Lexington

I came across this tonight and just had to share. I miss Lexington so much and really hope I can move back there someday.

America's Coolest Small Towns

I miss fall in Virginia...

Hail Thee Festival Day...er, Weekend!

I am so excited about this fall! It's too hot here in the summer to get out and do much, but now that the weather is cooling off, it's fun to be outside again. (And by "cooling off", I mean temps in the 80s)


Saturday, the whole fam went to McKinney for their Oktoberfest celebration. We listened to some fun music, had some nice brats and kraut and wandered around and looked at all the booths. Lawson loved the petting zoo...

Today, Lawson and I headed down to the Greek Food Festival of Dallas. One of my students is Greek-American and told me about this. It was awesome! It was more kid-friendly than the Oktoberfest and we had such a good time! We had a gyro for lunch and a baklava sundae for dessert... YUM! We got to tour the gorgeous Orthodox church sanctuary with its stunning artwork. Even Lawson could appreciate that. He kept pointing around and saying "wow!"

Lawson's favorite part was the dancing. My student was in the group and it was fun to see her do her thing outside of school. Lawson kept asking if he could dance on the stage with the big kids!

Happy Birthday!

Two years ago today, Lawson entered my life and changed almost every facet of it. He's such a sweet boy and I love him more than I ever thought I could. Here's a quick look back over the last year of his life:

Lawson's Second Year

We had a small birthday party with just immediate family, but I went nuts decorating his cake. It was a lot of hard work, but I'm mostly happy with how it turned out.

The highlight presents included this super-fun bus with all kinds of fun activities on it. There's even a steering wheel/gear shift/ignition key on the "inside". He loves it!

He also loves this beautiful stool handmade by Grandpa:

Studio Portraits

On Friday, we took Lawson to JCPenney for some professional pics...hoping we could capture those awesome Lawson expressions that we just can't seem to do as amateurs. I feel less bad about my photography skills since even the pros can't get him to ham it up. He makes the cutest little faces at home, but as soon as a camera is in front of him, he freezes.

Fortunately, we did get some cute shots. Here are a handful of the best:

This shot is quinessential Lawson... Too bad he was running away from the camera and is a little far away. It's still my favorite.

Birthday Boy, Part I

Lawson's 2nd birthday is Monday, so Brad came into town for a few days this week to celebrate with him. We opened presents yesterday and it was so much fun!


He's already really good at hitting the ball off his new t-ball stand.

He loves his new collection of Matchbox and Tonka cars!

We found this awesome remote-controlled train for our little train enthusiast. It just might drive me straight to the assylum, but Lawson's in love... Here's a little video of him playing.

Lawson's Choo-Choo

Lawson's been really interested in my camera in these last few months, so I jumped at this toy when we saw it. It's like the old-fashioned View Finders that I had as a kid, but the pictures are on the inside of this camera. They change when you press the shutter button - it's so cute! Lawson has been carrying this around whispering "chicka chicka" since he got it!

Goodbye, Pepper...

In February 1991, my parents brought home a little black poodle/sheltie mix puppy as a surprise. My sister and I had always been told we couldn't have a pet because of Dad's allergies, but suddenly, at the age of 15, I had a puppy! She was teeny tiny and crazy-energetic and we all learned what it meant to care for and train a dog.


Pepper has been a part of our family for almost 19 years, but her health has been deteriorating for the last several months. Poor old girl lived a very very long life, full of treats, toys and adventures, but we made the decision that it was time for her to be put to sleep. My parents took her in on Friday morning and now our sweet little doggie is gone. She's been in the family for over half of my life and we're all feeling the loss. Lawson and Pepper have just recently started to bond and he's a little confused about where the doggie went.


Lawson was more than happy to share his chips with Pepper...

One last hug before D-Day...

"Care"

During the spring semester, my friend, Jill, watched Lawson on Fridays while I taught. Lawson was always sad to see me go, but happy to spend time with Jill's kids, Claire (4) and Collin (18 mo). The kids came over the other night to play while their parents went to dinner and we had such a good time! Claire is a little mother-hen, and seems to think Lawson is her charge - she's hilarious. Lawson is enamored of everything she says and does.


He's been asking for "Care" for days! He wouldn't mind seeing "Coen" either!

Labor Day

I'm almost a week late on these, but as they say....better late than never. On Labor Day, Mary Beth, Lawson and I spent the afternoon at Mom and Dad's house, playing in the backyard.

