a week in the life...

So I'm really enjoying these weekly updates/reviews.  Although Marianna continues to post throughout the week, I'm doing good to give a week in review and actually write some of this stuff down.

1.  The little turkey likes to tease.  He recently started saying "Hi, Mama" or "Hi, Dada" so one morning I was trying to get him to say it.  The conversation went something like this:

Me:  Garrison, say, "Hi, Mama."
G:  Hi, Dada.
Me:  Garrison, say, "Hi, Mama."
G:  Hi, shoes.  And he waved at Will's shoes.
Me (laughing):  Garrison, say, "Hi, Mama."
G:  Hi, BoBo.  (I mean, really....he even said hi to the dogs!)
Me:  Garrison, say, "Hi, Mama."
G:  Hi, pee pee potty.

And he waved at the potty.  He knows what it's for!!!  I know it's time to start the process.  I say that every week, don't I?  One day I'm going to write a post on actually potty training him.

2.  Garrison's favorite number is two.  Pretty much anytime you ask him how many items are in front of him, he will answer, "two."  One day he was eating grapes and wanted more.  (And before anyone freaks out, I don't give him whole grapes.  I cut them in quarters).   I said, "Do you want lots?"  And then I thought.....hmmmm....I should ask him an open ended question, not just one he can answer with yes or no.  So I said, "How many grapes do you want?"  I just assumed he would say two, but he said, "yots."  ha!  The next time I asked he did say, "two." I think he ate about 50 grapes that night.

3.  I feel like we are having more and more conversations with Garrison that are hard to express on the blog.  So I tend to get a little long winded telling them.  But I don't want to forget the details.

Me;  Garrison, where is your ear?
G:  Points to his ear
Me:  How many ears do you have?
G:  With a finger on each ear, "Two"
Me:  Where is your eye?
G:  Points to an eye.
Me:  How many eyes do you have?
G:  With a finger on each eye, "Two"
Me:  Where's your nose?
G:  Sticks a finger up each nostril and says, "Two" before I can even ask!

4.  It's amazing how he is learning opposites and things that are associated with each other.  He was squatting and said "Down."  Then he stood up and said, "Up."  He knows when the light is on and when it's off.  Lar and Grandaddy Reedy came Wednesday.  Tuesday night I told Garrison, "Tomorrow Lar is coming to see you" and he responded "Bebe?"  He associated them together!  Grandaddy Reedy wanted to go see his sister, Aunt Francis in Artesia, so Will and Garrison followed them out there.  Will said he had the best time playing with all of Uncle Ed's old tools.

5.  I've blogged before about our prayers at night.  I only get to rock G if Will isn't home, and a few nights this week he's been gone at bed time.  One night I asked Garrison who he wanted to pray for, and he said, "No, Mama."  I said do you want Mama to pray?  He smiled and grunted (like he does instead of saying yes) and closed his eyes!  I guess I've told him to close his eyes enough when we pray that he knows he is supposed to!  I peeked though, and he quickly opened them once I started praying.  I'm sure he was afraid he'd fall asleep too quickly if he kept his eyes closed for too long.  I really do love that time at night with him!

6.  The church had an auction and Will bid on and won a bowflex.  No, I'm not kidding.  All we need is one more thing in the house.  But, as Caleb said, it will serve well as a clothes rack.  (I'm kidding Will!).  This is Will and Caleb trying to load it into Caleb's truck.  There was a funeral procession that drove by as Caleb was strapping it into the truck.  I thought there was going to be a wreck because EVERY person who drove by was looking at him!

7.  This weekend I had a wedding in Natchez.  Will stayed in Columbus, and Garrison was in Oxford.  I have never been in Natchez by myself.  So Friday I decided to drive to the cemetery where all 4 of my grandparents are buried.  I couldn't remember where the graves were and walked around for a little bit before going inside to ask.  I sat by Grandma and Papaw's grave for a long time and wept.  I realized Grandma (my mom's mom) passed away 17 years ago.  I didn't cry necessarily about her and all the things she's missed in my life. But I cried because I don't want to live for 17 years without my mom.

I texted Tim and told him where I was and told him I was smoking a cigarette at Grandma's grave.  (She was a smoker).  He texted back and said, "You better not be smoking."  I guess only God and Grandma know the truth.  And Will.

I also drove past Mamaw and Pop's old house.

