Bottle, Flag, and Clothes

Kevin had a new metal water bottle with goldfish on it to take to camp today. He has been using plastic sippy cups for his lunch drink. Yesterday, some kids at camp were mocking him for using baby cups. It had never occurred to Daddy or me that the plastic bottles were inappropriate. After I put him to bed last night, I ran out for a new water bottle suitable for a big boy!

I dropped Kevin at camp this morning with his booster seat and note that Heather could pick him up today. Before leaving, I searched for his group to see what he was doing. They were having their morning flag-raising ceremony!


We waved good-bye one more time.

One my way home, I was stranded on the tarmac in Philadelphia for two hours while a T-storm raged. The plane rocked as if we were in an earthquake, and hail battered us sounding like popcorn! For a while, you could see nothing out the window.

Heather called this evening to tell me a sweet story about Kevin: She explained to Kevin that she needed to do her laundry at his house, because she was going away on the weekend. With generosity in his heart, he told her, "It's OK if you do your laundry. We want you to have clean clothes! We don't want you to be poor." We aren't sure where that comment came from unless he had been told that she was laid off her job last month and has been jobless. But she begins as a bank teller on Monday! :)

Jack Be Nimble

Cuddle time before Day Camp.

Wednesdays are Wacky with different themes for dressing up. Today was Ancient History. Kevin was coloring on an old ghost costume this weekend. I decided it could be a toga! He was one of a few dozen togas. ha!

While I had my shower, Jack discovered toilet paper!

Home from camp and time to play with puppy!

After dinner, we took puppy out for some exercise.

Jack is almost 3 mos. old. We met a 5 mos. old Golden on the lake path. Look how much bigger he is at only 2 mos. older than Jack!!!



Kevin saw some fishermen -- 2 men and a young boy.

He watched them for a long time. They caught a few small catfish.

We had big tears when Grandma said it was time to go...

It is amazing how God answers prayers sometimes! :) I prayed that something exciting would happen on the way back to the apartment. We saw a bunny! And Kevin noticed some fireflies and wanted to catch one.


Unfortunately, he couldn't leave it under the glass and, while taking a bath, decided the firefly should be in a different bottle at the tub which had a few drips of water in the bottom -- enough to drown a firefly. :\

After he was tucked into bed, Grandma made a run to the grocery store nearby to find a "big boy" water bottle. Apparently, the kids at camp are chiding him about his baby water container. It actually is a toddler straw/sippy cup. Tomorrow, he can be a big boy too!

A Dog Day of Summer

It was a very hot day today. I figured Kevin would be hot, tired, and hungry, so we went to have frozen custard before dinner! Sounded good to me! :)

Two ladies were there with an 18 mo. old golden retriever feeding him frozen custard! Kevin went to meet their dog, and they let him feed the dog! :)



Enjoying our custard.




Kevin jumped up on the fountain to clean up

and cool off!!!

Kevin mentioned yesterday, "I can't wait for Thanksgiving!"

"Why?" I asked.

"For pumpkin pie! I LOVE pumpkin pie!"

"You do? That's Grandpa's favorite too. But we don't have to wait for Thanksgiving. Do you like other pies?"

"Do you like cherry?"

"Yes! What about strawberry?" I am thinking we really don't want to turn the oven on in this weather!

"Yummy!"

"I'll make you a strawberry pie with the strawberries we picked the last time I was here."


After Kevin was at camp, Jack and I played fetch. I tried throwing the Frisbee yesterday, and he retrieved it three times. Today, it went on and on until I finally ended the game. He is a TRUE retriever! :)

I showed Kevin tonight how well Jack plays fetch. Kevin loved it, and played the game with Jack running back and forth while Kevin laughed and laughed. I had a tough time getting Kevin to stop at bedtime!

Addendum to Monday!

When we came out of the restaurant with Heather, a pickup had a yellow lab in the bed of the truck. He was very friendly, and Kevin got right up in the truck to play with him. What a sweet, older dog!



