These are a few of my favorite things...

I'm still not sure who planned Hardin's birthday at the end of the month, but I came home so exhausted yesterday I couldn't muster up the strength it would take to write about my EIGHTEEN MONTH OLD.  Holy Toledo.  How did THAT happen? 

I remember it like it was yesterday, this was the age that Cathy and Justin first left Cawley for a few days so Justin could run the NY marathon.  I remember loving every bit of those four days, and thinking Ahhh, I see. This is why God starts you out with a baby and not an 18 month old.  They are as busy as they are magnificent.  Now I see how awesome and important all that busy is.  

I started thinking about my many favorite things about this age, but thought I'd rather write about Hardin's.  So here are just a few...

Go Awe Sigh- That is hands down his favorite thing to do.  He wakes up saying go awe sigh (go out side).  He will get a fist full of your clothing and drag you to the front door.  He stands with his entire body pressed against the floor to ceiling windows by the front door.  If he is cranky, all you have to do is open the door and he's instantly better.  I can't say enough to explain how much the child LOVES to go awe sigh. 

Basch Tee-  Hardin has tooth brushes all over the house.  He knows where they are, and where the "melmo" is.  That's what he calls tooth paste because Elmo is on the tube.  He stands right beside us in the morning and brushes his teeth mimicking what we do.  Yesterday he reached his little arm on the counter and found his "choo-choo" (his tooth brush with Thomas on it), opened my vanity drawer and dug around reaching until he found melmo, and brought them both to me and started banging them on the shower door until I opened and put his melmo on choo choo so he could basch tee.  Crazy kid. 

Bee-Es- Hardin has never reached his natural stopping point eating blue berries.  He wold literally eat them until he got sick if you let him.  He's going through one of the $8 Costco containers about every 4 days.  I'm not exaggerating.  If you try and give him anything else first thing in the morning he looks at you like you're off your rocker.  Then proceeds to scream Bee-Es, Bee-Es, BEEEEE- EEEEs, until you give him a hand full.  I suppose there are worse things to be addicted to, but at this rate he may be staring as Violet in the next Wonka film.

Gigi-  Nuff said really.  I try and remind myself that he has to like me more, I'm the mama.  But sometimes I'm not so sure.  He is obsessed with her.  Can't blame him really, you would be too if you had a Gigi. 

We Boots- Pronounced with the boo from book, with a T instead of K, not boots like the shoe.  He has also never found his natural stopping point with reading books unless someone comes home and interrupts.  He will hand you book, after book, after book, after book, and sit and read them intently with you.  And don't try and skip a page either, he sees right through your game and you end up having to start all over.  His favorites are the Usborne Find-It books.  They are amazing.  We started with Find the Duck, and I got so tired of finding that stinkin duck that now we have Find the Bird, Find the Piglet, and Find the Dog.  They are basically Where's Waldo books for toddlers.  He can breeze through all of them now finding the appropriate animal.  And although he reads them every day, he still excitedly proclaims DARES DA DUCK on every page.  He also loves anything Elmo, farm, car, animal, counting or moon related.  His bedtime book is Goodnight Moon (or nigh nigh moooon, as H likes to say).  He also loves to find the moon outside. 

And last but far from least.  Ball.  He is still infatuated with any and all balls.  He's got a great throw (seriously, he throws very straight and right to you), he kicks pretty well, and has started making solid bat/club contact with his toy sets.  For the record, we have not encouraged or discouraged this.  It is all him. 

There are many more I'm sure, but those round out the top of the list quite well.  I haven't had the big camera out this week, so here is a pic I snapped with my phone this morning while we were watering the flowers, and one tonight as we cuddled watching a little choo-choo before bed.  As you can see he's all but lost interest in looking at the camera.

Little baby Hardin, at 18 months you are simply amazing.  You are the center of our little world, and that makes us the luckiest of the lucky.  Thank you little guy.  

Party Time. Excellent.

We had a party kind of weekend around here.  Saturday was Chase's 3rd at the fire station.  It was so cool and the kids loved it.  I was a little apprehensive that it would be overwhelming for Hardin, but he was right in the mix with all the older kids.  The only thing he didn't want to participate in was getting inside the truck.  He sure loved climbing all over it though. 

It's such an added bonus, having friends with boys older than mine exposes us to all these cool party ideas!  I'm putting this on my list as well. 

Today was sweet Zoe's 1st.  We got to see some friends we haven't seen in far too long, and Hardin had a big time with their kids.  They also have the perfect fenced in level back yard.  It made me even more anxious to find a house so we can fence in the yard.  I've always thought it would be nice to have, but never realized HOW nice it is to sit on the patio and just watch him run free. 

