Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Visiting Colin-FINALLY!

September 29-October 2, 2018                                                       Most Recent Posts:
Severn, Maryland                                                                             Old Sugarlands, Bears and Good Bye to the Mills
                                                                                                        More Cdes Cove and Hen Wallow Falls-GSMNP


Finally David is well enough to visit our grandson, Colin Harrison Iwanowski who was born on September 1, 2018.  We drive up to Severn for the visit.


SATURDAY

Colin is sleeping when we arrive.  We know we’re prejudiced but we think he’s a mighty pretty baby.   His one month birthday is in two days.


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So of course his Nana and Papa bring him presents.  He wakes up in time to see his mommy and big sister opening them.  Of course, that is after his sister has already opened hers in such a flurry of fun that I don’t get any pictures.


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Looks like he doesn’t find his new shirt saying Little Brother very exciting.


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It’s wonderful how much Celia loves him and is not at all jealous of the time he spends with Nana or Mommy.  Pretty sweet for a 28 month old.

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Celia is a happy little girl with less of the “terrible twos” than most children I’ve seen.  Not that she can’t throw a fit if she doesn’t get her way but it’s not common luckily for her parents.

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She shows her Nana and Winnie the Pooh her letters.

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It’s a beautiful day in Maryland so we take a walk around the neighborhood.  Papa can’t go because his leg is very painful, a result of his raging myeloma numbers.  But he takes pictures from his spot on the front porch as we pass by.


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After the walk I get some pictures of David and the kids. We all fail at getting Celia to sit down and look at the camera. It took a dozen pictures to get these two.  But she’s darling wherever she is and whatever she’s doing. (well maybe not standing at the top of the stairs screaming)

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Colin spends a lot of time perfecting his little angel look.  However in full disclosure he has some pretty severe colic when he’s awake and is mighty uncomfortable.

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Everyone takes their turn trying to sooth him.  Nana makes sure she gets the most turns.  His crying doesn’t seem to bother Celia although she will come up and pat him and say “It’s OK baby”.   Just makes me burst out laughing.


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Celia in patting position.  Colin with the “worried look”.

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Papa gets his turn holding and patting the baby.

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He reads to Celia whose hands down favorite toys are books.

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SUNDAY

Nana and Celia have breakfast at her little table and do some playing together.


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Nana is a tad big for Celia’s little chair but she wants Nana to sit in it so of course Nana does.



Then it’s time for a trip to the park while all “the boys” watch football.  First thing is the double slide which she does multiple times until she sees the bigger one.   I can imagine in a couple of years she will bring her little brother here and they will go down one on each side.


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The biggest slide is a big hit!

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It has to be done over and over and over again of course.  Up the stairs, over the cat walk, down the slide.

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Celia spots some bigger kids jumping from circle to circle and wants to do it too.  With a little help.

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Neither Carrie nor I see the Little Library but Celia does. 

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Can’t quite reach the books.  How about some help?

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So much for swings, slides and climbing.  Reading a book takes over.


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Back home, Carrie joins the football watchers.  She and Matthew are in a pool.  Matthew also picks for Colin and Celia who aren’t yet football fans but I suppose will be.  Nana, not so much.

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Celia would rather go places.   She puts on her shoes, packs up the diaper bag, gets her hat and tells us she’ll” be right back” as she marches through the family room, dining room, living room and back into the family room through the gate where she announces “I back”. She then proceeds to take off the hat, shoes and take things out of the diaper bag before loading it all up, putting the hat and shoes on and “be right back”.  Over and over and over and over again.



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The hat didn’t get on quite right for this trip.  Too funny!   She is a busy bee and so hilarious.  We have to be careful how many times we tell her she’s SO CUTE!

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She wants to hold “brother”.

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But when mommy puts him on her lap she declares he’s “too heaby”.

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MONDAY

This morning David makes us a yummy oatmeal pancake breakfast with blueberry syrup which we scarf down with no time for pictures.

Carrie tries the “hold Cowin” idea again this time between Celia’s legs and it works out fine.


Celia looks pleased but Colin has his worried look.


Little Brother, Big sister.



Many phone calls on her pink plastic phone.

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Celia Claire reading while her mother’s doll baby, Amanda Claire, from about 1982, looks on in the background.

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Today’s adventure is Kids time at the roller rink.  This is a great idea.  The rink is open on Monday’s from 10 to 12 for chidren 2-6 to bring push toys or scooters or small bikes to go around and around with the usual music and flashing lights.


We didn’t get there at the beginning and when we arrived they’d just started the Hokey Pokey.

What a riot!  Put your right arm in.  All the adults knew just what to do.  The kids were trying.



LIVE at the rink, here’s a video of the HOKEY POKEY.  Toooo funny.  Check out that backside. shake.


Celia finally did get the hang of it.


We picked out one of the big sitting spots in the rink for Papa and Colin so they could be part of the action but Colin slept through it, noise and all.

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I didn’t get any pictures of Celia pushing her cart around as she abandonded it quite soon for other toys.  This one was her favorite, brought by another boy who liked her cart and the Koala bear in it. 

It’s a trike that you can push kids in and make sharp turns left or right zipping around the floor.  She thought it was great fun.  Wish I’d had skates on like the mother in the background pushing her baby in a stroller around the rink.


Toward the end of the time, there is a craft activity.

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It was a great activity making “stained glass” dolphins with a stencil and sheer colored paper pieces.

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Celia was a bit too young for it.  You really need to be able to use scissors and paste for it to work.  Thus it got abandonded at this stage in favor of  more play time in the rink.

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Big balls were a hit, for rolling and pulling by their handles.



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None of the lights going on and off, swirling and changing or the music seemed to bother her at all.  She wanted to try out everyone else’s toys. 



Papa and Colin have better than ring side seats.


Mommy takes her on another spin. How about those fast moving feet and dayglo sox?
Pretty hip Mommy. 
See the Video here.


Back home, it’s a typical shot of Carrie and her two.

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Colin gets his one month birthday picture.   Mommy just sets the number on him rather than peel it off and stick it on his clothing and risk waking him up.  All mothers of two under the age of 3 will understand.


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Tired parents trying to keep up with email and messages.


While Celia says NO every time you ask her if she wants to use the potty, she brings it out of the bathroom and into the family room and puts Amanda the doll baby on it.  Amanda is only slightly smaller than Colin.


Sadly we have to leave on Tuesday for one of David’s many medical appointments in the afternoon but this is the image we’ll take with us until NEXT TIME!!