Merry Christmas 2013

Stationery Card

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In case you weren't on our snail-mail list or we never actually mailed you your card (oops!), here's our holiday wishes from our home to yours! Merry Christmas to all today!

Wordless Wednesday

Brothers in Blue

Three locations. Same sofa. 
Three brothers. One outfit.
Oh my, how the years go by.

Jacob, age 4 months. Arbors at WC apartment.

Ethan, age 2 months. Centennial Ridge apartment.

Calvin, age 4 months. Lockridge house.

Summer Fun, Summer Sun

This may be the hottest summer on record in Atlanta. I don't know, but for me, it has certainly felt like it! I've never had a summer baby before, but now I know that the complaints are justified. Last week, I spent time in two different air-conditioned buildings and was still incredibly hot.

However, we have found some ways to beat the heat and enjoy some time out-of-doors.

May wasn't so bad. We enjoyed racing in the driveway:

Finding bugs:

Eating ice cream with friends:

Discovering new ways to enjoy the baby pool:

Hanging out by the swimming pool at a friend's apartment:

June found us taking many trips to the local sprayground/splash park:

Practicing our mad bubble-blowing skillz:

The boys made a new game of racing toy cars down the slide into the pool:

And Ethan developed a fascination with his dump truck, bringing it from the sandbox to the pool:

Jacob also took swimming lessons the first week in June, and since then we've been spending at least one day a week at a friend's pool, but I always forget to take pictures there.

July came and went much more quickly than I expected, with little energy for photos. But I found one of those sprinkler spray beach balls on clearance a few weeks ago and it, too, has brought much joy:

I'm so behind on pictures, I barely have covered half of our summer. Some events and excursions that deserve their own post (hopefully soon):

May's inaugural field trip to the Botanical Gardens

Memorial Day weekend visit to Alabama to see DeeDee and Gaga

June day trip to the annual Moore family reunion, also in Alabama

The story of our new swagger wagon

Preparations for little brother's arrival

First Day

Wednesday morning was our first day back at Community Bible Study.
This is about the closest we're going to get to a first day of "school" for Jacob anytime soon, so I thought a quick photo would be a good idea.



Until I tried to get Ethan to look at the camera, too. This is the best I could do.



This is our second year as part of our local CBS, thanks to a persistent friend who asked me three years in a row until I finally decided to try it out. I'm so glad I did. Last year, though, I had a baby and a toddler so was not quite self-aware enough to take a picture. I was just lost and running late. This year, however, felt wonderful. I knew where to go and what to expect and was even (almost) on time.

I love our Community Bible Study. I get to venture into the Word with a group of women from various churches (we're study a collection of NT epistles, starting with James) and the boys get to be loved on and taught by Christian ladies. One of Jacob's teachers this year is a good friend of mine so it was great that he already knew someone. I think he knows some of his classmates from last year, as well. He definitely remembers the songs, because he was singing them for me before we even got to the car.

"Where do we go on Wednesday morning? Where do we go on Wednesday morning? Where do we go on Wednesday morning? We go to CBS, yes!

What do we do at CBS? What do we do at CBS? What do we do at CBS?
We learn about Jesus Christ!"

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What We Did This Summer

Travelers and wanderers are we, with little time to reflect. Our summer has been surprisingly busy, but I kind of like it that way. Otherwise, I might get stuck inside, trapped by a heat-induced malaise. This way was much more fun. Here's a quick rundown of some highlights from the last two months.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we dogsat for some friends. The boys LOVED playing with Sam, but we realized we are not quite ready for pet ownership yet. Too much maintenance required.

One of my good friends and fellow mom of boys, Sindhu Giedd, played a concert of some original songs at a very unique venue. I went with my friend Jessica, who originally introduced me to Sindhu, to hear her play late one Saturday evening. I was transported instantly back to my days of following indie musicians around the Southeast and going to concerts in the most random places, but this one beat them all. On the third floor of a nondescript Dunwoody office building, the owner has created an attic listening space, complete with wood-paneled ceilings, a bar area, silent "phone booths" for checking messages, and an entrance door that looks like you've stumbled upon a London underground pub. And hearing my friend pour her heart out to God through song was a great blessing. The best were her renditions of Psalms and other Scriptures set to her own original music with both classical and Indian indfluences.

