Keyboard, Big Guy, Etc.

Since Spencer was asleep by 6:30 tonight (!), I decided to use this unexpected free time to do a quick update. So here we go...

1. Keyboard (Not the Kind for Typing)
When Daddy's cousin, Katie, found out how much Spencer loves music, she graciously offered to bring over her keyboard. It has been a big hit (for all of us)! We've only had it since Sunday, but each morning Spencer has started his day by plopping down and playing it. Thank you Katie!!

2. Snuggly Quote

I jotted this one down last week and have heard variations of it ever since: "Can we make a big snuggle setup? It's gonna be a big job. We're gonna need blankets and pillows and pillows and pillows and pillows..." Snuggle setups are popular around here.

3. BIG BOY

Oh my stars, is it just me, or is Spencer looking so big boy right now? While I was in Minneapolis last week, he got a nasty little scratch under his eye at school, and that really made him look older to me. And look at those hands!

 

4. Scenes from the Weekend
Nothing monumental to write about, but just a few scenes from a fun weekend reconnecting after I had been out of town. We spent some time at Rollingwood Park playing on the playground, running bases and listening to a band play for a kid's party. Even grocery shopping was fun.

6 Seconds of Thrashing

Dave was filming Spencer playing his new guitar when all of a sudden he made a fast and furious entrance, performance and exit. Cracked us up!

Valentine's Day 2012

Since Valentine's Day is all about love, we decided to give Spencer something we knew he'd REALLY love: a real guitar. He's been asking for one a lot lately, and when Paw-Paw offered to contribute to the guitar fund, we figured this was a good time to surprise our boy. Apologies for the longish run time - I need some video editing software in my bag of tricks...

This was kind of a weird V-Day. I woke up sick in the middle of the night (yes, again...) and spent the day trying to work in between feeling like I wanted to curl up and disappear. Even though Spencer doesn't go to school on Tuesdays, he was invited to join his classmates in the morning for their Valentine's Day party. Daddy took care of getting Spencer to and from the party, then they went out for a gentlemen's lunch at Chili's. I was hoping I would rebound in time for our little friend Cy's birthday party in the afternoon, but alas, the boys were on their own again. And here's where things got really interesting... Midway through the party Spencer started telling Daddy that he didn't feel well. So they headed out and he fell asleep in the car. Just as they pulled into the driveway, the poor guy threw up all over the place. Daddy was such an MVP and took care of cleaning up the car and carseat.

The guys made me feel special with some really sweet cards and some yummy chocolate. Spencer painted a little canvas for Dave - I'll have to get a picture of that... Hope your day was filled with love, too!

Snowstorm 2012

It snowed for 10 whole minutes in South Austin yesterday. But hey, any snow is still exciting!

March King

Yesterday we took Spencer to "Super Sousa Sunday" at Gregory Gym on the UT campus. The Austin Symphony Brass Quintet performed some of the March King's greatest hits. Spencer lasted for almost the whole hour before he got a little too squirmy and we retreated to the back of the gym where he could run around with some kids. He seemed to enjoy himself - he was conducting and grooving to the beat. I am a big fan of marches and just love that Spencer is showing an interest in music.

Daddy snapped this picture while Spencer was playing at the back of the gym. Hook 'Em!

Observe. Listen. Be Present.

"Our children are our clearest mirrors. They reflect back to us our purity. And our spiritual immaturity. They truly do mirror our best and our worst. This is why they are our greatest teachers... Indeed, our children are always reflecting back our essence – the positive and the negative. All we need to do is become aware. Observe. Listen. Attend. Be present."  - The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Sick Boy

Spencer has been fighting some sort of sickness for almost two weeks. He would have fever for a day or two, then it would go away. His nose would be super runny one day and pretty normal the next. But this week he developed a wet cough and his fever spiked a couple of times. Since we found out a few kids at school were diagnosed with RSV, we decided to pay a trip to Dr. Bayer. The visit culminated with a finger prick blood test and this is how Spencer felt about that: