Saturday, June 30, 2012

Sneaky...

 
 
 
First I'll butter her up with some cuddles and kisses...then when Auntie Kitty least expects it, I'll make a run for it! I hear there's ice cream and puppies in the kitchen!!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Muscles!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tickle traps are hard work, and take a lot of muscle power...Right, Poppa? =)

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The End, and Again.

 
 
 
 
 
Of course it makes sense that Z's attention span would be getting longer, but it's an exciting thing watching your little guy grow up. I can remember the first couple times we pulled out the Tangled story book at Nonna's and Poppa's house. Even though it's one of his favorite stories, we never once made it to the end of the book. Now we get all the way to the end, and he asks for you to start over again!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

On the Run

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maybe I should be more grateful that I'm on bed rest and don't have to try and keep up with Z!

Under Cover

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Good thing we have Uncle Ben and Auntie Kitty around to burn off some of Z's excess energy!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Monstrous

 
 
 
In addition to play-do and frequent walks, Zachary also loved to have Grandpa read The Monster Bed to him. They spent lots of time checking out trolls and gnomes and fairies in this cute storybook. I think Grandpa was starting to get tired of reading the same book over and over, but Z was a happy great grandchild!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Purple Hippo Overload

 
 
 
 
 
 
Seeing Zachary play with Mame's purple hippo collection is certainly bittersweet. She would have been so thrilled to watch him playing. She always wanted to see him smiling, and having a good time. 

I'll admit I've been avoiding writing about the real reason for my recent visit to the QC. Mame's fight with colon cancer ended on May 17th, and we've been trying to pick up the pieces ever since. 

Mame was a constant in our lives, and things will never be the same without her.  Writing about her is so complicated. There's no capturing her personality in a few fleeting words, and I've made multiple attempts at writing this. This has resulted in lots of tears, and very few words. I can say with unwavering conviction that Mame loved her nieces and nephews more than anything, and had a very special place in her heart for her MonkeyShine, Zachary. 

I want to take away as much lightness from this too-soon ending as I can, because I think that is what Mame would have wanted. In the time we had with her, both before and after her diagnosis, she showed us how to make the most of what life has given you. For me, this means I need to take the time to appreciate my family, and recognize that they are the most important force in my life. I never want to hesitate in taking a vacation. I'm going to always try new recipes, and take the time to enjoy my garden. And if I want to fill my house with an eccentric collection that no one else understands, I'm not about to let anyone stop me!

I want to live my life to the absolute fullest, because you really never know what is going to be put in your path. Even throughout the ravages of chemotherapy and surgery she still managed to carry a sunny disposition and positive outlook with her, and we can all learn from her determination to make the most of the time we have, however long that is.

We'll drink the newly invented Purple Hippo to you, Mame. 

Love and miss you very much!

Party Animals

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Z needed some playtime with Momma, and I can't exactly roll around on the floor with him right now...so I invited all of his animals to a party! Of course, the party was located at 1 Poppa's Recliner Place, and Z had to personally escort all of the invitees onto the dance floor. We had a blast though, and then started club hopping to the love seat with Grandma, and then eventually to the plastic bucket by the toy box.

Sorry for any leftover crumbs or glitter in your recliner Poppa, we had a lot of party animals over!