Careful kids are a blessing to a mom and dad. Our kids were never the type to stand up in a shopping cart seat; to climb out of their high chairs or topple out of their cribs. They've always been careful, smart about that kind of stuff. Liam's especially cautious. He waited to walk until he was 21 months old; plagued by ear infections and unsure of his balance for all that time, he walked for the first time the very afternoon he had tubes put in his ears. Wearing a triumphant grin, he also climbed aboard a rocking horse he had always refused to ride. On my birthday no less. From fainting dead away in the pre-op room as my baby went under in my arms to seeing that baby walk the same afternoon...what a day that was.
To this day, he's careful, remembering in some inner recess what it is to be out of balance.
Cousin Jake leads the way, hotfooting it across a fallen sycamore. He's careful too, in a self-assured kind of way. Liam's not liking his own odds.
He drops to his seat and scooches without a prompt. That's my boy.
He drops to his seat and scooches without a prompt. That's my boy.
No shame in coming out all in one piece, in hanging on for dear life. Well, life IS dear, and worth hanging on to. I wear my weeny crown with pride. I think it shows how much we value our strong limbs and unbroken bones, this immense gift of health and life. No bungee jumping, no whitewater for me, thanks. No thrill's so great as to be worth your life.
You just take your time.Chet Baker really wants to trot across the sycamore, and whimpers to be lifted up, but Mether's heart can't take it. I know he'd be fine, but that cliff fall is a little too fresh in my memory.
Nice brindling, Bacon.
He's hangin' wit his homey, Cooper.
What a good looking pair they make. I'm glad Chet finally has a best friend.
Liam fetches up on a boulder, snowy hair backlit in the weak winter sun.
And eases his way down.
16 comments:
Careful is a wonderful attribute, whether it is paired with caution or self-assurance. If only there were more careful folk around! This is a wonderful post, great photos as usual and very nice that Chet is heading into the New Year with a best friend. Happy New Year to you, Julie. I rarely comment but always enjoy.
Happy New Year to everyone!! Thanks so much for your understanding. Two posts a week--that seems doable to me, and I'm still having fun. I really appreciate your four years of support, and hope you'll keep coming back.
Julie, you know we'll never leave here!
I adore Liam and his intuitive, smart self. Careful is always a good thing, you know ;-)
Lovely post. Happy New Year.
XO Mare
Happy New Year!
and Thank You for all the wonderful posts.
Love that boy! And that gorgeous girl of yours, too. Somehow, Chet's confidence and pointy ears make him seem bigger -- and Cooper, swell pal that he is, is completely cool with it. What a great pair!
Ah, I've got the opposite. Multiple ER visits, forehead stitched twice before he was 5, wants to hang, swing, jump, plunge, soar with the best of 'em. He's aged me in many ways over the past 17 years. But he's a blessing too, lol.
Happy, Happy New Year to you and yours.
Liked the inner message of your post -- to be careful with life -- one needs to be in today's world. -- barbara
When I saw the title of your post, I thought maybe it was a new hit single by the Swinging Orangutangs (still the last G bothers me).
Anyway, I find even better--a wonderful post about kids on a walk, and dogs with best friends.
Sweet.
Happy New Year, to you and all your treasured ones.
Hmmm...A sweet New Year's pastorale to being in tune with our natural-born self and to those who help us grow into them. Thank you, Leslieyosh
I wear a weeny crown too, but not my younger son. At age 11, we were in emergency room every full moon for broken collar bone, gashed nearly-to-the-bone knee, sutured head. He went on to compete in Ecochallenge New Zealand and Ecochallenge Fiji and many local ecochallenges. Many near heart-failures on my part. Today he amazes me at the incredible father he is to his 3-yr. old. My older son is the cautious one. Thanks for reminding me of the joy of parenting.
Wonderful post for a new year's eve. Cautious children are a blessing indeed. This is a beautiful set of pictures - from Liam's expressions to tall, prety Phoebe to Chet Baker and his speckled big new friend.
Thank you again for this blog - Happy New Year to you and yours!
Just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed your posts. It was wonderful looking at the blog first thing in the morning. But two posts is still lovely. And worth it for time for your cultivate yourself and yours.
Good that you have careful children to balance out Chet. Bossies in my experience are never careful, full steam ahead and damn the consequences!
My middle son is the family "crash test dummy". He has NO sense of self preservation. His medical file is 4 inches thick! He's now 26! How he survived I'll never know. He had broken bones and stitches all the time. Thank goodness he's college graduated and employed WITH health insurance. He's a triathlete and everyday on the bike I cringe when the phone rings. Now he wants a MOTORCYCLE!
Holy COW!
Jeanette
You wear your weeney hat well.
But you're hardly what I'd call a weeney,
cayman-wrestling-otter-wrangling womaan.
I step unabashedly aside, as cars whiz past my cautious approach on icy roads, knowing I'll likely find him and his big-wheel nose-down in the ditch further on.
Bravado has nothing on good common sense.
Chet and Cooper looks absolutely overjoyed at being together! How wonderful life is when you have friends near by.
Post a Comment