The Three Mom-keteers:

Jacob attended VBS for the first time at our church back at the beginning of June. He still requests to play and sing the theme song, "God is my Hero." It's funny, though, when he sings the part that spells out "H-E-R-O," because he says "Itch-E-R-O" which we find hilarious.

He has worn this VBS shirt at least once a week since he received it:

The second weekend of June we traveled to Alabama for Gaines' family reunion. Every year we drive to McCalla and set up a picnic across the road from the family cemetery. I kid you not. Gaines says he and his cousins used to play games among the gravestones. This year I was especially proud because Gaines gave the message during the memorial service. Christ and the Gospel were loudly proclaimed. You can never hear too many talks about grace, I think. (There's a recording of it somewhere, I hope.) :) I was glad his sermon was short and to the point, as well, because it was HOT out there.

See? H-O-T.



Ethan armed himself with multiple fluids. Smart boy:



Gaines and his parents, plus Ethan. Three generations of Redds:

June was also a month of birthdays! We celebrated my 30th with a night out to see Toy Story 3 and dinner at a local Cuban place. We went to at least 3 child birthday parties that I remember, just within a week: Annabel Crane, Samuel Suber, and Scarlett Vaughan (If you ask Jacob who his girlfriend is, he answers "Scarlett," though possibly only because she's the "girl" friend we play with most often. We know a lot of boys.)

We enjoyed much cake:

Jacob spent an entire week away from us, first with Gaines' parents and then with mine down in Geneva. I know he had a blast and I'm thankful he had that time with them, but he was sorely missed. I don't know how to be a parent to only one anymore! Ethan and I got some quality time, though. And when we drove to Montgomery to pick up Jacob, my parents took me out for Chinese and Gaines' family surprised me with a cake! And a cookie in a skillet! Yum!

In between the travelling, we had playdates and picnics and mornings at various local pools. We have not been idle, though we have enjoyed our share of lazy days spent soaking our feet in a baby pool or running under a sprinkler. It's what summer should be, I think. I plan to enjoy these days as much as I can, despite the 100 degree heat indexes we've been having lately.

Splashpad! But wait, is that a diaper leak?! This photo cracks me up.



One of our favorite local parks:



On a family ice cream date:



Ethan has become adept at using a spoon:

For the fourth of July, we drove down to Montgomery again and watched the fireworks from this Seaside-like place out in the middle of some pasture land near Pike Road. They've created a little town with a post office and a town square and are building a school. It's surreal, set amidst these beautiful lakes. It was a peaceful, perfect evening with family. (I won't mention the experiences we had taking Jacob to go potty. Outside. In the dark.)

Watching "firecracks" with Uncle Mike.

Speaking of potty-going, our one big accomplishment this summer is that Jacob is now potty-trained! Completely! (Insert potty dance!) He stays dry all day in his big-boy underwear (with the rare exception) and refuses to wear a Pull-Up at night -- and he stays dry then, too! Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night, but usually he sleeps just fine and then goes in the morning.

We have a big kid now!

The boys and I took two short trips without Daddy this past month. We missed him greatly, and look forward to vacationing with him in August. Still, it was great to visit my hometown for a few days and see some old friends. Then, last week, I drove us to Birmingham for two nights to visit with Gaines' grandmother. While there, we also got to see my friend Kami and her boys (before her third arrives!) at the McWane Center. On the way back, we stopped by the home of my college friend Mary Virginia and her adorable kids. If we ever get the chance to live in Birmingham again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's just the right size.

