially to the cats, but this week he said it to his Aunt Val when she stopped by yesterday. Who knows? Maybe on her next visit she'll get an "I love you."

Here are a few pictures from our week. The play date Wednesday was at my friend Gena's house; she was nice enough to host a crowd of rambunctious children when our friend Jamie came through on her way to Oklahoma. Jamie taught with us at here in Dallas and now lives just outside New Orleans. She has two children; I hadn't met either of them until her visit Wednesday, so I was really excited to meet her daughter and son. We assembled quite a precious group of children, and let me tell you, the house and backyard were wild as all the kids lived it up. We decided that next time we are all together, we need to meet up without the children if we really want to visit. It's hard to talk much when you're watching your little ones. In any case, it was a fun morning.


Jamie's son Tripp is a pistol. He is about month older than Benjamin but much smaller, faster, and more agile. He really enjoyed wrestling with Benjamin, and as you can see from the photo, Tripp won (over and over again). It was pretty funny; I fought against the little voice inside of me saying, "Hey, don't push my baby!" Benjamin was fine; he never stopped smiling. As my friend Lydia said, "This proves Benjamin is one laid back baby!"

Here's Benjamin playing in backyard. He enjoyed splashing his hands in the water. Gena's house is beautiful and so is her backyard. It was the perfect place for the kids to run through the sprinkler and make mud pies.

We tried hard for a group shot- here is one attempt! Not exactly successful, but aren't they cute?

This is a picture from today. Tim had just lowered Benjamin into the pool. As you can see, he loved it!! We figured that he would since he likes taking baths so much.

Our friends Lydia, Katie, Dave along with Zoe and Sam came to join us for a swim. It was a great way to start this hot, muggy day. Benjamin literally got his feet wet in preparation for a week at the lake which begins tomorrow. On that note, it's very late (or early) and I should be in bed.

Can't wait to see what happens next! Hopefully, Benjamin will keep working on his "I love you." I will not tire of hearing that one.

Scenes of Summer

Well, since I last wrote, summer has begun in earnest. For all the teachers out there, this means only one thing- school is out! Last Wednesday was the last day for the students, and on Thursday teachers returned to pack and clean and finish things up. When Benjamin left daycare on Thursday, he was given a goodbye card from his classmates. Isn't that something? He finished off the year in the toddler class; quite an accomplishment! I wonder if they will miss him? I can't help thinking they will.

Around here, we are beginning to get into the swing of things. Benjamin and his dad have been going for a daily run while I stay home and read or work out or pay bills (today's activity). We've made a couple of trips to White Rock Lake, gone out to eat, gone shopping, and Tim and I even went out (without Benjamin) to celebrate our wedding anniversary - thanks, Val. I have only taken a few pictures, but here are some from summer so far.


Benjamin is checking out the Wii. He really wants to figure out how to use it. Mostly he has to stay in the pack and play and observe. It's funny; he stands up and really watches. He especially enjoys it when I do the hoola hoop! He sways from side to side.

Yesterday I heard Tim playing guitar, and I walked in to see these two quite engrossed in the activity. Luckily, I convinced them to pose for a quick picture. Finding Benjamin so interested in his daddy's business makes me think of something Tim has been saying since Benjamin was born (or maybe even before he was born)- "I can't wait to teach him things." Tim is a natural teacher, so I think Benjamin is in good hands. It will be fun to watch. Will they let me play, too?

Here is Benjamin out to eat today. He's looking cute as usual. In addition to this cute snapshot, I took strange pictures of him too because for some reason, he kept sticking his tongue out. It was like he just discovered it or something. Just as quickly as he started it though, he stopped. Maybe he'll do it again tomorrow?

Our lunch out today was actually just a pit stop on the way to a place Tim has been wanting to visit for way too long....Bass Pro Shop! We made the short drive to Garland, and Tim did some shopping to prepare for our upcoming lake trip. (He even had a list for the shopping.) I asked him if the Bass Pro Shop was all he'd hoped it would be; he said that it was.

Here's another one of Tim. He's wearing his new hat. Looks like a real outdooorsman, huh?

How Sweet It Is

You know those moments when you witness something that just makes you smile, laugh, or sigh deeply? Well, Benjamin and Morey provided me with one of them this afternoon. I had just set Benjamin on the floor for the first time since he got home from school with his daddy, so the living room was not a jumble of toys quite yet. Morey entered the room and jumped on the coffee table and I gave him a pat. Benjamin crawled to the table, stood up, and reached for Morey. I was encouraging him by saying, "Hi, Morey!" Benjamin obliged me with a giant smile followed by "Hi!" and a wave. Just so cute! I'm sure that I'm not setting the scene well enough here. I only wish I had my camera handy. To recreate the moment, you'll have to do some math:

Morey + Benjamin's wave = sweet moment

Like I said, I only wish that I'd had my camera. This picture of Benjamin is actually from Saturday when I coaxed him into waving at me. I love the wave! Now if I could only convince him to call me Mama or Mommy! So far, I'm still Daddy.

Sweet moment number two: Benjamin and Tim taking a well-deserved nap on the couch. (This is also the reason I'm blogging right now instead after Benjamin is in bed.) Tim had a busy, sweaty day at school - bounce house, cooking out, oh, and teaching - so he may be the one sleeping like a baby in this photo.

I'm so thankful for my family and this sweet day of my life.

Another Saturday Night...

Another Saturday night and I find myself blogging and reflecting on our day. Although today was not exactly action-packed, it was a good day and I managed to take over fifty pictures! Taking pictures is something I do quite a bit now that Benjamin is with us; he always seems to be doing something noteworthy- even if it is just looking especially cute. Today he was pushing his red car back and forth through the living room. He was so focused on the task at hand that I was hoping to catch him in the act. However, once again, he caught me with the camera in my hand and lost focus quickly.

Here is the first picture I took. Isn't he cute?

Here is the second picture.
As you can see, he's not so interested in pushing his car anymore.

One exciting event of the day is that Tim set up my Wii. I got it for my birthday, but this is really the first day we've had that he could spend some time figuring out the cords and getting everything hooked up. Well, he got it done and it looks great. We will be able to use it easily. Next, he will work on the Wii Fit- the rest of my bday gift! After Tim got things ready to go, we were anxious to try it out. I bowled and played tennis, and, yes, I did break a sweat. Sad, I know. I'm a bit out of shape. After my turn, Tim played golf.

Nice form, huh?

Later, Val joined us and we all tried out the golf game. I cannot remember who won, but it was not me! As always Benjamin was really excited to see his Aunt Val. Can you tell he's happy?

All that golf left us hungry so we headed out for some Mexican food at Mariano's. Although I love their food, I'm not a fan of the bear which resides in foyer of the restaurant. Benjamin and Tim, however, didn't seem to mind it much.


We tried our best to enjoy our meal, but Benjamin was a bit on the unruly side. Apparently, he was really hungry because he let out a scream or yelp between most bites. We could not feed him fast enough. This is the loudest he's been while we are out. Even though Mariano's is a noisy, family-friendly place, I think both Tim and I felt a little uncomfortable with Benjamin getting any negative attention or curious looks. Maybe it was just some first-time-parent anxiety.

After Benjamin's belly was full, he returned to his normal, laid back attitude. In fact, we ended our evening by shopping at World Market and Border's. He didn't seem to mind and enjoyed looking around at all the people. He even got some of his usual positive attention from strangers. As I was holding Benjamin and looking at the magazines, a teenage boy looked at him and said, "Those sure are big, beautiful eyes." Not exactly a comment I would have expected from this particular person, but I'd have to agree with him.