And it's always fun to cool off with a nice cold popsicle...

Later, we went inside for more eats and Lawson fell in love with Pringles potato chips! He kept asking for "more chips peese".

Backyard Fun...

Playland slide + swimming pool = Best. Idea. Ever.

Lawson, Grandma and Pepper...

A Good Day

Lawson had a great day at school yesterday! His teachers said it's the best day he's had since he started. He played more and actually ran around and laughed and stuff. All things he does at home, but he hasn't been doing there. And the big news is, he came home with this certificate:

There's a kid-sized potty in the restroom in the room and they've been letting the kids see it and sit on it if they want to. Last week, Lawson asked to sit on the potty, but he didn't do anything. Yesterday, he pooped and peed! They're not pushing potty training, just giving the kids the opportunity if they want to. I think it's a great idea. Apparently, the boys in the class are doing really well and group-think is taking over... they want to do it because the other boys are doing it. They're even doing better than the girls, which is surprising (for the uninitiated: girls are generally easier to potty train). I know it'll be a while before he's fully trained, but I love the fact that he's showing an interest already!

Swing Time!

For some reason, Lawson has NOT enjoyed the swings at playgrounds. Never has. But this weekend, at a playground we don't often go to, he spotted this big swing and climbed right in. It was a hit!

He even got in a regular swing (although it helped he was on Grandma's lap!)

Maybe we're beginning to conquer this fear. That would be so nice!

It Begins...

Lawson came home from a successful week of daycare with his first piece of artwork for the fridge. He knew exactly where it belonged. Just the first of many papers which will adorn that appliance... it's so exciting!

On a side note, Lawson is doing MUCH better at daycare now. He still cries when I drop him off, but I expect that will continue for some time. He stops within a few minutes and seems to be enjoying himself for most of the day. He loves music time with Mr. Austin, who comes around every day with his guitar, and he also loves Tuesday afternoon tumbling time with a group called Flippers.

He still has his moments when he misses Mama, but overall, he's having a good day without me. Part of me thinks "yay!", but I still miss my little guy. :(

Lawson and Scotland the Brave

The week didn't get much better after my last post. Lawson has really struggled with the transition to daycare, but the teachers and other parents assure me it's perfectly normal. Many have said it often takes about 3 weeks to get situated. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Despite the rough week, Lawson and I had a fun day today. He clowned around in the kitchen this morning with one of his new favorite toys...my Scottish bagpipe magnet. My friends, Tony and Amanda, brought it back one year and I've kept it on my fridge ever since. Lawson just recently discovered its existence and loves it! If you press the bag, it plays "Scotland the Brave" - he likes to pretend to play along...

First Day...

Today was Lawson's first day at daycare. It's really a wonderful place and although I'm not excited about having to drop him off, I know he's well cared for.


Grandma personalized this aweome bag she bought for Lawson to carry his gear to and from school. Here it is all packed and ready to go this morning. Isn't it cute?

Unfortunately, Lawson didn't think going to school was such a great idea. He was miserable all morning. I hope he adjusts soon...for everybody's sake!

Backyard Fun with Grandpa

We spent a little time this weekend over at Grandma and Grandpa's house, playing outside in these wonderful moderate temperatures we've had recently. They've got a nice big backyard that can hold all kinds of big toys that we don't have room for at our apartment.


Lawson waves hello to his bugs in his bug catcher....

If bugs could throw up, I'm sure these guys would....

Enjoying the spray from the misting hose....

All tuckered out after a long day of playing hard...

Lawson is definitely a Grandpa's boy right now. He's so attached and will barely give anyone else the time of day if Grandpa's in the room! Grandpa's loving every minute of it, although he's taking a lot more naps here lately. Wonder why...?

Dip-Dip

Lawson discovered ketchup a few months ago and is in love. We taught him to "dip-dip" his fries in it and so now when he sees ketchup he calls it "dip-dip". He eats it on all sorts of stuff now - he even likes to just dip his fingers in and lick them clean...



If you click on the link for Cora to the left, you'll see my friends' blog and a picture showing Cora delicately and politely discovering the wonderful world of ketchup. Yes, it's the same Cora from the canonball picture. Oh, the difference between boys and girls! Here's my little barbarian at work, trying to get every last drop of ketchup off that plate...

I've Really Got to Learn...

So far in the last month or so, Lawson has rubbed himself down in both butter and shampoo. I'd like to add a third element. Yes, it's an oldie, but a goodie...the baby powder. I've been maniacal about closing the top on the powder after each use since the last time he took a powder shower, but we had an interesting diaper change this morning (long story) and I was anxious to get washed up and completely forgot.


