Shoes-y Little Post

UK vs. UL football at Commonwealth, 2005

So it's no secret that I kinda, sorta have something of a thingamajig for my sister's four kids. Cammy Doodle was the first. Born with a headful of hair and a piercing shriek that could cut the glass of his bedroom window, Camden was the first (little) man I ever loved. I fell hard; I fell fast; I fell completely. 

It's never been all that hard for any of the kids to get whatever they wanted out of me. I've never had much money, but what I HAVE had has been spent on them. Happily and without hesitation. $6 dog-shaped cupcake for lunch? Yum-mo! $27.50 to ride three poorly-constructed throw-up thrills at a carnival in the mall parking lot? Let's do it! $75 to get your face painted up like a pirate's?  I don't know how I'll make my rent, but ABSO-SMURF-LY. 

Disney 2007

In fact, last nite, Jeremy and I took three of the Four I Adore to Cold Stone (Payton stayed home, choosing solitary control of the TV over ice cream). Afterwards, we ambled through a gift shop and came across a stuffed, great white shark. Camden and I both went through a raging great white shark phase, so when we saw it, I said, "Camden, if they'd had that when you were a kid, I'd totally have bought it for you." He responded, "When I was a kid, you'd totally have bought me anything I wanted. In fact, you'd STILL buy me anything I wanted."

To be honest, the whole subject of "buying things for Camden" has been a hot topic, since we were in Nashville last week. Cam and I were strolling Jones through the hotel lobby, and Cam remarked - for the 13,000th time - that his baby cousin "NEEDED" some Nikes. Specifically, his baby cousin needed some LeBron James Nikes, and oh yeah, while I was at it, why didn't I buy a pair for the first of the Four I Adore?

Chuck E. Cheese's - 2005

Now, I am about as concerned with the brand of my 7 month old's footwear as I am with the brand of my 7 month old's clothing. In other words, I am NOT AT ALL concerned with brands, because whether I spend $3 or $3000 on an outfit for Jones, it still ends up either covered in spit up or soaked by a leaky diaper that I didn't change soon enough. Why in the name of good stewardship would I spend a small fortune on the wardrobe of a mess-making machine?

But I digress ...

For my favorite almost-14-year-old, though, the name on his basketball shoes becomes the name on the back of his basketball jersey. Much as I love Camden, though, $300 for "LeBrons," as he calls them, is even more than Aunta can spend, though, as I told him, "I DEFINITELY would, if I could."

Maui - 2009

Thankfully - for the sake of my marriage - I cannot.

Camden, on the other hand, cannot stop talking about how much Jones "NEEDS" Nikes, so today, he came in from being out and handed me a bag. In it was a pair of shoes that he'd bought WITH HIS VERY OWN MONEY - NOT mine; HIS. NOT Mom's; HIS. Apparently, Mom had taken the kids to the mall; Cam said he needed to walk down the hall for a minute. She didn't know where he was going, but when he came back, he'd made his purchase.  In so doing, he made my day and, with his thoughtfulness and generosity, he gave his little cousin more than just a pair of Nikes.

He gave Jones some very big shoes to fill.

Thank you, Cammy Doodle.
I love you to the moon and back again!
44 million kisses, K

I like the way ...

... Jones rubs his head when he's going to sleep.  From what I hear, a lot of babies do this, but this is another thing I'm gonna miss when MY baby grows out of it.

Sometimes, his hand will park over top of his eyelids; it's as if he's holding them shut, so I won't dare to open them.

As if I would ...

Happy Man

Do you want to hear the best sound ever?

Behold.

Fast Times

Today at Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum - Jones's second visit in two days, by the way - we discovered that our little "good ole' boy"has the NEED ... the NEED for SPEED!

He's doing great in Nashville, though he's getting even fewer naps that the few he typically takes, but he's rolling with his nomadic parents, as I knew he would.  I was wondering about the time change and his bed time.  Should I put him to bed at 7 p.m. Eastern, as he's used to, or 7 Central, as in Nashville?  Well, both nites that we've been here, he's started melting down at 6 p.m. Central, which answers that question: he is an Eastern Daylight Time kinda kid.

So am I.

Last nite, while Jeremy and I went to the Grand Ole Opry with Brooke and Michael, Jones stayed with his Aunt Sissy, and today, he had his second photo shoot with Brooke.  She got some really, truly, SUPER cute shots, and I cannot wait to see them all in living color!

