Sunday Scenes: Nov. 16

Here are few photos from our day.

Though he was emotionally allergic to all things hat-related for the first three years of his life, Wilder has recently discovered the fun of donning different hats. He finds one around the house, he puts it on his head. He's taken to wearing a winter hat advertising Jameson's whiskey to school on cold days.

Hunter fast asleep. This kid can -- finally and do I hear the angels singing? -- sleep. One night this week he slept 12 hours straight. Pretty much every night now he's in bed by 6 p.m., if not sooner. Of course, this means he's wide awake at 5:15 a.m. This takes a little getting use to, but sleeping (mostly) through the night is sleeping through the night. I'll take 5:15 a.m. There's coffee in this world and I'm not afraid to mainline it directly into my veins. I mean, drink it.

Sometimes, apparently, a boy's just GOTTA do what the baby does. In this case, fold his rather extensive limbs into a small sink for bath time. I have a feeling they'll both be bathing like this for awhile. Oh well, it's easier on the back.

Hunter in all his glory, post bath.

Just a cute photo of my little Hunter and his beautiful eyes.

Scenes from a week

Since I rarely have time to post here anymore, I thought I'd do more of these kinds of posts: taking photos with my iPhone and then getting them up every so often. I know it's the photos of the kids that most of you come here for anyway, rather than my idiotic ramblings. So enjoy, here's Round One in Scenes From a Week:

Wilder this morning before school. I thought he look so handsome. It took me probably 15 frames to get this and the one below. The others were a blur, because he NEVER sits still these days. He defines kinetic energy. He also embodies the dedication it takes to exhaust a mama.

Another photo of Wilder looking "sharp." That's what Jerry tells him when he's dressed, combed, brushed, etc. "You look sharp, sunshine." So Wilder has taken to looking in the mirror or at photos of himself and saying, "Oooh, I look shaaaarp."

Hunter just before he and I took a long walk on Monday. He was out sick from school, and although it was just barely misting and we probably shouldn't have been outside, we went anyway. Sometimes, fresh air is the antidote. I didn't want to jinx it before now, but H is sleeping a lot more at night now. He's also trying like mad to crawl, has 7 teeth and will mimic many words, including Mama, Papa, Brother (brudda), up (as in, get out of bed now), and Jerry and I both have heard something akin to "I love you," which sounds more like "I-wuh-woo." Of course we don't think he knows what he's saying, but he seems to be a pretty good mimic of things he hears us say around the house a lot. And I expect he'll be talking a lot earlier than Wilder did. Of course, he listens to Wilder talk non-stop during the day, so I assume that helps develop that little language center in his brain.

Wilder and his new kitty friend, "Blue," so named by us because of her piercing blue eyes. She's either a neighbor's cat or just the alley cat taken care of by everybody. Whatever her status, she's taken to Wilder. We've never seen her out of the alley, but the other morning we were playing in the front yard, and she must have heard his voice, because she came running. And she stayed as close by his side as she could until we decided to come back inside. As far as Jerry is concerned, she's the best kind of cat. Friendly, a way for Wilder to fulfill his need for kitty love, but OUTSIDE.

The many faces of a jumping Hunter

Wilder Wilder quite contrary

Wilder is going through a bit of a phase the last few days. He's all "I don't wanna" and "I don't want to" and "No" and "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" and "No no no no no."

So this morning, after talking to his father about Obama's presidency and what it means and how friggin' cool I think it is that not only did my candidate get elected, but that America voted in its first black president and how that makes me feel just the tiniest bit better about this world my kids have been born into (Hell to the YEAH America!), I looked at Wilder and said, "Come over here and give me a hug!"

"Nuh-uh," he says.

"You're contrary," I replied matter-of-factly.

"I not."

"Yes, you're contrary son."

"I NOT. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" (Yes, seven "nos" ... I counted.)

I love it when he proves my point for me.

One more thing ...

Three women walked by our house tonight, walking their dogs. As usual, Wilder acted as the neighborhood greeter, asking them to please join us. So they did for a few minutes, so that we could pet their dogs and so Wilder could socialize with his favorite demographic next to 3- and 4-year-olds: women who exceed his age by decades. One of them, Rosemary, has lived in this neighborhood forever. She's one cool customer, an observer, and you can tell pretty quickly that she has a wry sense of humor. She sat there looking at Wilder for a few minutes, not saying much. Then this: "I've seen you in the neighborhood, Wilder. You never walk. You're ALWAYS running."

So true, Rosemary. So. True.

Our costumed selves

Just a few pics from our weekend. We trick or treated on Friday. Wilder had the basic concept down, but he didn't seem to understand why he wasn't being invited IN to everyone's house. He got his candy at the first door, walked right past the woman and started walking around her house. The next he didn't barge in, but he did ask if he could come in. We had one more talk on the basic of trick-or-treating etiquette ("say trick or treat and thank you" ... "do not go through the fridge or pick up the remote control of the person handing out candy." etc...), and after that he did better.

He embraced the concept whole heartedly. After each door closed, he'd yell: "LET'S GO GET MORE CAANDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" So I taught him that old activist's chant: "What do we want? CANDY! When do we want it? NOW!!"

Afterward we came home, had a little party with our friends Jeff, Ginger and Micah (who came over for the whole evening), and handed out candy until a group of trick or treaters taller than us inspired us to shut the doors. We let the boys stay up late. We found out that night that Hunter is a headbanger. I have some video that I'm going to try to edit down to a more manageable size. But suffice to say that kid had a noodle for a neckbone and loves to bop his head around to the music.

Last night was the annual costume party. It was fun and our friends wowed up with their costumes, as usual. There's a pic below of Jerry and I.

Off to a cup of tea. Oh yeah, it's party central here tonight. ;-) Love to all, k.


The cutest wee Superman that ever trick or treated.

The 'lil Booster (no costume this year, just a cool ghosty glow-in-the-dark shirt)

The Russian Assassin and her Jack Skellington.