Following this shot, I put my camera away. Before finally saying goodbye, Kevin started LICKING the dog!!!! Yes, with his TONGUE!!!! YUCK!!!

Life with the Faulkners

This morning (and yesterday), Kevin sang made up songs. Yesterday, he was humming a melody composed on the fly. Today, he was singing words along with his made up tune. I found the structure of his melodies fairly amazing! He used some complicated intervals plus one phrase was in a minor key. Silly Grandma cannot remember the topic of his song, let alone the words!!! I will try to pay closer attention next time. So he has a new talent added to his growing list of possible occupations: songwriter!

I think we can add artist or designer or crafter to the list as well. Besides the zigzag design illustrated in a photo yesterday, he decorated the envelope for his Father's Day card.

I was surprised at his sense of design. He might be a scrapbooker! That would please his mother so much!!! :) She was disappointed that he showed no interest in coloring or drawing. Maybe she is spurring him on from heaven!! :)

Kevin is in a YMCA program all day and LOVES it!

He is calling Jack crazy names such as Mrs. Potato Head and Mrs. Mommy. Last week, he told me on the phone that he was calling Jack, "Mommy." I assumed he was relating his love for the puppy and the puppy's love for him to the love he used to have with Mommy. That may be true, but, equally, he is being very silly about it.

So... all through the day, I am Jack's babysitter! He is VERY good despite his very sharp teeth and overactive jaws.


Well... I take that back a bit. While I applied my makeup, Jack was busy at my feet. I noted he had a piece of cardboard in his mouth. When I removed it, he went back to work on the floor with a vengeance. Then I saw that it was NOT cardboard I was holding, but a piece of vinyl flooring!!! I told Steve that maybe he can glue it back down on his moving day. ha!


I visited Karin's grave today. :'( The grass that I worked so hard to make grow last year is now dead. It appears they water that section, as it is green everywhere, except the plots along the sidewalk where currently reside only Karin and one other.

Later, at the grocery store, I gave the check-out clerk Steve's phone no. to punch in for the special discounts. In bringing his name up, she spoke of Karin and confirmed that she was one who always bought online and had the groceries brought out to her car!!!! She extended her sympathy mentioning Karin as a great loss. I thanked her for remembering Karin and speaking to me about her. It means a lot!

Heather (the former nanny) came over. Kevin is showing her some beads and the necklaces he made at camp.


We treated her at her favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate her new job -- a teller at an RBC bank!!!! (RBC = Royal Bank of Canada where we have a Canadian account and an American account.) Then toured her through the skeleton new house.

Quality Father and "son" time

Happy Father's Day!

I awakened Grant wishing him a Happy Father's Day at 5:45 AM as I left to catch a plane to NC.

Upon my arrival in NC, the first thing Kevin showed me, after hugs and kisses, was his VERY loose top, front tooth! Then he told me what he gave his Daddy for Father's Day -- he straightened up the apartment! What a sweet boy!

Kevin warned me that his puppy is "CRRRAAAZYYYY" and showed me a big scratch he has from Jack. He is a very cute puppy, is learning his potty training lessons, and doing very well at keeping Kevin occupied and happy. Guinness sent one of his toys to his new little nephew. Jack loves it!

A couple of hours later, Kevin pulled out his tooth! He is so much braver than I ever was! LOL Or Karin!

The tooth was floating around the apartment, so I suggested we put it in his tooth fairy pillow. Daddy knew where the pillow was; Kevin found it and set the tooth on top of the pillow. I pointed out that it has a pocket on the back for the tooth. He insisted the pocket is for the money, not the tooth, because, when he put another tooth in the pocket, the tooth fairy did not come. The tooth fairy only came if the tooth was on top of the pillow. (As I am typing this, I reminded The Tooth Fairy of his duty! ha!)

Kevin was slow on becoming interested in art, but has been "into" art for many months now. Today he drew an attractive graphic design on this cloth.

