Oh my gooooooooodnessssss!!!! I just innocently sat down at my computer - sniffling and sneezing, yes, I have a cold - to see what was going on with everyone. And I have met so many new people that I can't even STAND IT!!!!

Let me just tell you. . .I started out at Dawn's sweet blog, and I decided I wanted a "word cloud too" so I linked on over to get my own (which I did and it is very cool!). Then I just kept on linking!!! and linking!!! oh my word, I am just hooked! I am loooooovvvvvviiiinnngg just visiting everyone else's worlds. It's a little addicting, I must say. Some of my most favorites are "O Mama Mia" and her meme "Show me yours. . .", "Adventures in Babywearing" - okay, Dawn, with your "baby basics" knowledge, what in the world in "babywearing" that several of these moms have referred to? - "Children and Cheerios on the Loose" (this one I LOVE) - "Crazed Mommy of Three". . .oh my. . .

I feel like I have just had a mental Starbucks outing, without the caffiene (not a plus, by the way!) with all of my wonderful mommy-friends. . .

except I have never met or even spoken to any of them. . .

whew! I have literally laughed out loud, nodded my head with understanding, rolled my eyes, and even teared up with some of my "new-friends-who-don't-know-i'm-alive" crowd!

I'm sure "cheerios mom" and I would be fast friends. . .

And now, ladies, this is a SWITCH!! My husband is looking at me right now saying, "Are you almost done with the computer yet??" HAHA!!

Signing off for tonight. . .goodnight!

Nate took his FIRST STEPS!!

Tonight was a fun, fun time for everyone!! Uncle Scott and Aunt Karen invited us over to have PIZZA! (We always say yes to anyone who offers to feed us pizza!) Noni came too, and we had a great time eating, laughing and playing! And in the midst of our chatting and laughing, little Nathan Daniel stood up and took 3 steps right into his Aunt Karen's arms!! (I think she is still beaming from that one!) He then took several steps back and forth between all of us - how exciting!!

Wow! It just seems like yesterday that I was lying on bedrest waiting for our little Nate to be born. . .and now he's walking!! . . .sigh. . .


Here are a few pictures from our fun, busy evening. . .

Not funny anymore, Nate!!

A moment of silence is becoming one of the most frightening noises (or lack of) in our house! When there is no screaming, giggling, shuffling of little crawling knees, kazoo-playing. . .yes, my son has found a love for the beloved instrument, the kazoo, but that's another blog entry on another day! . . . when there is no banging of spoons or toys, no shaking of the gate at the stairs, no "ba-ba-ba-ma-ma-ma"ing, no sluuuuurping on the sippy cup. . .when all of these noises are conspicuously missing - it means run like heck to find that baby because he is up to NO GOOD!!

And lately the "no good" is exploration of the bathroom. . .specifically the TOILET PAPER!!! I found him today AGAIN, spinning, spinning, spinning the roll and pulling it all around himself!! Crazy baby!! And as soon as he hears the shriek, "NATHAN!!!" He turns to look at me for a split second before putting his antics in over-drive -- because he knows that any minute I will snatch him up and his game will be over. . .until that next busy moment when mommy turns her head for just one minute. . .hehehe!!

UH - OH. . .I got caught!!!

A Special Bond

Grandma Greer and Katie Greer have always shared a special connection that goes much deeper than just their shared name. It's something that can't be put into words exactly. . .but these pictures seem to capture it.

"Wild Thing"

Today we were sitting in Jason's Deli eating our lunch. . .well, let me rephrase that. . .trying to throw any morsel of food in our mouths that we could inbetween "shush"ing and wrestling with our 11 month old to stay in the high chair without pulling anything and everything off the table. Gravity being one of his favorite new discoveries, a table full of food, glasses, silverware, napkins, salt & pepper shakers, straws, might as well be Disneyworld! His eyes light up as they dart from item to item, devising his scheme, his plan of attack - and it all has to be quick, before mom and dad realize that anything is happening - and then strike, grabbing whatever is the biggest, messiest item and lifting it high up, up into the air - whoo-hoo! - and then releasing the tight little fist to watch it bang to the ground! He leans way over the side of the high chair to see where it went?, did it bounce?, did it explode? Gravity is way cool! And then while mom and dad are assessing the damage -- hee!hee! -- strike fast again!! Okay, you say, "Uh, just a suggestion. . .how about moving the things out of his reach before you sit him down. Duh." But we do!! Granted, there are those times that we hand him things knowing full well what is going to become of it - just to stop the noise - could be a happy noise, could be a sad noise, but guaranteed it is a LOUD noise that is always coming from little baby boy! But other times it is the server that sets things right in front of him!!! I guess there is an obvious big empty area where maybe they think we have cleared for them - especially in Mexican restaurants - as they say, "hot plate!" - "hot plate!" and set ALL OF IT right in front of the crazed baby with arms flailing and eyes big as saucers! What's up with that???

