Our little man in Sparkle City

What a lovely weekend we have had. My boys and I spent the weekend in Spartanburg visiting family. Dean got to sniff and jump and pant around for two straight days with cousin Sandy and Jackson was, as usual, showered with insane amounts of love and kisses.

I can't help but see a little boy now every time I look at him with his varied and often hilarious expressions. He is growing and changing so fast, I feel like I am literally holding a clock in my hands. There is the sweetest cross stitch made by a dear friend of the family hanging in Nana and Buds house that makes me wish I could stop time everytime I read it. It is an excerpt from a short poem by Ruth Hamilton and is something I try never to forget.

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

From giraffe to monkey...

Gran gave Jackson a stuffed giraffe when he was born that very literally was as long as he was and much plumper. We've been using it as a measuring stick to show his growth in weekly pictures but on his four month birthday this week, we had to graduate to a larger animal. The giraffe was starting to be slung about by still rather spastically controlled little arms so we proudly introduce: The Monkey.

Gran the Wise

I'm beginning to think my boys like to be with their grandmother more than me. I know Dean does, at least. He wiggles and romps all around the house when Gran arrives unlike any other time. And Jackson basically gets entertained nonstop for her entire visit. She promises (more like threatens) to teach him all sorts of fun things like lighting matches and sharpening knives and shooting her black powder musket. Whatever happened to the days when grandmothers baked cookies and embroidered sweaters? Jackson is still waiting on his "8-hour knitted blanket" that Gran reports may now be his high school graduation present. Maybe they can use it for target practice...

Six Years Later

Six years ago tonight, I said goodbye to my dad for the last time. I've felt him around me over the years but never as strongly as I have since my beautiful son was born. Jackson David has so much of my father in him, from his expressions to his attitude to his face-filling smile, it's almost like having Dad here with me all the time. Twice this month when I was absently thinking of my father for whatever reason, I've caught Jackson giggling at something that appears to be nothing but thin air and I like to think it's Dad making faces at him. Miss you, Dad.

A Wonderful Day

I have three boys - my son Jackson, my husband Stephen, and my dog Dean. I had a wonderful day with them today that started with a pancake breakfast and ended with the most amazing steak dinner I think I've ever had. If only every day was Mothers Day...well, then I'd be so fat I couldn't fit into my shower, but I'd be a happy fat momma.

Proud Father

Lately, part of Jackson's bedtime routine has been listening to music and rocking in the glider whilst I sing (albeit badly) along with the lyrics. Our favorite song is Proud Father by Jon Mclaughlin, both for the absolute beauty of the melody but also because the words (as posted below) couldn't be more true. Enjoy.

There will be crying / being the man that you should.
But, always be trying, / to see all the bad and the good.
Yours is a promising future / but know if it all were to fade,
a proud father of me / you have already made.

And I'll try to be / all of the answers that you'll ever need.
And I'll try to show / all of the love that you need to know.

May the sparks in your eyes, / Outlive the lines on your face.
Hold on to the moments in time / when you and I share the same space.
When thoughts of you hurt me / I'll know the feeling of wrong.
'Cause there are lessons to learn / in all of the places I've gone.

And I'll try to be / all of the answers you'd ever need.
And I'll try to show / All of the love that you need to know.

So hold on to someone / who'll love you through the hot and the cold.
And hold on to someone / who'll love you no matter what they know.

Just hold on to someone/ who'll love you when your hot & when your cold.
And hold on to someone / who'll love you no matter who they know.

Open your mind / So colors of skin you embrace.
And open your eyes / to harmony coming of age.
It won't always be easy to love / when you give and you never get back.
but no one's intended to die / with their heart still intact.

And I'll try to be / all of the answers that you'd ever need.
And I'll try to show / All of the love that you need to know.

So take time to be still and to know / that all of the world that you'll face.
That a proud father of me / you have already made.

Can you spot the baby?

Yellow Happiness

We had the distinct pleasure of being invited to a wedding this past weekend that truly was one of the best I've been to. The groom is my bestest friend's gigantic almost 7ft brother and he married a very elegant bride from the Charlotte area. Her favorite color is yellow and she didn't fail to make the entire theme buttery glowing sunshine. Oddly enough, it completely worked and the reception was simply breathtaking (hopefully pictures will be up soon at  www.tamaralackeyblog.com - Sam and Meredith Daniels wedding). Jackson came along for the party Friday night at Bentley's on 27th, which was a lesson for us new parents in how babies response to incredibly loud music much past their bedtime when there really isn't a discrete place to breastfeed them. But we still managed to have a wonderful time despite the fact that I realized pregnancy completely squashed any rhythm I pretended to have. My two left feet left this Waltzing Matilda doing more of a stumbling foxtrot. The perk of the weekend, despite all the amazing food and wonderful drinks and spectacular bands, had to be video-chatting at the reception with Uncle Matt Garrison currently stationed in Afghanistan. His super hairy face was a site for sore eyes, for sure! Many thanks to the Garrisons and the Daniels for letting us be a part of such a wonderful event. Congratulations Sam and Meredith!!