Three...Almost

Ben’s third birthday is approaching – we find ourselves in a classic case of time flying by quickly, while simultaneously not being able to recall what our hearts looked like before his arrival.

We opted to forgo a big birthday party in favor a family getaway to the mountains for a few days. Our generous friends from church loaned us their mountain house, the same spot where Leah stayed for her “radioactive exile” last May. Leah was emotional and thankful as she watched the kids play within the walls that she spent countless hours missing, worrying and dreaming of them and was beyond content to spend the evenings cuddling with Mark on the sofa watching movies.

Thanks to tickets from G’ma Zipper (a perfect birthday present for the little guy), we were able to spend another day at Tweetsie. Ben loved all the rides, thankfully he has not inherited his mom’s fear of heights or motion sickness. Clara was big enough for only a handful of rides, but she spent most of the day determined to figure out the latch system on her stroller seatbelt. Both kids were freaked out by the western showdown on the train ride and have decided that they don’t like guns-thank you Tweetsie!

The rest of our time was spent playing in sunshine and rain, cruising around in the golf cart, talking to the “reindeer,” morning cartoons in bed (necessary with the early wake-up call by the munchkins), bath time in the big tub and enjoying the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway. One of our big parenting goals is to instill a love of nature in the kids…thus, the humor in the following conversation:

Leah: Look at that waterfall! I love waterfalls.

Ben: Me too, Mommy!! I love waterfalls, too.

Leah: The forest is just beautiful. I love forests.

Ben: I don’t like forests. I like sidewalks.

Here’s to the (almost) birthday boy!

Family Band

It is not a surprise with Mark as their daddy, our kids love music. Ben and Clara belt out praise songs in the car, dance parties are a regular part of the day and the kids always seem to gravitate towards musical instruments at play time. A new favorite activity is visiting Mark at church and playing "drums with daddy." The sanctuary is a wonderful spot to take the kids on a rainy day. This weekend we scored a great deal on an ipod karaoke machine and Beemer and the Baby Girl (well, mom and dad too) have been living out rock star fantasies. Ben's favorite songs to perform: Son of a Preacher Man and SexyBack. Clara: Wild Thing and Bryan Adams songs(hey, she is Leah's daughter). Our music tastes are all over the place and that is just how we like it.

Quick Trip

Leah has been working with a friend from Santa Barbara, Valerie, who is starting a new food, wine and gardening lifestyle business. Leah has been doing some writing and marketing work from home the past couple months and is enjoying the chance to use these skills again. As the website launch grows closer it was decided that some face to face work time was needed. Leah packed up Ben (it was time for a little Mommy & Me adventure) and flew to Santa Barbara last week for four days.

Leah and Valerie were able to accomplish much and dream some more, Ben had a great time with Ava, Lily and their new puppy, Penny. Even though we hardly left the house it felt like a vacation because their home is so beautiful. Ben is a seasoned traveler now and felt right at home on the plane and in the airport. He had all the flight attendants saying, "Bye Ben! Have fun!" as we exited the plane.

Stay tuned for when the website is live! The October issue of Santa Barbara Magazine has a gorgeous feature on Valerie...check it out, especially page 133 (you just might recognize a couple of her dinner guests).

Love is in the Air

Casa Watson kicked off the long weekend with the Cannon crew enjoying a cookout at the park. Owen and Clara are infatuated with each other, it is heartwarming to watch the simple tenderness between them.

Saturday, we enjoyed our first "family of four" hike at Baker's Mountain. Ben was our guide on the trail reading all the maps (someone in our family needs to have a sense of direction) and he also authored the new hiking song, "Snakes Go Away." Clara was a determined little trooper, proudly walking most of the trail all by herself (which is quickly becoming her mantra). After a picnic lunch, we made a stop at a favorite art gallery that has an incredible garden in the back with all sorts of sculptures.

Today was Ben's turn for love, his heart currently beats madly for eight year old Claire Stalnaker. We had them over for brunch this morning and Ben excitedly helped in all the preparations. He asked Leah to iron his shirt, insisted on ditching his booster seat so he could sit in a chair just like Claire, and was so worn out by the thrill of it all he crashed for a three hour nap this afternoon. Ben awoke in time to head out to our friend's fishing hole where he proudly caught three fish- but a true fisherman from the start, he told Leah he caught five.

Love is in the fresh, almost fall, air...and right now it is cute and adorable. Give us another fifteen years and we will have a different story. At the moment, we will just enjoy the current chapter.

Sweet Things

Parenthood is filled with a constant succession of tasks, chores, responsibilities-mouths to feed, bodies to bathe and dress, energy to harness and entertain, minds to teach, character to build... It is often overwhelming and most days its exhausting. But there are moments when you see your child- magical, small moments of fleeting beauty, innocence, joy, exuberance or complete bliss that take your breathe away. In many instances, you could not even describe these sweet things to someone five minutes after they occur, but within you is that tiny, perfect moment where you are given a glimpse of the mystery, the wonder, the discovery of life. Through these moments the drudgery of parenthood is able to fall away and our hearts can be renewed once again to love and give and give a little more.