Mar 30, 2010 | Baby Photos, Travel..ling Tuesdays
I thought I’d give you another quick slice of life around here this Tuesday, pretty much because it’s been a busy day and I need to get a chicken in the oven in twenty minutes! Let’s see if I can make it happen…
The weather’s cooling off for us now. And probably warming up for you. Lucky.
But we have these beautiful sunrises coming over the mountains in the morning!
If you happen to hold your cursor over that picture and wonder why it is entitled “Sunset Reflection,” well, I was in a hurry — I told you, I only have twenty minutes!
That one too. Sunrise. Sorry.
A big slice of life in Gordon’s Bay right now: We’re reading plenty of books these days.
Notice anything on the Bear’s chin?
He got in a fight with the corner of the tupperware drawer. I suppose he came off second best.
But we picked out that puzzle from Grandpa I told you about…
He’s pretty stoked.
It has a little car that plays music. Buttons + Music as a result of pushing said buttons = Happy Bear
(THANK YOU, GRANDPA!)
He’s still figuring out what goes where…which is good. What fun would it be if he could figure it out first time?
Okay! I saved the best sunset sunrise!! shot for last and I still have nine minutes to tell all these pictures to be the right size and wrap up! Yeah!
Dern! That took a while to upload! But that’s a twenty-minute slice of life around here these days!
Two minutes to spare! What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
xCC
Mar 24, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories
It was a big day around here. For an end-of-the-fiscal-month-nobody-move-until-we-get-paid kind of day, it was a really big day.
One day back in February, the Bear came and sat beside me on the couch and pointed at my laptop screen and I decided to take that as a teaching opportunity. I created a new document and spelled out a few words: car, dog … you know, first word stuff, and read them to him, highlighting each one and changing the size of the font to emphasize each word as we read it. We went through the alphabet a couple of times and that was about it. I suppose I was feeling ambitious about him mastering the ability to read at 18 months.
We looked at the document again the next day, and then not again until today, when it sprang to mind as he was sitting beside me and I opened it. As soon as it hit the screen he looked and said “Car!!” I was totally flabbergasted, ran to the bedroom to interrupt HH with the important news that the Bear had just read his first word, and then returned to the living room to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.
I highlighted some other words and we went through the alphabet and then I went back to car, highlighted the word again, and received another enthusiatic “CAR!” So. My 19 month old bear just read his first word today. And I try not to use this space to brag about him being extra special because that’s just annoying, but today, it’s good to feel like I’m doing something right, at least one thing, so please extend a little grace and let me share.
CAR!!!
Thanks, I’m finished.
Anywho, you’re probably really here for the news that I actually did it, and Goldilocks is no longer the wee Bear. It really was time. And I promise I didn’t wimp out and just trim his fringe/bangs again. See?
So here’s the before:
Man, it was hard to put scissors to those beautiful curls!!
Here’s the during:
We kept him occupied with Gerber Graduate Puffs and Veggie Tales during the procedure. (Thanks, Amiee!) I cried a little as I was nearing the finish and I thought about the fact that this is hair he’s had since the day he was born! I’m okay. Really.
And, drumroll please, here’s the after!
Grown up enough to comb his own hair now. Sigh.
The Veggie Tales kept him distracted whilst HH grabbed some more shots. Then the Bear let out a big sigh, got down from his high chair, and suggested picking up an application to Yale while we’re out tomorrow.
And that was our big day.
xCC
Mar 24, 2010 | The Good Word
It’s close to the end of March. The year has progressed more quickly than I expected in some ways. In other ways it has felt like time was moving at snail’s pace. When I spoke about my over and over again patterns yesterday, and thought about some over and over again patterns in my life this morning, I realised I needed to be reminded (over and over again) about God’s love.
So I took a moment to reread this and to remember what He reminded me at the beginning of the year.
We need to remember what the Lord has said to us. And treasure it. And chew on it over and over again.
I decided to link to it here, because I have a feeling you might also spiritually feel “close to the end of March.” And there are things the Lord said to you in some of the Januarys of your soul that are worth rereading, remembering, re-engaging with, and re-believing.
I hope this re-post will encourage (or re-encourage) you. I’d love for you to add a link in the comments to something you may have posted that you needed to re-read. Perhaps the rest of us can be encouraged by it, too.
xCC
Sometimes even if you’re just crawling, it feels good to remember you’re moving forward. 🙂
Mar 23, 2010 | South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays
Happy Tuesday! How’s it going? Sorry it’s almost gone! As promised, I am picking up where I left off last week, with pics from die strand at Strand. And good news! Remember a few weeks ago when we were in Pringle Bay and I forgot to take a picture of Hangklip because I’m a cotton-headed ninny muggins? Well I got a picture for you! Check it out:
Yeah! It’s that third point that you see in the distance there. Don’t I deliver? 🙂 Those dudes are playing rugby in case you’re wondering.
So. Strand. You gotta say it with a soft ‘ah’. The Bear is now carefully making his way out to the surf of False Bay, the big bay that Strand, Gordon’s Bay and lots of other pretty places sit on. See that mountain in the background? The almost flat looking one? That’s Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain. This picture is looking at it from the “backside” — it’s more impressive if you see it from the usually-photographed-side facing Table Bay, but either way it’s beautiful!
Now that he’s made it to the surf, the Bear is ready for Dad to come and take him out deep!
While they went for a swim, I took some shots for you! I even asked this cool surfer girl if I could take her picture just for you guys! Don’t say I never do anything for you. Her name is Megan.
I love her red board, purple leash and green board shorts. Thanks, Megan! And amusingly, this big-ol’-pointy-building right here is a condominium complex called Hibernian Towers. I can’t get away from Scottish football if I try. (The “Hibs” stadium was near where I first lived in Edinburgh.)
Here’s another slice of the general vicinity…
Yay, they’re back!
It was difficult to convince the sh-sh-shivering bear that swim time was done.
But when he got hold of someone’s beach tennis ball, he was nicely distracted.
And not keen on returning it. We eventually managed to give it back. 🙂
So here’s the finish-with-a-favourite moment. I don’t know why I like this one so much. I think it’s the funky tree on the right. I love how the beach is right there, so close to the street.
Sigh. I know you wish you were here right now, but just think: March 21st started spring for you, and autumn for us. We’re heading towards winter now! It probably won’t quite be a winter like what you’ve had in the northern hemisphere… but still.
Hope you enjoyed this TT! Did you think it was Strand-tastic? tehe Enjoy your adventure today!
xCC
Mar 18, 2010 | Baby Photos
Dear Bear Bear,
You’re 19 months old today! And at 19 months, you’re a lean mean, (but not really mean) toddling, talking, grape-eating machine. You’ve seriously never met a grape you didn’t like. And you finally have at least nine teeth!
I’m sorry that sometimes
your Mom and Dad think
it might be funny
to give you one of these incredibly massive South African grapes
and watch you try to succeed with it.*
Thanks for giving us some of the sweetest 19 months of our lives.
We’ll try to be sweeter to you! 🙂 Happy Birfday!
Love,
Mama & Dada
*Please let all the worriers, letter-writers, disgruntled critics and folks concerned with the ethical treatment of children be assured no Bears were harmed or put at risk in the taking of these photographs. Should you decide to give your child oversized grapes too, I highly recommend staying present just in case. Better yet, don’t try this at home.
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