Money Well Spent

Have you ever spent money on a baby's toy, only to have them reject it outright and have them show zero interest in it?

Yeah, that is NOT what happened last week when I bought Peter his first toy.  Best $7.00 I ever spent.

He loved it!  Couldn't take his saucer eyes off it.

He studied it intently.

Then starting talking to it in coos and smiling and hitting it with his hands.

And we couldn't take our eyes off him.  It doesn't matter how many children you have, it is so fascinating and so much fun to see them developing and reaching milestones.  And like all good parents, we're sure he is quite gifted!

May I share the good fortune we just received?  Our neighbors are moving.
That is not the good news.  They are great neighbors and we will miss them.  They are an older couple who serve as unofficial neighborhood watchers and they have always been very generous in lending Abe yard work tools-- by his request.  They were never saying, "Here, Abe.  You need these."  But they did really helped us out here and there.
Anyway, they are selling their home and seriously downsizing.  They'll be having a moving sale and selling off or giving away most of their belongings.  They called Abe over today to bequeath him tons of yard work stuff-- including the ladder Abe has borrowed several times and a weed whacker we've been in need of for years.
So, while we are sad they are moving, we are super grateful for the gift.  Except that now we'll have no excuse for why our yard doesn't look good.

In other news at our house, I made pumpkin pancakes and homemade buttermilk syrup.  George had them at his neighborhood preschool and he loved them.  I got the recipe.  I made them.  George and I ate them and then enjoyed them.  The rest of the children might have eaten them, but they didn't enjoy them.  Actually, George ate the pumpkin pancakes but refused my homemade syrup in favor of the high fructose corn syrup.  I mean, seriously, you'd have have thought I was feeding them mud pies.  They knew better than to say rude things, but their facial expressions were more than explanatory.  I haven't done such a good job of expanding their food horizons.  Oh, well.

Oh, here is good news.  Since Bethany was a baby she has had a heart murmur that we've monitored every few years at Primary Children's Hospital.  That's not the good news.  For you heart experts, she had a sub-aortic stenosis-- a little piece of tissue that could grow in such a way to require open-heart surgery.  Both my mom and brother did end up having surgery for it.  My mom as an adult and my brother when he was 8.  But when we went in to the cardiologist on Monday for the usual echocardiogram and EKG, the cardiologist gave Bethany the all clear.  It's gone!  As her heart as grown, the tissue hasn't, and they can't even see or hear it any more!!! 

Here's another piece of good news-- not quite as serious as no heart surgery, but somewhat stress-relieving nonetheless.  Family pictures are done!  We had to update with our new addition.  We did them this morning and I think they went well, but haven't seen them yet.  My only concern is Clark's hair.  He is experimenting with a new style and I am enduring an exercise in "letting go" and picking my battles.  You'll see soon when I post the pictures.  I suppose if he needs to rebel or show his individuality, I am grateful if his hair is his canvas as opposed to piercings or tattoos.
I'm afraid I have myself to blame in that I told him recently that our family history suggests there is a very good chance he will lose his hair earlier rather than later in life.  I only suggested he consider marrying earlier rather than later.  Too harsh?  Well, anyway, he said if he was going to lose it later then he was going to use it now.

Makes sense.  I can respect that.