The boys

In the Garden

Cookies for Breakfast

For Alistair 13 months is starting to look like 2 years. He is becoming increasingly willful and boundry testing by the day and this morning was a testimony to that when I let him have Bunny Grahms for breakfast. Over the past week he hasn't wanted to eat anything in the morning. I tried all his old favorites: strawberry yogurt, oatmeal with cinnamon, scrambled eggs, bananna, tofu dog. But all he wants to do is scream in agony as the spoon comes toward his mouth or drop his food piece by piece on the ground. This morning we are suppose to have playtime at the park with his friend Liam and so I was determined to get something more than milk into his belly. You can tell from the smiles that he is feeling triumphant.

Monday Morning

Mimi took these pictures of Ali, she said "before you cut his hair" It's funny how we can get attatched to things. Greg is dying to give him a little boy hair cut and I can't imagine him without his soft little blonde curls now. I guess eventually we will have to trim him but for now I've won the hair battle.

Accidents Happen......

I am sharing this story in hopes that someone can learn something from this. Yesterday we had Alistair's friend Vaughn over. The morning was going swimmingly, the boys were playing in Ali's nursery like a dream, I even caught Alistair giving Vaughn a kiss. So I went about my chores and was in the bedroom making the bed when I heard his bloodcurdling scream. It was a cold morning and I had turned on the heat to warm the house. Unfortunately, our vent is smack dab on the floor in the middle of the hallway. Vaughn was coming down the hall, tripped on his pant leg and landed on the vent. At first I thought he had just startled himself from the fall as I could not see collateral damage. But when the screaming persisted I realized his little hand was burned. I held his hand under the cool water from the sink but nothing was going to satiate the pain. (I later learned that eggwhite, if applied timely, will stop the burn from blistering and acts as an analgesic.)

I called my mom who lives down the road to watch Alistair while I tended to Vaughn. Thank God for moms who live down the road from their daughters, I don't know what I would have done with out her. And then I called Vaughn's mamma who gave me the green light to give him Children's tylenol (I'm sure she would have wanted to be there for him but it wasn't possible that morning). And thank God for Children's tylenol. He cried for another hour or so while the tylenol kicked in and then his pain went away. The blisters on his little hand continued to grow but he no longer seemed bothered by them. I tried several times unsuccessfully to keep his hand wrapped in clean gauze but he just pulled it off.

My heart breaks when I think about the pain he must have been in. And of course the tremendous guilt that someone else's child could have gotten hurt at my house. Parents, be so careful when it comes to heating devices/vents/fireplaces in your home, especially because they are often within reach of little ones. I certainly wish we didn't have to learn this one the hardway.

The Newest Perkins

Life has it's surprises and Dharma is one of them. On Friday, a friend of mine told me the tale of a harrowing dog rescue and the sad demise of the pup who was on his way to the pound as she spoke...........how could I let it happen? "Maybe we can help?" I heard myself say. And that night we brought home Dharma the little half Chiwawa, half terrier. And aside from a case of the humpies when he gets really excited, he is perfect for us in every way. And Alistair ADORES him. He calls him Duk-duk.

Being 1

It is a little sad that summer has already come to an end. We walk outside and see the leaves on the japanese maple turning brown, it' s almost too cold to go the warm pool at Simpkins, and ......... school has begun. Of course for Alistair that means 3 hours on Friday mornings.......but it is still a sign that fall has arrived and babyhood is waning.

I am so completely enjoying every stage of his being, revealing himself as a sweet and sensitive little boy. The other day we had a moment when his friend Vaughn was over. Vaughn is the most solid baby I have ever met, and incredibly resilliant. But on this particular morning, in his exhuberance at being a newfound walker he went straight into the door frame and let out a wail. I ran to comfort him and as I sat on the floor with Vaughn in my arms I looked over at Alistair who had a very disturbed expression on his face. I knew it was a mix of concern for Vaughn, and confusion tward me for caring for this other baby. So to ease the moment I said to Alistair. "Ali, Vaughn bumped his head. I think he needs some snuggles. Would you like to help me snuggle him?" And Alistair ran to his little toy bin and picked out his stuffed teddy bear and brought it to Vaughn...........I think I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.