Here are some pictures of our trip so far.

OH!  And how could I forget?!

Jones had his first tastes of both grits and sausage gravy yesterday. I swear he ate more of my grits than I did. I can't blame him. The Loveless Cafe knows how to make some grits.  He liked the sausage gravy, too, but I was less willing to share that.  Actually, that's not true at all.  I was trying to keep his milk-based foods to a minimum.


NOW, here are some pictures of our trip so far ...

Biscuit with the Loveless Cafe's famous biscuits

He was flirting with the ladies at the table beside us.

Jeremy gave Jones his first bite of a biscuit;
it was slathered in strawberry jelly.

continuing to flirt with
folks at the Loveless

flirting with Brooke

Magic time!

"Just the good ole' boys, never meanin' no harm!"

second of two (?) visits to Cooter's

cruisin' cousins

Lila put Jonesie in a chokehold.

beautiful boy on our hotel room bed

Mama's First Mother's Day

If you know how much I love my birthday, then you will be shocked by the following statement:

I have been WAY more excited about Mother's Day this year than May 8th. 

Is somebody growing up? I wouldn't go that far, but I have been looking forward to Mother's Day with an excitement generally reserved for Big Blue Madness or a day at the Magic Kingdom.

Jeremy and Jones exceeded even my highest hopes. They gave me a day that could not have been better. It started off with a "wake up call" from this little love bug. Jeremy got up, CHANGED JONES'S DIAPER, and put him in a onesie that says "Happy 1st Mother's Day." He was like my very own 3-D greeting card.

As if that weren't enough, Jeremy then presented me with the most beautiful calla lily corsage I have ever seen.  When I was a little girl, I remember us often giving Mom a corsage on Mother's Day. In fact - correct me if I'm wrong, Mom - I seem to remember even Sissy and I getting a flower to wear some years? That made me love the corsage even more. Somehow, that small gesture said "I'm-a-mom" to me, even though I hadn't thought about it in years.

Is Jeremy the most thoughtful man alive? Very probably.

After putting Jones down for his nap, Jeremy gave me another surprise: he'd gone back to a dress shop he knows I love and bought me an absolutely awesome white dress. Even more awesome is the fact that it fit! Though it cost about as much as all of my other dresses combined, I fought the urge to say "That's too much!" and instead reveled in the generosity of my wonderful husband. I was so proud to wear the dress today - especially bedecked with my calla lily corsage - and I can't wait to wear it every Mother's Day from now until I've finally gotten tired of perpetual Weight Watching, which, let's face it, will probably be about another six and a half days.

We went to church, of course, and after that joined the family at Sid's. And, after that, we rode around Asheville, while Jones napped and Jeremy ran errands for Teach Them Diligently. We spent the late afternoon visiting with the Pressleys before getting potato skins at Bogarts for a late dinner.

That brings us to now. I'm taking a break from folding laundry, while Jeremy sits beside me, watching "National Treasure" and complaining of tummy troubles. Ironically, though, as he complains at the end of this wonderful day I am reminded that I have absolutely NOTHING to complain about.

Happy Mother's Day, Y'all!

.

"Just a suck on my thumb-er makes the applesauce go down ..."

Jones is really getting the hang of eating with a spoon, which directly correlates to the fact that I'm finally starting to be more consistent in FEEDING him with a spoon. It's just so messy, and bottles are so much easier, but yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand:

Development. Growth. Nutrition.

I'm on it.

When I feed him, though, he does this thing that's equal parts adorable and annoying. I put in a bite; he puts in his thumb. I wipe off his mouth; he spreads his dinner all over himself, myself, and his Bumbo seat. Soon, I know, he'll outgrow this, and while part of me really can't wait for that day, another part knows I'm gonna miss the way he uses a suck on his "thumb-er" to help his applesauce go down ... 

All by Himself!

Jones has hit some major developmental milestones lately.

While he's been capable of turning over for awhile now, he's only recently started doing it all the time (in fact, he almost always wakes up on his tummy these days). He's eating baby food like it's his job, and now, he can sit up all by his lonesome!

I am loving watching his new tricks develop everyday - and he's discovered a couple of mine, too! Yesterday, for instance, I was whistling the "Andy Griffith" theme song to him, and you'd have thought I was Mickey Mouse for the way that he smiled at me! I did it again this morning to the same result! Me thinks I see a ritual in development!