Me and My Boy

I'm getting a little weepy about my last days with just one child.  I'm excited about having a little girl and about Palmer having a sister, but I'm still sad that our special days of 100% one-on-one time are nearing an end.

Recently, a friend suggested I try to plan a special "Mommy and Palmer Day" before our baby girl arrives.  I've been wanting to take Palmer to the drive-thru Texas safari, Fossil Rim, for some time and when we couldn't coordinate a date with friends and I realized that precious time is running out, I decided to go spur-of-the-moment.

Although I was a little nervous to drive 1.5 hours away from town (in case of labor), I did make a mental note of several small-town hospitals on the way to our destination.

First stop: Dairy Queen, also known as "Texas' Small Town Stop Sign".  Palmer LOVED his Dilly Bar ice cream treat.  (What Texas kid doesn't have fond childhood memories of a Dilly bar??)

I'm not sure if Palmer was more excited about seeing the animals or sitting in the front seat of the car!  We picked up a big bag of animal feed to entice the animals to our car windows.

Palmer kept yelling out the windows, "Heeeey, animals!!! I have food for you!!!!!"

However, when we had friends like the one below come and actually visit us, he was a little terrified.  

"Mom!! Save me! Save me!" Palmer was especially squeemish about a very large and ugly bird putting his head thru my window.  "Mom!  Drive away! Drive away!"  It reminds me of the last time I visited Fossil Rim when I was about 10 yrs old and got bit by an ostrich thru the car window.

One happy boy with his head out the window:

We loved the giraffes and Palmer was totally impressed/scared out of his mind when I fed the giraffes out of my hand.  "Mom!! Are they biting you??"

I'm so glad we took the risk and made the drive out to Fossil Rim.  It was such a fun day and Palmer had many tales to tell Rick when we got home.  Meanwhile, no baby over here (although I am going to see my chiropractor in a little while and may have her sneak in some of her labor-inducing acupuncture tricks!)

-Bethany

Wordless Wednesday

-Bethany

The Boys vs. The Girls

Maybe it's my fault.  I'm the one who had our newborn photographer pose Palmer in front of a "No Girls Allowed" sign when he was ten days old.  And I'm the one who hung the said sign above his bedroom door.

But, never did I expect such gender rivalry out of my three year old.  All I can say is, "Thank goodness we are about to have a girl in our family."

Palmer's testosterone is surging at the moment.  Every possible scenario turns into, "Mommy, the boys (that would be Rick and Palmer) can do this and the girls can't."

Every. Possible. Scenario.

For example, I made up a batch of cookies last night.  I put the cookies into the oven.  I took the cookies out to cool.  Palmer sees the finished product and says, "Are these for the boys, mom?"  No, little kid.  These are for me.  And maybe I'll share.

Or the one day when Palmer told me that Porsches are for boys because there are only two seats: one for daddy and one for Palmer.

Or the day when we got a trampoline and Palmer said that "the boys can jump on the trampoline because they don't have babies in their bellies".  (That's actually good rationale, dang it.)


Or the day when Palmer declared that cereal/go-carts/race cars/ice cream/ball caps are only for the boys.

You get the point.  And the problem is: the sole girl in the family isn't that fun right now.  I'm physically limited and probably a little cranky at the end of the pregnancy.  So, the little guy actually has a point because I probably actually can't do a lot of the things he is talking about.

Sigh.

-Bethany

Wordless Wednesday

-Bethany

Easter

Easter is such a fun holiday in our neighborhood, and when the weather is nice like it was this year, it racks up there as possibly my favorite holiday of the year.

It's a holiday that isn't focused on gifts (at least in our family) and centers on community, church, and family.  Plus, a lot of sugar is shared during the day, so that's a point in the win column.

We went to church, which is always a big production both in the pomp and circumstance factor and in the logistics involved with a very big church.  I love the extra instruments that accompany the choir on Easter morning and maybe I'm just hormonal, but the music brought tears to my eyes.

We've made it a family tradition to follow up with brunch at the club.  Apparently, I've also made it a tradition to dress Palmer in the same clothes because I realized I dressed him in the same suit and shoes as last year.  Too bad the suit is on its last legs and a tad too short!

Same place, same suit, same shoes, different year:

And onto our annual neighborhood Easter parade.  Our 'hood doesn't earn the description "eclectic" the easy way.  None other than the great (and Jewish) Kinky Friedman grand-marshalled our Easter parade:

"So, Jesus and Kinky were just walking down the street and..."

Scott Taylor brought back his giant Peep float from last year and upped the ante with a coordinating Easter basket float:

Palmer would've gladly ridden in the basket if he hadn't received just the gift any 3-year-old needs for his birthday: a go-cart from Pops.  Yeah.  Mama is thrilled.  At least I convinced everyone a seat belt was important in the speed trap.

Happy Easter and let me go check on our emergency room health insurance coverage.

-Bethany

Wordless Wednesday

-Bethany

Easter Egg Hunts

This year was a definite improvement in maturity from last year's egg hunts.  Last year, Palmer didn't fill his basket very full because he usually stopped and sat down to eat the first egg he found.

This year, we are seeing a competitive spirit in the little boy and his baskets are very, very full.  Just as fun: eating all of the candy out of the eggs in one sitting when mom and dad aren't looking.

We hunted eggs down at the lake with Elle.  The kids tackled the yard pretty fast.

 This is probably the last time we will come to the lake as a family of three.  Crazy.

The weather cooperated just in time for the hunt and then we enjoyed an afternoon downpour:

Back at home, we had a few friends over for an Easter-themed play date with a small hunt.

Our before picture was unsuccessful and the kids were big on pretending their baskets are "helmets":

Peeps + S'mores:

And today, we went out to our club's Easter egg hunt.

I spent most of the afternoon festival in a lawn chair trying to rest during this last pregnant month while Rick chased Palmer thru the bounce house and waited in a 45-minute face-painting line.

Palmer loves to be a tiger when given the opportunity and coupled the painting decision with his new-found love for the color green.  He was a green tiger:

This kid was super fast, took the hunt very seriously, and filled up his basket quite nicely:

Checking out his haul:

It's been so fun to see the joy of the season thru a child's eyes.

-Bethany