Sunday, July 17, 2011

birds of a feather

 




yesterday morning i was feeling a bit disheartened at the fact that we were unable to attend a gathering of local dj's at a spectacular outdoor event put on annually. our dear friends, the mother and father of the beloved twin girls, spin this venue each year and had invited us, c in tow, to spend an afternoon of sun and sounds with them. this weekend did not pan out for us and we had to regretfully decline the invitation and agreed to rendezvous for a play date at another time. waking feeling glum, my wee wren and i did our morning ritual of snuggling in bed before getting up to wander downstairs for breakfast. i picked up my phone and saw a message asking us to brunch with our lovely family down the road. i must revisit the topic of sister & brother-in-law & wee niece moving back to our small town and how much we cherish having them return to us! just a hop, skip, and perhaps a hula hoop away, it has been marvelous to be so reunited. so, with the invite in hand, i scampered upstairs to wake e and tell him about our requested attendance at brunch and, with a groggy nod from him, quickly RSVP'd. we had time before brunch to get little c fed and down for a nap, grab showers ourselves, and then rouse the snoozing boy and head out.

the sun was already gloriously hot when we arrived at 10:00 and we entered their cottage-cozy home and were greeted with smiling faces. quick hugs from little bits, the wee niece, we made our way to the backyard to find c's auntie j was preparing to release their newly acquired chickens for the first time. these little fuzzies had already seemed to double in size in perhaps a week and were ready to step out into their new yard. thankfully, j had requested i bring my camera this day, so i was able to capture the delight and wonder of little children and tiny hens! our sweet boy had never experienced chickens and took lead from his big cousin (with help and guidance from momma j), on how to feed them clovers and grass. c stared in amazement at the small birds, while little bits danced around happily at the sight of her newest little friends. i do believe we could have gladly stayed and let the children play with those little hens all day, were it not for hungry bellies. thanks to c's uncle a for whipping us up a delicious brunch, which we enjoyed outside in the shade of the giant willow tree. how good it felt to be there, surrounded by loved ones, enjoying a perfectly happy morning.

*might i add that our wee wren has begun crawling & pulling himself to stand all in the span of a few days!

Friday, July 8, 2011

when baby's away




playing a moment of catch up, finally. i have abandoned my blogging as of late to take advantage of our fleeting sunshine, our growing boy, and our family relocating back to our little coastal town. but now, i think i must revisit my blog and update.

the weekend before the one just passed, my parents requested our little c to come and stay not one but *two!* nights with them. being that teething has had us in a bit of a cranky spell, i gladly accepted such a request and packed (over packed possibly..) him up for his two night/three day getaway. my mother, also the 'always be prepared' type, had not only invested in some cups, bowls, spoons, and bottles to keep at her house, but also added diapers (i don't think she or my father are interested in attempting the new-age of cloth), formula, and other baby foods to their *grandson pantry*. my dad, who is more the 'everything good takes time' type, finally completed renovations on both of their spare rooms, formerly my brother's room and mine, and rearranged a nice spot for my old/c's borrowed crib in the room that once belonged to me. now free of a four poster canopy bed, pepto-bismo pink carpet, gilded hummingbirds, and lilac curtains, this room is a sweet place for his slumber party away from home.

while our wee wren was off having unimaginable fun ad *no!* tantrums, e and i decided to stop our weekend chores and brave the out-of-doors while the rain had let up. packing up the pooches sunday morning, we set off for a hike in the woods. the dogs needed a good workout, and our belt loops were no longer hiding our need for one, either. the woods were so green and deep in the overcast light that i was thankful to have snagged my camera this time. how unfortunate that i forget to bring it so often these days, though i think it's my lamenting the fact that it is on it's last leg and i am trying to preserve it's last days of life. today, after a few misfires and black photos, it perked right up and captured the beauty that encompassed us as we wandered beneath the trees. stumbling along behind, as always, i wished i had emptied my memory card ahead of time as i was nearly out of space and had to be selective of what i wanted to shoot. puffing on a cigar and ambling at a slow pace, i watched as e and our canines moseyed their way along the path, checking out each sight and smell.

by the end of our hike the sun began to sneak out of the cloud cover, so we made our way through the graveyard at the head of the trail so the dogs could get a little running in. isa, the shorter and clumsier of the two, put on a show as she bounced along as if on springs. four years old and still no sign of growing up, yet. uzi, nine years young, had no problem prancing along with the grace and ease of a much younger man. we stopped at the end of the graveyard, the edge of the clearing by the woods, and finished off our cigar before heading back to the jeep. once home, bath time commenced for the dogs to prevent them from itching and breaking out from their skin allergies. not big fans of water or baths, they took it in stride and were happy to be toweled off when we were through.

having a baby, we sometimes have to put the dogs on the back burner and are thankful that they take it in stride and with great patience. it's nice to have days like this when we can treat them to a little adventure all of their own. naturally we would take family trips if we had a gate to secure them in the back of our jeep, but since we don't, and since their riding manners are not up-to-par for riding with a little one in tow, we have to pick and choose our battles. we are just glad they forgive us for not always being able to include them, for we will always make it up to them.