8.  I bought Garrison a cap at Walmart.  I think his curly hair sticking out is pretty cute!

9. We started Garrison on Flintstone Vitamins today.  They are his first Flintstones!!  He chewed it up and kept asking for more!

10. And last but not least, we finally got our Explorer back and RUNNING!!!  I think everyone who reads this probably knows we let our friend Krucial borrow the Explorer for a year and a half.  The day we got it back it died.  So it sat in the driveway for a few months.  And last week we had it towed and fixed.  It's up and running....with over 300,000 miles!!!

a week in review

Trying to remember 10 things that have happened has proven to be hard and time consuming!  I had great intentions of making a note of them in my phone, but only wrote down 4 things.  So I thought maybe it would be easier to recap the week.

1.  Last weekend Will and I had separate weddings in Oxford.  Will had to film the rehearsal dinner, so I hung out with Tim and the boys at Tim and Stephanie's new house.  It was so fun and relaxing.  We just talked and hung out.  The rehearsal dinner went late, and I would have never gone had I known I would be there that late - I felt bad because Tim had a scrimmage the next morning.  But it was fun to just hang out and see the new house. 

2.  While we were in Oxford, Garrison stayed at Lala's with Beber and Lar.  He has shortened Beber to Bebe.  It will be interesting to see what sticks!  Saturday was Lar's birthday, so we had a birthday cake and Garrison helped blow out the candles.  Lar also bought him a toy lawn mower and wheel barrow.  Oh if it only really worked we wouldn't have to pay someone to cut our grass! 

3.  If we are in the car and Will leans over to kiss me, Garrison always leans forward in his car seat for us to kiss him too.  It's pretty sweet!

4.  I was in the master bathroom and didn't have any toilet paper (I know, too much information!) and asked Garrison to go in the guest bath and get me a roll.  I asked not really thinking he'd do it, but a few minutes later he came back with a roll!  I thought that was impressive considering he doesn't even use toilet paper!!!

5.  One night this week I laid him in his bed to go to sleep and I sat in the glider and read on my Ipad.  I heard him say "Ipad"!  Ha!  He loves to watch the wheels on the bus on youtube on the Ipad and will say "bus" to get us to play it.  Sometimes he gets it confused and says, "Ibus."

6.  This morning we ate breakfast at the Ranch House.  It's about the most redneck place in Columbus, but one of the only places that serves breakfast.  Garrison started screaming - just a high pitched scream to get our attention.  We kept telling him to use his inside voice, and we don't scream in restaurants.  He kept doing it, so I took him to the bathroom and spanked him.  That's the first time that's happened!  And he knew what was coming!  He started crying before I spanked him.  I talked to him and told him we don't scream in restaurants and that he was being punished because he disobeyed.  So when we got back to the table, I said "Garrison, do we scream in restaurants?"  He pointed to the bathroom then patted his leg where I spanked him!  Ha!  Will said, "You're a fast learner!"

7.  He's learned that you not only can ride or push the dino, but you can stand on it!

 

8.  I guess the little turkey loves peanut butter as much as I do!  

9.  He loves lemonade from Chik Fil A (who doesn't???).  I think it's hilarious how he says lemonade.  Yesterday we ate at peppers, so I got him pink lemonade to see if he liked it!

 

10.   This has been a hard week.  Our friends Caleb and Emily lost a baby in November.  Actually Monday was 5 months exactly.  From the moment I heard I just wept and cried for them.  Sometimes I feel guilty for having Garrison around them so much, but she says that he is a blessing and she loves being around him.  I just know personally it would be extremely hard for me!  She thought she may be pregnant but texted last night and said she's not.  I just know all too well the emotions that come with the anticipation of the possibility of being pregnant or not.  And then to start your period....well, as Emily says, it's a bloody reminder of what your heart longs for.  I don't mean to end this post on a down note, but my heart is just heavy for them.  I guess they could just use all the prayers they could get.  I prayed last night that in God's timing they would get pregnant.  But God's timing is so hard, so in the waiting time that He would draw close to them.  One day I can't wait to post that they are pregnant and then one day post pictures of their baby. 

 

10 on Thursday

Marianna and I are doing another blog challenge.  We have to post 10 things on Thursday.  I told her I'm going to have to write stuff down during the week so I'll remember them.  But we want to remember the little things, not just the big ones.  And this is a perfect way to do it.  So here goes....

