Beautiful Day

Happy birthday to a kind, energetic, inquisitive boy
who turned four years old today.

Where has the time gone, Benjamin Felix?

Benjamin and his new bear, Elvis

Family shot

Make a wish

Good night, my four year old

Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monster's gone
He's on the run and your daddy's here

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient
'cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go
But in the meantime

Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling *Benjamin

We love you, Benjamin!

Song lyrics by John Lennon, Beautiful Boy

Field of Dreams

The imaginings of childhood are bold. All things are possible and dreams will come true, you know, soon.

So when Benjamin tells me with conviction that he will play with the Texas Rangers, I can’t help myself. I believe that it’s true. His enthusiasm is as convincing as it is precious.

When a little boy with dreams this big is given tickets to the Rangers game, expectations are high. Benjamin was not disappointed by our big day Saturday. He was surprisingly quiet and at times even solemn as he took in the details of the game we’ve watched so loyally these past months on television. His excitement was not for the celebrity of the players or the big bucket of popcorn; he just loves baseball.

first look at the field

taking it in

glove at the ready

go Rangers

gotta have the popcorn

a couple hours in, tired and sweaty but still wearing the glove

what a day

home trying out the bat

When we got back home to our own field of dreams, Benjamin was ready to resume the game he's been playing now for a few months. As he hit the ball with his new wooden bat, I wonder what images were running through his little boy brain after a day at the ballpark.

Hit!

On with the Show

April

April has been a month of highs and lows. 

Instead of delivering the facts, 

I'll just post some of my favorite pictures and memories from April 2012.

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.
- Dr. Seuss 

*This post is dedicated to dear ones we've lost too soon. 
We hold you in our memories and close to our hearts.

Spring Fever

With the warm weather we've had around here in March, spring fever has set in early for many of us. March has been perfect for visiting with family and friends, spending lots of time outdoors, and daydreaming about plans for summer vacation.

I was lucky enough to play hostess to two of my dearest friends visiting from out of town to begin the month.

The middle of the month we got to join up with part of the Wootan family as we gathered on middle ground in Brownwood for spring break.

Last weekend we spent some family time buying plants and flowers to watch and nurture. (I'm hoping Benjamin can help Tim and I keep up.)



And the end of the month was just as great as we had a small cook out yesterday with friends filling our house and backyard.

So now the hard part - enjoying these mild spring days while they last and not being too impatient for summer vacation and all that it promises. This time of year does hold its own special promise of sun without suffering, bugs that don't bite, and  surprises blooming around each corner.

Having said all that...how many more days to summer?

Lighten Up

For the record, I am not a hoarder...

However, parting with things, especially those with sweet memories attached, is really difficult for me. One proof of this fact is glaringly obvious when you look around our house. Until recently, we had almost every toy and stitch of clothing that Benjamin ever touched. I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of his things that are connected to such wonderful memories. But, even these lovely things can start to be a burden - fill closets and book shelves, make drawers hard to shut, and turn family rooms into play rooms.

On Saturday night, I ran the idea past Benjamin; let's look through things and find all the stuff you don't need anymore. When I said it Saturday, I wasn't sure I could do it or that I wanted to. You know how to ensure tackling a dreaded task? Tell a kid about it. Kids have great memories.

So Sunday, with the help of my three year old, I took the first step. I asked Benjamin to look through his toys. We started in the den and then moved to his bedroom. I soon faced his clothes both in his closet and in his chest of drawers. We encouraged one another.

"Are you sure you want to give this away?"

"Yes, I'd like to give it to a baby because I'm not a baby anymore."

Sniff, sniff. "Okay."

When I tried to cram his foot into a pair of barely worn shoes, Benjamin gently declared that they were too small and they hurt his feet. As a result of our hard work, we donated toys to daycare and passed along clothes to a coworker's son. I was even inspired to do a quick run through of my clothes. It felt good. It feels even better to see his closet, shelves, and drawers looking neater (not the neatest, but definitely neater).

Watching Benjamin give so freely makes me feel happy.

Seeing my little boy grow up and do his best to drag me along with him is reassuring.

We can do this.

The Practice of Blooming

I remember a tiny plaque my mom often kept promimently displayed in her kitchen. It said, "Bloom where you're planted." For a long time, I didn't really understand the meaning, and then one day I wised up to the command that accompanied the tiny flower on the plaque. It made sense to me; especially in light of the fact that our family moved more than any of us really wanted to. I'm sure my mother had to remind herself of the sentiment often. Find happiness here. Enjoy this moment.

Now that I'm the mom of my little family, I need this same reminder. I don't need it because of adjusting to the new towns, houses, and jobs that my parents did, but I feel the weight of the wisdom all the same. For me, parenting - as in life - can be a series of wishes and hopes. Although I guess there's nothing wrong with wishing and hoping, at some point I must look around and see all the blossoms in my life and in my situation.

Benjamin has truly filled my world with more color and fragrance than I thought was possible before I met him. My practice in parenting is to celebrate each day and try to see the grandness of the small moments we're sharing together. Instead of focusing on what he will do someday (poop in the potty) and what he once did back then (sleep in my arms), I must work to see the blooms of this season. Instead of day dreaming about over-sized bathtubs (who doesn't?) and expensive vacations (San Francisco would be nice), I must recognize the beauty of this place right here. Please understand, that seeing such things is a challenge for me, but I know that I am happiest and surely a better parent when I appreciate my family, our nest, and our world just as it appears today.

Benjamin exploring in the backyard last month