Spring School Pictures

I don't know who it is that takes the school pictures for Clyde First Baptist Preschool, but he (or she) is an absolute MAGICIAN.

LOOK AT MY BABIES!

Hejaz Shrine Circus at Furman

Circuses aren't nearly as spectacular as I remember them being. We took the boys to their second one today, and I was just as underwhelmed with it as I was after the first.

Is this adulthood?

I'd think so, except that neither of the boys were all that awed, either. They liked seeing the elephants, and at one point during an aerial act, Jones turned to me and said, "HOW does she DOOOO that?"

But for the most part, they were as ambivalent about the whole thing as I was.

This surprises me, because I remember seeing Ringling Bros.' Circus at the Charlotte Coliseum when I was 7 or 8. I can still viscerally feel that sense of being amazed, ASTOUNDED at what I saw. I'm guessing rising insurance costs and, for Ringling Bros., the elephant lobby, have combined with the increased capability of film and video games to make ours a hard-to-shock society.

That's as philosophical as I'm going to wax on the subject. But just in case, years from now, Jones and Freddie are watching "Dumbo" with their grandkids and wondering why their mama never took them to see such a show, I'm posting this here as proof that I did.

And, I'm sad to say, it was FAR from "the Greatest Show on Earth."

(Oh, and I took clothes for the boys to change into after church. They said they wanted to stay in their "Topham Hatt" jackets to show Mayme and Pop, who were meeting us there, so ...)

Palm Sunday Celebrations

For as shocking as it is after two snow days last week, it's Palm Sunday.

On the way to church this morning, we read the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as the people laid palm branches at His feet and said, "Hosanna!" We then sang Sandy Patti's "Hosanna" as many times as would fit into our 30 minute trip, because it quickly became Jones's new musical obsession.

It laid a great framework, though, for what the boys learned in Sunday school and then what they got to do in church. As the Arden kids do every year, they carried palm leaves around the sanctuary. Last year, Jones and Freddie did it, but I walked with them. This year, they walked on their own, though the idea of it made Jones ... shall we say ... uncomfortable. Still, he did it without whining or crying or clinging to me, and I stood in the back of the sanctuary, taking pictures and praising God (again) for the growth in my big boy. In fact, on this video, if you listen closely, you can hear me saying to my friend Elaine, "He's doing it! He's doing it! He's not waving anything, but he's doing it!"



After the "palm parade," we tried to keep Freddie in "big church" with us. That lasted through most of a single verse of "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" before I realized keeping him in there would be at the cost of my sanctification; back to the nursery he went.

Freddie picked Culver's for a quick lunch after church. As we ate, I showed them the video of what they'd done. Freddie said, "My favorite part is REAGAN." Then, as we left, a couple told the boys that they looked so handsome. Both boys said, "Thank you," and then Freddie embellished his appreciation with a very deep, very dramatic bow, which, of course, made the crowd seated around us go wild.

From there, we went to the Shriner's Circus at Furman - I will try to write about this in a separate post, but to be honest, there wasn't much to it, so we left at Intermission and took a few photos of the boys in their cute suits at "Mama's cah-wedge."

Hair DON'T?

I don't wear my hair curly all that often anymore. I prefer it straight, and now that I have a high-octane flamethrower of a hairdryer, it's easy to get it that way - and fast.

Last nite, though, I was too tired to dry my hair after I washed it. Knowing I wouldn't have time to wash it again before leaving for Furman this morning, I decided to let it air dry over nite and see what happened.

The resulting, poodle-like coiffure prompted the following exchange with one Mr. Frederick Bear as I went in to get his sweet self out of bed. He looked up at me with eyes that were barely opened. His first words were: "Hey, Mama. How you get that hair on?" as if my head held some sort of kinky, curly hair hat that I had put on like Freddie puts on his Kentucky Wildcat football uniform.

When I told him that this is how God made me, he said, "Wear that hair to the Chocolate Beach" (he calls Pawleys Island "the Chocolate Beach," because the beach house is brown. I *think* he made this connection, because there's a picture of our family in the den. In it, Freddie is six months old, and my hair is curly).  He then yelled at Jones, saying, "Hey, JoJo! Come see Mama's hair."

I suddenly understood why P.T. Barnum made such a good living selling tickets for folks to see the freaks.

Before they went back to bed tonite, Jones came to me and said, "Mama, when you are asleep, do it like you do it at Mayme's house." Confused, I stuttered around for a minute until I got an idea of what he was talking about. "Like curly hair?" I asked. He confirmed: "Like curly hair. Like CRAZY hair," and then he ran down the hallway, yelling, "Guess what, Freddie! Tomorrow, Mama is gonna have that curly hair!"

For the record, I'm totally NOT.

