Nap Time

Walking the Dog

Fathers Day

I realize Father's Day was almost a week ago, but I worked long hours this week and we have had internet and computer problems at home so better late than never...

Tito asked the kids to come help with some yard work as his gift this year and they all pitched in!

Including Kaiden - I think he was supervising!

And working with heavy equipment!

We then had a wonderful dinner outside - that is frosting on his face. Tito said it was his best Father's Day!

Tall Tales and One Tall Cowboy

One of my earliest memories of my Dad was standing in front of our house and watching as this tall concrete cowboy was put in place. My Dad said he had never seen such a tall cowboy in his life. A couple weeks ago I started thinking about this cowboy and decided to go and take a picture of it before something happened to it (it has been there at least 54 years because we moved from that house when I was 4 years old). This is not a great neighborhood and I took the picture quickly and left.

My Dad had a dry sense of humor and loved to kindly tease us children. He always told us that doughnut holes were poisonous and to not eat them. We would cautiously eat close to the hole making sure to not break into the hole itself and leave the rest on our plate (of course he would gather them up and eat them).

After my Mama would gently remind us to ask for items to be passed at the table and to not reach for them, Dad would chime in with "its not reaching as long as you still have one foot on the floor." I am sure she loved that. My 6'5" son loves this one and points out there probably isn't anything he couldn't reach using this rule.

If you look at the picture of my Dad in the last post you can see he was missing parts of 2 fingers and his thumb on his left hand. When anyone would ask what happened he would say one time he was so very hungry he didn't stop eating when he got to the end of his sandwich. Little kids eyes would grow large in wonder. As I got older I doubted the story so I asked my Mom because I would never have let my Dad know I didn't believe everything he told me.

The real story: When he was 12 his family was having a new well dug on their property and the crew had blasting caps. My Dad and his brother picked some of them up and tried to set them off by smashing them with rocks. Time came to do chores so my Dad picked up the ones that hadn't gone off and put them in his pocket. He was using a walk behind plow to weed crops and the handle rubbing against his leg caused one to explode and he lost parts of his fingers.

My Dad

I wrote about my Mama the week before Mother's Day so I thought I would write about my Dad this week before Father's Day.


This picture is me with my Dad and his sister, my Aunt Ruby, when I was about 4 years old. The picture tells quite a lot about my Dad, he always wore a long sleeve shirt, he always wore a hat when he was outside, he smoked which is one of the reasons why he died so young. He was 50 years old when I was born and I was 18, two weeks out of high school when he died.

He was born in Iowa the 7th of 9 children and had to leave school after the 6th grade to work on the family farm. Even though he did not have a formal education he was an accomplished man. He was a farmer until the farm was lost in a bad draught year. He then worked as a manager at trailer parks to support his family. He was the hardest working man I have ever known. I never knew anyone who did not like him.

He was a quiet man with a dry sense of humor and a sparkle in his eye and a great love for his family. I adored him and was very blessed to have him as my Dad.

I Want To Remember

I want to remember

How he lifts his shirt to show us his Panza (Spanish for tummy).

How he shows us his nose and honks because that is the sound Tito makes when you squeeze his nose.

How he can't quite figure out why Tito's nose doesn't make that sound in church.

How he smiles when we hold hands to say prayer before a meal.

How I find his blocks in cupboards and under things after he has been here.

How he walks around with is hands behind his back.

How he "smells flowers". (He opens his mouth, blows and then says ahh).

How he shutters when he first tastes a pickle, but continues to eat them and wants more.

How he dances.

How he goes to the stairs whenever he hears Tito coming up in his chair.

How he puts the remote or a camera or his shoe to his ear and says "Hi".

How he keeps taking one shoe off.

How he smiles.

How he laughs.

How he smells.

How he interacts with people, developing his sweet little personality.

How he is figuring out the world around him - he recognizes people in pictures, knows pushing buttons makes things work, etc.

How he will walk out of the room and say "bye".

Even how he throws a temper tantrum. It is quite comical.

I know there are so many things about Nathan at this age that I don't remember. I looked at his baby book a couple months ago and read what he was doing and saying when he was a year old and was surprised how many things I hadn't thought of in years. I started this blog because I don't scrapbook. I tried and it just isn't me. I hope by writing these everyday things down, I will remember.

Classic Toy

I finally found this push toy for Kaiden. I went on a search because he loves to push things around like my Shark and the crutch in the background. I found lawn mowers that made bubbles, I found several toys for girls, doll strollers and pink vacuums. But I was really looking for something like this classic toy. He loved it.

Googlely Eyes

Memorial Day Bar-B-Que

We went spent Sunday at our friends' (Rick and Mary) bar-b-que celebrating Memorial Day. Nathan grew up with their boys and Mary was like a second Mom to him. The day was beautiful and we all had a great time. Kaiden got to eat dinner with his Dad

and ride in the red wagon


and pet the chickens

and play in the sand
(he had the best time doing this)

and smell the flowers

and swing.

Quite a lot for one day!

Dinner and a Puzzle

On Saturday the kids came for dinner. Kaiden enjoyed the corn!

I played with Kaiden while they worked on the puzzle. I love listening to them while they work together (or compete for puzzle pieces). As I have mentioned before, we are quite a competitive family and puzzles can be a contact sport at our house. It was a very nice evening.

First Haircut

This happened a few weeks ago, but didn't have pictures until now. Before
After

He didn't fuss at all. But there was the bell on the engine to entertain him as well as the TV with the Sponge Bob video.