Much to my surprise, when I went to get him dressed he didn't have the first thing with a fire truck on it.  We had to settle for a police car. 

Helping with the gifts!

Bandon Dunes, Oregon

Before Jason left, he promised he was going to take pictures but there was no way he'd be responsible for the big camera.  He's as smart as he is handsome, that one.  Instead, he bought a $5.99 disposable and proved it's not always the technical specs of the photograph, but the awesome subjects that make the perfect picture. 

I'm so very happy he was able to go on this dream trip with his brother.  I'm sure they'll both be talking about it for years to come.  Some things just make your heart happy and this is one of those things for me.  I can't imagine how the guys feel.  Or their mother to see her boys such good friends. 

 

 

Can't you just imagine taking a deep breath of that crisp coastal air...

Daddy's coming home!

Jason lands in two hours, and I can't wait to have him home.  That absence makes the heart grow fonder thing is so true.  This is the longest we've been apart since I went to Brazil in 2003.  I sure hope it's another 9 years before it happens again!

While daddy was gone, Hardin and I managed to keep ourselves very busy and entertained.  Yesterday we had some errands to run around the mall, and then we stopped by my office for a quick lunch and one thing I had to do there.  Hardin loves exploring new territory, so we walked all around and looked at every single little thing.  

Last night we walked to a couple of neighbor's houses before settling in for bedtime and girlie movie night for mama.  That's the one thing I did like.  Total control over the remote!

Today we ran more errands, grocery shopped, and spent the rest of the afternoon outside with our new bubble gun. 

One more thing, H and I both probably would have curled up into little balls and cried if not for Gigi and all of her help this week.  I can't even in a million years begin to thank her enough.  

Where I sit doing closings.

The side table in my closing room.  That doesn't include the pics on the walls :)

 

Easter Morning

This look is what he gives strangers.  Love it.

 

Final catch up post.  These were taken Easter morning with Hardin's first Easter basket.  Jason made fun of me because I filled the morning eggs with goldfish and crasins, but I knew H would have plenty of candy later that day.  Mama was right, and baby boy was just as happy with his new books, bubbles and a sucker he got one bite of.

Still catching up...

Here are a few pics from when my computer was dead. I am SO upset with myself so that I didn't get the first picture with my brother and H.  Ugh...  I get more mad at myself every time I think about it!

After getting into the sprinklers with the neighborhood kids.

My sister's husband brought his scooter and even I drove it...  H was jealous!

Why I hate the bangs.  They are supposed to hang down, but the slightest wind and they part.  UGH.

Cawley's class sold seeds for their fundraiser, and Hardin helped me plant them last weekend.  By the grace of God, they have actually sprouted lots of little plants.  I am amazed after the fiasco that has been keeping H out of them!

Matching Easter Memories

Our second Easter with Hardin was every bit as fun as the first.  It was less emotional though.

As we drove to church I thought about last years Easter sermon and how emotional I was about the whole Jesus as a SON thing.  How the Pastor read parts of Love You Forever, and how I hoped I made it through with less tears. 

Well, we weren't there 20 minutes before we were paged to come get our screaming youngin.  The ladies tried all the tricks, a walk outside, a ball, ELMO, and nothing worked.  Until he got a hold of me.  Then he was fine.

In all honesty, there were many more kids there than normal and a hand full of them were crying.  I should have known it wasn't going to end well.  Hardin does not do well when others cry.  Or maybe he just wanted to get to his cousins faster. 

On a side note.  If I didn't know better, I'd think Jason staged the entire thing.  He had a bit too much fun at a wedding we went to Saturday night and wasn't exactly upset when we had to leave the steaming hot church. 

Next up was Justin's for lunch and an egg hunt.  Mimi sent the most adorable little outfits for the trio and they had a ball running around.  We tried our hardest with the pictures, but it's much like herding cats these days.  And mine is the run away cat.  The other two are the sweet lap cats that stay put.  Still, the three of them in their pink and green may be the cutest thing I've ever seen. 

It is so fun watching their little relationships form.  Lillian can say Hardin really well now and talks to him all the time, and this was the first time I noticed Cawley playing with him as a companion and not a baby.  He kept saying "Hardin, come here... Hardin, do this..."  Melt my heart.

And yes, Hardin had two Easter outfits.  That's just what happens when you have two awesome grandmothers who buy you perfect little outfits! 

This is so 70s to me, and I love it.  Dad, paper, knee socks.