a smattering of thoughts

i've looked back at posts and realized that i've really slacked off.

life.

its been really great lately. so much so it's gotten in the way of blogging.  i suppose there are worse problems to have.

where to start?

ok. i never blogged about his birthday.  back in november we had cashel's birthday party at griffith park.  this is the invitation:

then we had thanksgiving, christmas, new years, blah blah blah

you can see all of these awesome pictures on my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84024656@N02/sets

right now it's march.  last week's weather was awesome - mid to upper 70's!  this week we're back in the 60's.  booooooooo

we're so spoiled here in so cal!

let me think....some highlights (and lowlights) off the top of my head:

-the schedule between halloween and new year's just about killed me last year. we were way too busy.
-how do people with more than one kid do it?
-cashel was in a soccer/baseball class with an amazing coach - coach akeim with "little boy joseph" and celia
-cashel resumed gymnastics where he can jump jump jump
-cashel started a theater class at theater 360.  he is playing the big billy goat of "the three billy goat's gruff"
-we play hide and go seek every.single.day.as.many.times.as.we.can.fit.it
-we also play a lot of freeze dance
-his go-to birthday present for friends is napkins and a can of green beans
-cashel has little interest in actually skiing but really wants to throw snow balls at jason as he snowboards
-he is spiderman much of the time
-he'll approach me and say - "ok mom. i have to say something......tag you're it!" and he dashes off
-he says "i like pirates much more than many things"
-"dad, you're reading to me tonight?  that's not cool"

and my favorite....when we were in raleigh we were on the ncsu campus and saw the bell tower and he said, "dad! is that the tower that mom was in when you saved her from the dragon?" and our response? "yep"

martin luther vampire

cashel brought his picture home the other day.

jason was watching cashel brush his teeth as i walked into the room with my tongue sticking through the hole in MLK's mouth (because i though that's what the kids had been doing...silly me) and i said, "who's this bud?"
and he said: "martin luther king vampire"

hmmmm.....

that's not exactly the response we expected.

do we want our boy to know who MLK is?  of course! and he'e learning that from us and at school.  the next day i asked him what MLK did and he said, "he helped people be who they are," which is, i think, a great answer for a 4 year old.

his uncle brian was over the next night. his gay uncle, i should say.

that's important because, well, he's gay and we love him and totally support his rights.  we told him and showed him the picture, which he got a kick out of.

well....

about a minute later jason and i both figured out to ask cashel, "were you the only one who made martin luther king a vampire?" to which he responded, "well, courtney scratched out one of his eyes and he was a pirate!"

...there you go folks. hopefully no one is offended by four year old thoughts....

wit

you are strong-minded and intelligent. you are actively creative and dynamic. your quick wit is apparent from the get-go. your intelligence doesn't come from pure academics--you work from your gut instincts, which more often than not steer you on the right course. your enthusiasm is strong, but you can also be quick to tire of one particular thing. although you are independent and rather willful, you won't disregard others' wisdom. because you have many talents and interests, you can easily stray from your path. your biggest challenge in life is to stay focused.

this is the horoscope for someone born on november 10....cashel's birthday.

he has the "quick wit" part down.

exhibit a: (last night at dinner - just he and i)

me: cashel, don't you love spaghetti?

cashel: (getting out of his chair) you know what i love mommy?

me: what cashel?

cashel: (walks over with a sly smile and gives me a hug then sits back down)

me: oh, that was so sweet!  i love that!

cashel:  mommy? do you know what i love?

me: what cashel?

cashel: (walks over with a sly smile and gives me a hug then sits back down)

me:  wow.  that's really sweet.

cashel:  mommy? do you know what's sweet?

me: what cashel? (i know what's coming)

cashel: (yet another hug and a sly smile)

he knows this is gold.

later that night when wrestling with daddy he stops wrestling and, without saying a word, gives his dad a big hug, then resumes wrestling.

love that kid.

touch

i've become quite addicted to a tv show called "army wives"

it's a show about some women who are army wives.

but it's a show that reminds me what it means to be a family.

it's great in that way.

tonight there was an episode about a mother who has an only son who has chosen to go into the army.

the part that got me was this...

....there was a scene where she touched and held is hand.

while jason and i hold hands a lot it's not the same as me thinking about the physical bond i have with cashel.

he touches me.

he touches me freckle.

he is intimately attached to my freckle.

ever since he was a baby he has been so connected to me.

he used to reach his his hand inside my shirt.

i know it was a very innocent thing for him to do.

in the last year and a half or so we've been having the conversation about it being inappropriate for him to do so.

so...

tonight....

she and her son were talking on either side of a chain linked fence.  at one point she put her hand up on the fence and so did he and they had a moment where words just wouldn't do it in the same way that touch did.

i have a feeling that as cashel gets older him holding my hand will become less important to him...

...but it won't to me. 

pictures from my phone

who knows?

great answer

me:  cashel, who's prettier?  me or kaitlyn

cashel: mama, you're both pretty