WayfaringStrangers

Graham and I have been playing "Hide and Seek" lately. Well, I hide and he seeks. I tried to teach him how to hide (which, now that I'm writing this, sounds like a BAD idea...), but he doesn't get it. So, I hide and he comes to find me. Yesterday this happened: Me: "Ok, Graham, Mama's going to hide. Go over there and count." Graham: One, two, free!" Graham runs to find me, which isn't hard since I had exactly 3 seconds to hide. Me: "I need more time to hide. Count to ten this time." Graham: "One, two, TEN!" He makes me laugh!!

Last Friday was Behn and My 5th wedding anniversary. We arranged babysitters (my brother Aaron and his girlfriend Autumn) and decided to enjoy dinner on the river and maybe a free outdoor concert (River Concert Series- "A Night in Vienna"- by the local symphony orchestra.) Funny how it is to make plans. Patrick and Graham had been sick all week. Patrick rebounded, but Graham did not. After several days of fever, I decided on Friday that I better take Graham to Urgent Care. Poor baby boy had his 1st ear infection. I brought him home, Behn picked up the meds, and we cancelled our plans. Honestly, it didn't bother me. I was tired and felt awful for G and was content staying it and cuddling with him. Behn cooked delicious steak on the grill and we called it a night. Even though we so need a date, I'm glad that we are in the point in our marriage when we can sacrifice our plans and dreams to care for those that God has given us. We don't always do this gracefull...

I love our new neighborhood. God chose well for us! It's quite a working-class neighborhood. There are lots of HVAC and Electrician vans and trucks parked in the driveways at night. It's a quiet neighborhood, and feels safe. Most of the houses are small or medium sized, and neatly cared for. There are lots of dogs and school-aged children, though I haven't seen many young families like ours. There's no HOA, and therefore no frills like a community pool or park; that's ok, though, because we have something better than that- a trail in the woods! What a gift to have nature so nearby. At the end of our road is the entrance to the trail. We walk there several times a week to explore and enjoy creation. I've been teaching Graham about the beauty around him; he can identify moss, fern, and holly. We've picked up many a toad and observed turtles scooting along. There's a sweet little creek- every neighborhood needs a little creek. This brook f...

I know technically summer begins tomorrow, but I always feel like it starts at the end of May, really. So far this summer has been...sweet...relaxing...quiet... Days are filled with me trying to figure out the balance of 'not doing enough' and 'doing too much' with the kids. So, some days we stay home and take walks in the neighborhood and some days we pack up and meet friends at a beach.  Some days we stay nearby and go to the library and some days we drive south and have a playdate. These summer days are a bit monotonous, but that's life. Hang the laundry out. Figure out what's for dinner. Vacuum and sweep. Help Graham pick up his blocks. Wash dishes. Hold feverish babies during the night when I so need sleep (poor babies have both been sick all week). Other than a small trip to Virginia coming up, we have no adventures or plans. We're just hanging out and I'm learning to be ok with that. These summer days are also sweet. Hearing Patrick babble ...

I toss the ball to Graham; he holds his hands out, but the ball bounces off of him and to the ground. "Try again, Graham. This time keep your eye on the ball, ok?" I toss it again to the serious-faced, blonde haired little boy. Again, the ball escapes his hands and falls to the ground. He picks it up and holds it to his eye. Oh, I love this literal age! Enjoying Daddy's birthday cake

Our little guy is turning into a BIG and BUSY guy! At 9 months, Patrick is: Crawling and pulling up to stand, all the time. He's been crawling for a couple of months but now he is fast .  No teeth yet. Thank goodness for that because he is still nursing. Loves eating solids. Of course, he favors fruit, but he also likes crackers and cheerios and yogurt and oatmeal. I've been giving him pieces of cooked carrot and peas to pick up and eat, but he's not too keen on them.  Has started putting himself to sleep sometimes for naps. This is BIG because he usually wants to be cuddled and held to sleep, which leaves Graham unsupervised and usually in front of a movie. I hope this trend of self-soothing continues. His binkies are his lovies (Graham's lovie is his blanket) and they are what calm him down to sleep.  Speaking of sleep, at 9 months this child has still  never slept through the night. So that is just wonderful . Sigh. I consider it a good night when he's up...

We are so blessed to live a few miles from the largest Amish community in Maryland. I have always been fascinated by the Amish. *nerd alert* It must be the Laura Ingalls in me; when I was a kid I longed for horses and buggies and the stories of Laura Ingalls; I wished we could still live that way. It seemed simpler and more wholesome. I would buy postcards of Amish buggies when we visited Lancaster and tape them to my wall. Yes, I was weird, but it kept me innocent and sweet for a long time. Anyway, now we see buggies frequently and we have the privilege of buying lots of Amish produce. The Amish farm stands are in front of the library and are open Mon-Sat; never on Sunday, of course, because the Amish still honor the Lord's Day. I didn't take a very good picture because I want to respect their privacy. I've been buying flowers and herbs and eggs and butter and fruit and baked goods. The Amish grow outstanding flowers! And the butter, homemade, of course...sooooo goo...