Fast forward to an hour later. I've been sick this week and needed to get caught up on some work so I let Lawson play by himself. I kept checking on him and he was playing nicely with his toys or reading a book. But then it was quiet for just a little too long... When I went to check, I smelled a familiar thing. Boy oh boy, he did it up great this time!

He pulled his changing pad down and climbed up on top and shook powder all over the place! Then when I walked into the room, there were puffs of powder that came off the carpet. He looked like an 18th century English gentleman with all that powder in his hair! Oh, and yes, he was wearing just a diaper and his new (brown) loafers....don't ask.

I especially liked the footprints that show off where he was stomping in the mess...

Oh, and this one - where he pounded the powder bottle on the wall above his changing table...

I'm sure many of you are wondering why I ever take my eyes off this little dickens when I know he's capable of so much mischief. Alas, I have things to do and he needs to play on his own sometimes. I do keep the chemicals locked up and so the stuff he makes a mess with is harmless.

Never a Dull Moment...

Okay, so crazy Lawson story time....

1. Last night we had tacos for dinner and I gave Lawson a slice of American cheese instead of the shredded kind - thought it would be easier to eat (plus he loves it!). I'll admit I got caught up in something on the table and started reading a bit. When I turned back to Lawson, he had his finger up his nose. I figured he was just picking so I chastised him and went back to eating. When I went to clean him up, I realized he'd peeled off tiny bits of cheese and stuck them up both nostrils! Ah, geez - it was A LOT! I was fishing little pieces out for the next hour. I couldn't believe how much he got stuck up there! And there was much coughing as plenty came out the top end of his nostrils, too... *sigh*


2. Today, we made a run to Target and had an adventure. I was picking out a shampoo by my usual method - the smell test. :D Well, I opened a bottle of conditioner to smell and it must have been pressurized b/c conditioner came shooting out, straight up my nose! I got most of it out, but I still got to smell Aussie hair product all morning (at least it smells good). After cleaning myself up, I looked over at Lawson and while I was having my own little crisis, he'd found the bottle of baby wash I'd just put in the cart and was "lathering" himself up! He was rubbing it up and down his arms, but he also had it all over his clothes. Then, as I reached for the tissues in my purse to clean him up, he started rubbing the stuff on his hands into his hair, mimicking a shampoo. He had this look on his face like "See? I know how to do it!"


I swear... this kid is something else. At least I have an arsenal of stories to keep everyone entertained!

A Good Sign

Oh, I know this one... The capital of Japan is.....hmmm....

Lawson found my materials for the World Geography class I'll be teaching next year. He thought working out of a workbook was a great idea.

Virginia Trip

Wow...sorry. We've been back since Thursday, but it's been really busy here and I'm just getting to these pictures. We had a really wonderful time in Virginia. Good times, good friends, and family time.

We visited my friends, Tony and Amanda, who have a little girl a few months younger than Lawson. They've got these beautiful sunflowers in their backyard, which Lawson couldn't resist. That boy really likes his flowers! Don't you just love that view of the Blue Ridge Moutains behind him?

Lawson and Cora had such a fun time playing together in the pool...until Cora got a taste of one of Lawson's canonballs. She was a good sport, though. Boys are such a pain!

Blueberries are Cora's favorite, too, so she and Lawson kept stealing each other's snacks. Amanda made one big bowl for them both which only made the stealing cuter...

We enjoyed our visit with friends Eric and Iana and their little girl, Jordan, who is also just a little younger than Lawson. The kids really hit it off and things took an interesting turn when we decided to bathe them together before bed...

We also visited friends, Spence and Beverly, who are just wonderful! Beverly has been a huge source of support for me this year and so it was great to see her. Spence is a first-rate historian and he was kind enough to take the time to share the origins of the Vietnam War with Lawson. Well, at least that's what it looks like they're talking about...

Intellectual discussions aside, Lawson spent most of the evening climbing in and out of the doggie door...

We had many more adventures in Lexington, but I didn't always remember to take pictures. It was truly a wonderful three days! After that, we headed to Brad's place to spend time with him and his family. The highlight of the trip was taking Lawson and his cousins to the the local "beach". There's a small lake near Brad's house and a small beach, which was great fun for the kiddos.

It was called "Dolphin Beach", hence the statue that Lawson was totally enthralled by.