1.  I use exclamation points a lot.  I just edited 4 out of the previous 3 sentences.  Not sure how that works...I guess I used two at the end of one sentence.  But now that I brought it to your attention, you're going to notice it too! (See I just did it).

2.  A couple of weeks ago I took pictures at Garrison's Mother's Morning Out program.  It was fun but a lot of work!  I told Will that it was harder to take pictures there than at a wedding.  Here is his school picture....

And his class.  We absolutely love his teacher, Robin.  She is so sweet and loves those kids.  We are going to miss her next year.  I wish she could just move up to the next class with him!

 

3.  Last weekend I had a wedding in Aliceville, AL.  Will took Garrison to the park and sent me this picture.  Since then I took him to the park once and Beber and Lar took him.  He loves it!  He loves going down the slide like a big boy!

 

4.   I am reading a book about potty training.  One of the things it suggests is to use a baby doll that wets.  Garrison loves it!  I have a feeling I might be able to black mail him with this picture one day!

 

5.  The reason I think it might be time to start potty training is he hides to poop.  If he's at home, he will go in the guest bathroom and shut the door.  If you try to open it, he says, "No" and slams the door shut.  I found him like this the other day....hiding under the table using the bathroom.

 

6.  A few weekends ago my mom started working on his numbers with him.  She would count from 1 to 5 with him.  We count things pretty regularly - steps especially.  One day I got to 5 and he said 6.  I almost passed out!  So we've been practicing counting to 10.  Beber always counts his fingers and toes so I know he is getting lots of practice.  Here's a short video of him counting.  Except he was more interested in watching himself than actually counting!

7.  I thought he was pretty cute with his nose and chin smushed up against the glass!

8.  On Easter Sunday our friend Caleb wore his hat to church.  Garrison wanted to put it on and wouldn't take it off!  Garrison also had his debut in acting in church.  The kids waved palm leaves during the contemporary service while we played "Hosanna."  I was a little apprehensive about how he would do.  I was afraid he'd see Will and want to come on stage.  But the pastor's wife held him as they walked around and he did great!

 

9.  Garrison loves to chase the dogs with whatever he can find.  Sometimes it's his dino.  Sometimes it's his grocery cart.  Sometimes it's his broom.  Or rake.  Will sent me this picture one day and said he was "dog hunting."  He definitely looks like he's up to something!

 10.  My parents camped for a few days this week in Columbus.  It was Garrison's first time camping.  He spent a couple of nights with them.  It was nice to have them in town - mom cooked every night.  I'm sure both Will and Garrison were glad to have some Nana food.  Hayden always says Nana food is the best, and I agree!  Garrison's favorite was the macaroni and cheese.  He is so picky with food, but when he finds something he likes, he sticks to it!  I meant to take some "real" pictures of him at the campground but never got around to it.  Maybe they will come back soon and I can take some!

 

prayers

Tonight I was rocking Garrison to sleep.  I love Wednesday nights because it's the only time he lets me rock him.  If Will is here, he wants Dada to rock him.  (He will cry if I even try!).  So tonight I was rocking him and prayed like I do every Wednesday.  He always holds two of my fingers - one in each hand - while I pray. 

As a side note....it's really been humbling to pray with/over/for Garrison.  I know I can't hide anything from God anyway, but it's like I'm stripped bare.  It's hard to put into words.  It's like I can't lie to God in front of Garrison.

Anyway, I finished and he said, "More."  So I prayed some more.  I got quiet - I never really end my prayers with him with "Amen." And he said, "More" again!  I couldn't believe it...he wanted me to keep praying.  So I asked him who he wanted to pray for.  That was the first time I've ever asked him that.  I've always been the one who prayed.  I guess because he only says a few words I didn't think about asking if he wanted to pray.  But he did!  He wanted to be included!  And I'm absolutely certain his prayers are more innocent than mine!

I asked him again who he wanted to pray for and he said "Pop."

I asked who else?  He said, "Nana."

Who else?
Mama

Who else?
Dada

We prayed for Mama and Dada a few more times!

Who else?
Be Be (which is what he calls Beber)

Who else? 
xz (which is what he calls Tozer)

Who else?
Bo Bo

Who else?  I suggested Lar.  We've never practiced saying Mr. Larrys' name very much, but he said what sounded like, "Air."  That's the first time he's said that!

So I said Amen.  He said, "Men."  Then said, "Yay!!!!!"

What a special time.  We can learn so much from the simplicity and innocence of his prayers.