• old friends who pop up out of no where
• eating breakfast at a local diner where everyone knows you
• real Vermont maple syrup
• a syrupy sticky baby
• bright beautiful sunshine
• my sister getting married
• to someone nice
• my parents’  great friends
• they also have access to a great pool
• my son’s joy in the swimming pool
• new friends
• turkey burgers
• frosted cookies
• sandboxes
• big kids and little kids
• swings
• feeling comfortable with people you’ve only just met
• a sandy chocolately baby
• a clean fresh baby
• a sleeping worn out baby
• a busy day that was crazy fun

Sisters

This morning was rehearsal for next week’s Children’s Sunday program.  Bug and I watched the rehearsal and then ate pancakes with the girls.  It is hard to believe I have been there Sunday School teacher for 3 years.  I have known all of the girls since they were babies.  Now they are young women.  They are all so beautiful and strong.

We only stayed for the start of church.  A young friend sang the prelude (and several solos throughout the service).  As soon as the piano started Bug looked up and fought to see what was going on.  We were in the back and she was standing in the front.  I stood him up on my lap and he moved and clapped through the whole song.  I tried to keep him from yelling out, but that is like trying to catch the wind.  He gets so caught up in music.  He wiggles and dances.  He claps and tries to sing along.

We slipped out after the children’s sermon to have time to go to Wal*Mart to pick up photos and baby stuff.  Bug is teething again, but this time it actually seems to hurt him.  He is getting his bottom right 2nd tooth and probably his bottom right canine and bicuspid and something on the left.  He didn’t cry at all for the first 6 teeth (bottom two front in November and top four front in January) and now he is miserable.  I got him some chewy teething rings and numbing gel.  He hates the numbing gel to the point that he won’t even take his pacifier after because he thinks it is more yucky stuff, but the instant relief is palpable.  I also ended up buying a laminating machine for the book I am working on for his classroom.

Then it was back in the car for the 2 hour -that we thought would be 1.5- trip north to have lunch with our cousin.  She is actually our second cousin, but does it really matter? She is the oldest of our generation and my sister is the youngest.  They are 30 years apart!  She is a retired video editor from California and she only gets to Vermont once a year.  She graduated from Middlebury 40 years ago and teaches a course in video editing there every J-term.  This year she took a break from that, but came east for her reunion.  She is a fabulously brilliant woman and we always have a great time visiting with her.  Bug was smitten with her and she with him.  We had lunch at a lovely little place and the food was magnificent.  Then we just sat around and talked forever.  Soon enough it was time to head home.  Bug slept all the way home and was only awake long enough for some food and a bath.

And that is about how long I will last.

His first birthday cake

So much for posting every day in September.