"Spitting smoke"

Jones has picked up a nasty habit.

That, as you might have guessed, has led to his baby brother picking it up, as well. Having smoked my share of candy cigs, however, I don't feel like I'm in a position to put the kibosh on their usage of plastic pipes.

I'm really not sure where Jones has even seen someone using a pipe. My best guess is Dennis's dad on "Dennis the Menace." Still, he's somehow not only seen it but perfected its nuances.

The first time I saw it was yesterday; he ran by me in the foyer, holding a toothbrush with its suction-cup bottom attached to the plastic water cup he uses after he brushes. "I found the perfect tools to build my pipe," he told me.

Not to be outdone, Freddie saw Jones, whom Freddie continues to watch like a movie, and stuck the suction cup bottoms of two brushes together to produce what appeared to be a giant cigarette. This was later modified to match Jones's vice of choice.

At Freddie's doctor's appointment yesterday, Jones made himself a celebrity, "using" during the visit. He bragged to the nurse, "You gotta look up, and then you spit smoke."

Allllllllll-righty, then.

All I can do is laugh at their ingenuity - and, obviously, hope this is one habit they break well before adulthood.

a Busy Day

I don't know whose bright idea it was to plan both boys' dental check-ups and haircuts and Freddie's four year physical on the same day, but that's exactly what ended up on today's agenda.  To be honest, I've been dreading it - but the boys proved my anxiety was for naught. I guess they've finally reached the ages where they can handle all of that running around without being any worse for the wear, and let me just tell you - I couldn't be happier about that glorious, long-awaited fact.  The first stop was Dr. "Bail's." While Jones did MUCH better at his last visit than he had in most of the previous ones, I was still holding my breath, unsure of what to expect from him (Freddie has NEVER been a problem at the dentist). He was an absolute DREAM. They BOTH were. If you had told me two years ago that Jones Pressley would ever handle a dental appointment that way he handled today's, I'd have told you you were CRAZY. 

Turns out, the only crazy one was me - for being nervous. Jones acted like going to the dentist was his JOB. I have rarely been so proud. Not only were there no fits, but he was adorably conversant with the hygienist. In fact, both boys charmed their ways around the office.  Clinically, both are doing great. Freddie's Hypoplasia is holding steady, for which we are SO grateful. They took an x-ray to be sure, but Dr. Bill thought that we were probably out of the woods with being concerned about having to cap it, as the teeth will soon grow to a point where they no longer hit against each other; decay won't be as big a concern when they do. 

Here's hoping.

Jones had an x-ray to see how his permanent teeth are looking.  It was fascinating to see the picture. In fact, I wish I'd taken a picture of it myself. The teeth are GINORMOUS compared to his baby teeth, and because his baby teeth are so tightly packed together, the hygienist suggested that the permanents may not have room to come in, which would mean orthodontia down the road. Dr. Bill didn't mention this, though, so I'm not sure if it's a problem or not. The teeth are all there and look great, but the hygienist said she didn't expect they'd be coming in soon. She asked when he got his first teeth - when I told her 8 months, she said, "Yeah. He was a late bloomer, so they'll probably come out late, too. That's what it looks like in the x-ray." Freddie wasn't yet 4 months when he got his first tooth, which makes me wonder if HE might lose a tooth before Jones? I asked a time frame for Jones, and she said 6-12 months.

Time will tell. 

After another great visit to Great Beginnings, we ventured to the barber shop. The barber shop used to be as traumatic a place to take Jones as the dentist's office, but just as he did at Dr. Bill's, Jones handled his hair cut like he did it daily. Honestly, Y'all. I don't think you understand what a shock this is to me - that he has turned this corner. I.am.so.grateful. The boys and I left the barber shop and had lunch at Ferrara's - Freddie ordered the "avrioli." I hope I never forget how he says that instead of "ravioli." In fact, I will probably call it that from now until forever. 

After an hour or so back at the house, we left for Dr. O'Donnell's. Freddie had a great check-up, praise the Lord. He passed both his hearing and eyesight checks with flying colors, and he did great with the whole thing - until Dr. O'Donnell had him lay down on the exam table, so he could listen to his heart. I think Freddie had flashbacks to when he had to do the same thing at the "Pokin' Doctor" (which is what he calls his allergist) and ended up getting stuck 37 times. He cried and cried and cried until Dr. O'Donnell finally finished. Jones came with us. It was the first time since Freddie was an infant that I've taken both of them to the doctor's office at the same time. He made quite the sensation of himself, "smoking" his "pipe" and telling the nurse that "you gotta look up and then you spit smoke." 

What was that you were saying about "good health habits," Doctor?

(So grateful, obviously, for all of the good reports and excellent health. I praise God from Whom all blessings flow for taking such exquisite care of my baby boys.)