Fish

a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...a kid was left by a fountain with koi in the pond in the Canadian side of Niagra Falls on a very foggy day.  he just sat there and watched...mesmerized b/c of the way they moved about in the water.  somehow he let go of his father's hand as he watched.  in the calamity of 7 kids and 4 adults, he was left there at the fountain until they had all gone to the car on their way home.

meanwhile, the kid just sat and watched the fish until he realized he was no longer within range of the safe watchful eyes of his father.  he started to cry, so he made his way to the bench adjacent to the fountain and cried in his hands.  an old man approached him and asked why he was crying.  he said he was lost, so the old man proceeded to pick him up and head towards a double decker bus. 

the kid was looking backwards as the old man continued on towards the bus when in the distance a man running wildly towards the bus waving his arms in the air called to his son.  his silhouette could be seen through the fog as he ran towards the boy.  just before the old man boarded the bus, his father reached him and rescued him.

today, we were eating at a restaurant with a large fish tank behind us.  evan sat mesmerized by the fish.  he just sat and stared.  it reminded me of that story.  i hope he doesn't get left at a fountain somewhere.

lazy saturday

love lazy saturdays with the fam. period.

evan is wearing a velour jumpsuit... don't be afraid... it's just a phase

many thanks

well this post is way late but we've been so busy with travels and naps and messes so here it is... belated happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving was quite stressful that sadly i wasn't really in a thankful spirit... it wasn't until we were back home that i came to the realization that we are so blessed with so many things... like ...

1. life... isn't it incredible how the people around you are alive... a friend of mine (namely paul) told me once that it is a surreal thing to see someone you are used to seeing living without any spirit or life or breath... i can't say i've experienced that but it still amazes me how the people around me, my family and friends, are all full of life and are growing, experiencing emotions, thinking, enjoying things... it's amazing... and when i think of that, those petty things that bother me about these people (sometimes) seem to be insignificant

2. relationships... sappy i know... but really, what is life if not for relationships... i mean i feel alone sometimes even in the midst of people and these said relationships but how much more lonely and alone would it be if i didn't have anyone to experience life with (yes even if life and relationships get ugly) ... within these connections i grow as a person... i learn what it means to love and be less selfish... to give without expecting anything in return... and i see how in my prideful, selfish heart i really don't deserve anything so i am humbled 

3. p and e ... these two have taught me so much (see highlighted words in red above)... these two have shown me a glimpse of what it means to be loved unconditionally... in them i see God and his love for me

and herein goes a (slightly gratuitous) picture trail of e ...  and p for that matter... going through our morning (see ya bright and early at 6am)

 ** see how groggy paul looks?  there's a reason for that (ehem evan)... and evan the early bird happy as always to wake up in the morning **

  

just looking at little big evan tonight reminds me of how much he has grown.  he watches us with a close eye and wants to do everything we do...like...drink from a cup instead of a bottle.  he LOVES drinking from a cup.  he wants to be everywhere we are...its pretty wild to think that not only will he imitate what we do, but he will also imitate who we are...God help us...

evan is eating carrots...he got it all over his face and stained our clothes...

half bithday

today is evan's half birthday... it wasn't too long ago that he was like this...

now he eats solids and screams at target because he wants to get out of the carrier...

It's the Great Pumpkin, Evan Lane

there has been sickness roaming around the house these days...we are lucky e didnt get a heavy dose of what we had.  he had his 6 month check up this past monday...the stats...

height:

26.5 inches - 50th percentile.  that means he has gained 2.5 inches and went from the 25th percentile to the 50th percentile.  good job e...you are getting taller :)

weight:

19lbs - 80th percentile.  he dropped from 85th percentile, but as dr. b says, "does it look like he needs to eat?"

he is starting to eat a bunch of solids...avocado, rice cereal, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, pizza, and foie gras.  j/k on those last two...just seeing if you are paying attention.

Are you kidding me?

we wanted to make e's first halloween pretty eventful so we took him to a pumpkin patch ... as it turns out evan likes pumpkins...

I can lift this...just give me a second...

"Please sir...may I please have some more bread?"

don't touch this...

i have an issue touching people and i guess people touching me
actually i didn't used to... i think i'll blame it on (first) teaching.  i've gotten sick so many times by not minding the germs coming my way via a child's hand, a hug from that child's dirty hand (probably been in their nose or mouth or worse the bathroom), pencils touched by that dirty hand, etc. and (two) on the swine flu (i literally walked around with an alcohol gel in my classroom for weeks... well, i was pregnant so definitely didn't want to get sick)

but since these happened i've never been so aware of germs... they are everywhere!!! so if i am fully on watch i try not to touch people or if i do i feel the need to wash my hands... don't be offended it's not you, it's me REALLY

* but if you still wanna touch me or give me a hug, go ahead i'm working on not being so obsessive about this... and if i give you a hug know i am trying really hard :-)

anyway, i speak of this issue because evan is kind of the same way except he's like it from birth (scary!)
he doesn't like it when other people he doesn't know or like touch him... he doesn't even like it when we touch him in ways he doesn't want to be touched... like, his nose... he HATES it when we touch his nose or try to wipe off his boogers (which he has a lot of these days)

*sigh* what have we done to him... my little ocd booger