As we were sitting there at Jason's Deli in our little circus we create wherever we go. . .we heard it. . .and I didn't even notice any music even playing before then. . .but this song played loud and clear, and I knew. This was his theme song. . ."WILD THING!"

So here's a few pictures of my "wild thing" in action! I was just trying to actually document these 2 little precious teeth that I can never seem to catch in a picture. . .and I ended up with a million expressions in this "wild" little face - all in a period of about 3 minutes!!
"Wild Thing. . .You make my heart sing. . .You make everything. . .groovy!!"

Sunday Family Time!

I just love, love, love Sundays for many reasons. . .one of which is that we get to visit with lots of precious friends and family. It is a special time for Katie to get to "chat" - really mostly giggle! - with her very favorite cousin, Anna. Here is a picture of the two girls together this past Sunday - already laughing about something silly!

We had a wonderful surprise this Sunday at church when my cousin, Julie, and her husband, Jeremy, walked through the doors with their handsome 2 year old, Wyatt, and the newest adorable additions to the family - the twins!! Isabella and Olivia were the celebrities of the day with everyone waiting for their turn to get to snuggle with them! (This picture is of the girls with their proud grandpa Bennie!)





We were so blessed to have so much "fun family visiting time". . .I just couldn't help but share a
few more pictures!




Wyatt looks like an angel in this picture, doesn't he?? I think his momma would say that this is true some of the time!

Too Cool for School!

Well, we are into the second week of Kindergarten, and I am glad to report that we all are doing fairly well!
Katie LOVES her teacher, which makes the uncertainties of anything else Katie encounters bearable. The things that have been the hardest for Katie to get used to, oddly enough, has been school lunches. . .rest time. . .and just the loooooooong day itself! (Eating. . .sleeping. . .endurance - 2 of those that I have absolutely no problem doing at all!!)

Now school lunches are something one has to get used to for sure! You know, they cook things just a little different. . .and have things that we don't even ordinarily have at home - but she's already getting much more used to the idea, and learning the choices to avoid at all costs! Fixing her lunch to take is not really an option because she is generally not a sandwich kinda girl. . .and, you know, I really think that she is still a bit anxious with the whole "school thing" - in which case that little nervous stomach of hers is what's causing her to be leary of lunchtime. . .

But rest time is a different story!! How can anyone not like/need/want rest time????!! I would loooooooovvvvvvveeeeee if someone would make me take a nap every day!!! But Katie has determined the nuances of the "rules" during this time -- "you do NOT have to actually close your eyes, Mom" which made it at least a little better for her somehow in her mind. And the teacher is letting Katie sit by the window so she can look out at the playground during this time too. So she is learning to accept rest time as a part of the day in Kindergarten.

AHHH!! CRAZY BABY!!

What a precious little face. . .and he looks innocent enough. . .
but really those big brown eyes are saying,
"What can I get into NEXT??!!"


And the answer is:

playing the keyboard that could fall on my head at any moment. . .

annoying my sister by stealing the mouse while she's on the computer. . .

and eating one of Katie's red markers!!!

And that was all just today!!



And the fun is just beginning! I also learned that I can stand all by myself. . .heehee. . .

The Parade!

Today was a fun Saturday for us all - family time at the "Old Soldiers' Day Parade"! Katie knows parades around here mean lots of candy thrown from cars and floats that pass by with clowns and bands to entertain us inbetween. She was very excited and - other than a few very loud fire engines and blasts from an irritating cannon - the parade proved to be a very fun way for us to spend a Saturday morning together playing outside. It was Nathan's very first parade, and he seemed to enjoy the commotion all around him as well.


A very cool float that passed by was one of the famous scene at Iwo Jima which was re-enacted by a group of marines - real guys holding this pose like statues!

And Nathan watched as camels passed by. . .I have no idea what camels have to do with soldiers - but, well, they were entertaining!








We walked through the park after the parade. Katie, of course, needed to "make a wish" at the fountain in the town square fountain. . .and Nate and I needed to sit and cool off under the trees!

My Kindergartener!

Well, a new chapter has begun for our family. . .especially for Katie Greer!

She is officially a "kindergartener!" Her very first day of school was yesterday, and she was READY! She picked out her first-day-of-school outfit, and we painted her nails pink to match. She filled that new, fancy backpack with a zillion school supplies - and off we went! (Mom with her digital camera AND video camera, of course!) Okay, Katie did get a little exasperated with all of my constant pictures. . .but ya know, what are mom's for?

Katie never ceases to amaze me with her spirit of independence and resilience! She bounced off to the car with not a moment of anxiety or fear. . .I mean, she is heading to a school where she knows none of the teachers and only 2 of the students out of a million! I was so nervous for her!!!!

And then we pulled into the parking lot, and Katie grinned from ear to ear. . .what a blessing that God has given her this sense of peace and happiness about entering this huge new world where undoubtedly she'll encounter so many questions. . .

and so here she goes with a quick step and a light heart into the world of Kindergarten!!