Kevin dressed himself this morning in long pants. The day was a bit warm for long pants, so I suggested that he put shorts on. Well, he got as far as removing his long pants, but ran around in his undershorts all afternoon. After endlessly needling him to pull on some shorts, he did. But look at the shirt/short combination! ugh! When I made a disparaging comment, Daddy said, "What's wrong with that? They both have red in it, and they both have lines. They match perfectly!" Men!!!

Kevin wanted active physical play with me, and I was too tired... after burning the candle at two ends with four hours of sleep -- one end to unpack and repack and the other end to catch a flight -- I needed a nap myself (which did not happen). After playing horsey back rides, motorboat, and big tickles, I tried to relax by lying on the floor to play "angel." He did much better at achieving the position this time than in the past. Once he came close to balancing without holding on!

After dinner, we stopped to see the house, and I asked if we could go inside. What fun! It will be a wonderful house! There are two (possibly three) rooms that Kevin could choose for his bedroom. First he declared a front bedroom with two lovely windows was his room. Then we showed him a middle bedroom with a huge window looking down the backyards of everyone on his street. Plus there is another bedroom beside the room which will be his playroom. As a teenager, I can see that playroom being a teen hangout.
Father and son looking out the family room windows to the backyard.

Looking down on the family room.

Climbing the stairs.


Bathtime with Jack hoping for some action too!

Once Kevin was in bed, what's a dog to do? Oh, my, he found LOTS to do as I worked on this blog... He gnawed on a Croc and binoculars, raced from bedroom through living room, and enjoyed this Lego car.

Forgot a story!

As you may know from my post last Sunday, we had a BUSY morning! Hectic seems a fair description of that household on most days. Too many people with too much going on!

For instance: Brandy had dressed Kien, but had put corduroys on him on a 100 degree day! All of his shorts are in the laundry. I went in search of cotton pants; redressed him, only for his mother to declare those pants too short (Kien is growing!!!). So Mommy had to find some suitable pants.

Greg rushed out of his bedroom announcing that he needed to run to Walmart for something for the Car Show (he is asleep at this moment, so can't call. I'll fill in that detail later...). We also needed batteries for the remote control helicopter I bought for Jeremy for his birthday (Too bad I never captured a photo of him playing with it!). He had not opened it until Saturday as Greg had to take me to the store (miles away) where they were available (Let it be known -- I did give him a small gift ON his birthday). After coming home with the gift, we discovered Greg was out of the batteries it needs. So... Greg and I went to Walmart early Sunday morning (well... not so early. We were rushing and he wouldn't let me stop at Starbucks! :| ) -- he went in one door to find what he needed in the auto section plus batteries, while I went to the other end of the store for some donuts (their preferred Sunday morning breakfast food.)

Upon returning, I set the table, then sat at the kitchen counter, ready for church, with my laptop, until everyone appeared. Jeremy was the first, but was not ready for church. I reminded him that it was getting late and that he must get ready quickly. He retorted, "You aren't ready."

"Yes, I am!"

"You're wearing pjs."

"These are my expensive new slacks!"

"Well they look like expensive pjs."

Fun at Home

Brandy had a babysitting job today. It's questionable who did the babysitting... Brandy, video games, or Jeremy. ha!

Gabe made up his own games. He babbles and babbles incessantly. He is going to be an orator! He also loves to play toss! He might be a ball player! That would certainly be a novelty in our family!

He is walking around things and went quite a distance to reach this ball! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW_vvFBrTZM



Kien is doing very well at going potty, though he is not perfect. He did #2 in his pull-ups and removed it, smearing it all over his legs and arms. We did NOT take a picture of that! But Grandma quickly plopped him in the bathtub.

My final photos before leaving for the airport.

Oh, yes... Seeing Brandy's earphone wires reminds me: she helped me with my iPod! We deleted the music that somehow has collected on my computer, uploaded a CD I brought with me, then uploaded it to my iPod. She taught me how turn it on and off, use the headphones, other things I have already forgotten. I was shocked at the clarity of sound and said, "No wonder everyone has an iPod in their ears! This sound is perfect!" Thanks Brandy for taking the time to teach an old dinosaur.