This summer so far has been full of celebrations, but we were sad to say goodbye to some dear friends, the Cranes, who are moving out of the big city into small-town life in the Deeper South. I have more I wish to say devoted just to them, but for now I'll wish them well in their new life in Mississippi, and if they ever want to drop off Annabel to stay with us again, we wouldn't complain. :)

We're looking forward to a rare weekend at home and a visit from my mom. August is full of family travels, a trip to the lake, a wedding, and a most anticipated kid-free anniversary adventure in Nashville. Life is good.

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Something New

A new season. A new dress. A new family picture. A new blog post.



I promised myself I wouldn't go to bed tonight without posting "something." So, here's a little something for you.

Early this morning, about 2am, I awoke to find a little boy pattering into the room. Jacob laid his tousled head on the bed and said he wanted to lie down next to me. He was whimpering. I asked him if he had a dream, and he said "Yes." Then he began describing it to me. This is a first, since I have often asked but never received an answer to the question: "What did you dream about?"

A rough paraphrase from what I hazily remember:

Me and you were walking in the woods and we were so far away from our new house we couldn't find our way back to the house. [Were you scared?] Yes. We found a car in the woods and I had to push it so you could put both hands on the wheel and drive us back home. Next time, Mommy you need to find someone else to turn the car. You need to put both hands on the wheel and go home faster.

I wish I had written it down exactly as he said it. It was so funny how he went from describing this strange dream in a scared little-boy voice to bossily telling me exactly what I should do the next time I show up in his dreams!

And then we both went back to sleep. Gaines later woke up and tried to return him to his bed, only to have him protest groggily and end up sleeping at our feet.

In other news, Ethan now has two new teeth, with more on the way. (He's up to 10, currently. He just might sleep through the night again soon. He made it from 7:30p.m. to 5 a.m. last night. Fingers crossed for more of the same.

Update: I woke up this morning just before 7am (around here, that's sleeping in) without a peep from either boy since bedtime last night. That hasn't happened in ages. I am rejoicing! And I hope it happens again!

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Birthday Boys

We've celebrated two milestones around these parts in the past two months and I have been remiss not to post any pictures.

Our boys-- this was taken on a mild February day not long before the oldest brother decided to push his younger sibling off the wagon. Literally.



Ethan turned one year old on February 11th and we celebrated with a family party in Montgomery a few days later. The requested gift? Favorite childhood books. We received some wonderful titles, both treasured and new, that I know our family will enjoy reading for many years to come.

I took very few pictures, but here are some highlights. Aunt Amy, our official photographer, celebrates her birthday in February, too! Jacob loved helping her blow out candles.



The one-year old birthday boy pondering something tasty.



Did Jacob really turn three years old on March 9th?

We celebrated by having our first (really big) party in our new home the following Saturday. Friends from church and elsewhere collided in our little space. I loved it because everyone seemed to settle in different parts of the house -- the den, the living room, the porch, the kitchen-- and it never felt crowded. Chaos ensued, but it was comfortable. And fun! Many thanks to the parents who, after the cake had been served, had the bright idea to march them all out in the front yard to get the sugar rush out of their system.

My limited, last-minute attempt at themed decorations. Jacob said he wanted a "car party" with a "train cake." I give the people what they want.



With my beginner cake-decorating skills and some patch-up work after the birthday boy took a handful of cake for himself, this is the end result. I like to think of it as a locomotive logo cake. (Yeah, it's not just that I ran out of time to make more than one color of icing...) At least he appreciated it. I love this age!



The quintessential birthday photo -- blowing out candles surrounded by friends (or eager, sugar-hungry kids, whatever you decide.)



A picture of all four of us together at Jacob's party. It's a miracle!



Warning: tricycle is actually larger than it appears. (Thanks, DD and Gaga! We're hoping for some more sunny days soon.)



Jacob's new tent. (Thanks Nana and Papa!) He's sleeping in it tonight to protect him from the "pretend rain" that might fall inside the house.



After the party, Ethan decided he liked the trains so much he wanted to live with them. Or bite them.



I need a break from birthdays for a little while. Thank goodness the next one is mine.

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