Night Vision

Well, it's finally here!  The weekend for which we've all been waiting:  The British Musical Fireworks Championship!  And this year is the Champion of Champions as seven winners from the first competition back in 1999 are battling for the title of the Ultimate Winner.

There is a bit of sarcasm wrapped-up in there as no one out of Southport seems to know about this event, but a fireworks display is always delightful; so, no matter the hefty title, fireworks are a great family-friendly opportunity for time out of the house together.

It's been a long time since we did anything as a family outside after 7 P.M.  We didn't know it when we left to ride the train to Birkdale, but our senses had forgotten what it was like to be in the dark outside the safety of our four walls.  In all actuality, it has been nearly two years since we ventured out for a bit of nightlife excitement and we were thrown off by how scary the world is at night.

Jackson was safely tucked into his stroller under a thick blanket and even wanted to be buckled in for once!  Lee and I were facing the wild world without the barrier of a blanket though, and it was terrifying.  It all started with the thuggish teens at the train station.  They're so loud, brazen with their language, and barely clothed.  Scary stuff.  And at night, they seem to multiply.  There were probably only eight of them, but in the frightening blur of it all, it sounded like there were 30, maybe 40, of these delinquent youths.

The train arrived and we waited until the teens boarded so we could get into a different car.  We rode safely for the two stops required to get to Birkdale and of course, the crew of teens were getting off at the same station.  I feel better when a group of teenagers are in front of me instead of following in hot pursuit of my purse, or the diaper bag, or our baby, so I did the classic mom move:  pull to the side and pretend to be looking for something in the depths of my handbag that I need 'right now.'  So after many times of rotating through my script ("Oh dear.  I just had it.  Now, where is it?  Is this it?  Oh great; not again."), the gaggle of ruffians sauntered by and we were safe to make our way to the fireworks.

Do cars drive faster at night?  Yes.  Well, I think they do.  Even the roads took on a nigthmarish persona and each passing car seemed to be headed straight for us.  All we could see were headlights racing this way and that.  It was like a city of Christines.

The last fright of the night was an unlit pathway leading to part of the Trans Pennine Trail.  Usually a welcoming sight, the reduced visibility at night turned it into a passage of doom.  We could only see about 12 feet into the walkway and then it dropped off into a dark, evil abyss.

After running passed the opening to the trail, we found a safe, well-lit spot to view the fireworks with Jackson.  It was his first time seeing these sparkly explosions and he was surprised to see such a spectacle.  With shouts of "Wow!" and "Woah!" we could see that the trip out was all worth it in the end.

Jackson sporting his favourite hat, Diane Keaton style

Modelling, again.

We got a new deck!  (See the progression through the week below.)

We had a flower box put in at the far end of the deck just for fun.

See a link below in the comments section of the handyman who did this beautiful work!  We are really pleased with the outcome and how much better it makes the backyard look.  Also, it's much safer for Jackson now without all of the uneven cement flagstone work.

Jackson, taking it all very seriously and Lee, being a kid again

Mumsie and Jackson

The first round of the competition (and the only one we saw as Jackson fell asleep after this 15-or-so-minute show).

Developmental updates:  Jackson has become trickier.  He has expanded from his hiding and shouting, "Boo!" phase and has now moved on to sneakier tactics.  For instance, I was driving him to nursery and from the back seat, after 30 minutes of no talking at all, I hear, "Sssssss."  A snake in my car?  "Sssssss."  I started acting like I was scared, but still, all I got was, "Sssssss."  Jackson then moved on to roaring.  He said a few new phrases some of which include showing us that he is learning his colours.  He said 'red shoes,' 'three, two, one, blast off!' 'race,' 'wow,' 'me go,' 'hot,' and 'huh?'  This last one (huh?) is used when he's trying to be tricky in another way.  I asked him to put his coat on this week, and he clearly didn't want to, but instead of throwing a fit, he looked at me with a furrowed brow and said, "Huh?"  Then I said, "Put your arm through," because he knows the word 'arm' and he will usually put his coat on at this point because he likes to prove that he knows that word.  But still, all I got was, "Huh?"  I admired his craftiness and I prefer this new tactic over crying and throwing a tantrum.  On Thursday, Jackson began his six-week Zumbini course at nursery and his teacher said that he loved every minute of it.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

One

For a year now (and one more week), Jackson has been "one" technically.  But the difference between a 12-month-old and a 23-month-old--who are both in the one-year-old bracket--is immense.  So throughout the past year, I have only said that Jackson was 'one' about two or three times; most of the time, I responded to people's questions of his age with, "He's x-months-old."

But now that year is coming to an end and he will be two in a little over a week.  And it's just now hitting me that I will never be able to say that my little boy is "one" ever again.  I have even found myself saying, "He's nearly two," recently as if I am wishing away these last few weeks.

I don't remember getting emotional at all when he turned one.  I think it was because he was just beginning to walk, only knew how to say "Mommy" and "Daddy," and was still dependent on us for using a utensil to eat food.  Even though he was turning a year older, I still felt that I had my baby around for a while longer.

I didn't think I would be a sentimental mom about things like birthdays and turning another year older; however, to see that little munchkin who was once my tiny little baby doll approaching true boyhood, creating his own story lines at nursery, it is quite heart wrenching when I take the time to reflect on the last year as a whole.  Jackson has grown from a toddling, wide-eyed, little bambino into a racing, bold, strapping young lad.  The baby years are officially behind us and that's what makes this birthday so difficult to face.

So for the next week, Jackson will be "one" and I will be thankful for the remaining times that I get to say this.

Happy Chappy

Playing outside at his great grandpa's house

Picking his first apple in Grandpa Don's orchard.  We got permission first and it was a learning curve at the beginning because Jackson thought he was supposed to pick the leaves off instead of the apples.

Without any hesitation, Jackson took a bite of his apple right off the tree!  Although I didn't think this was very safe, he seems to be all right.

Jackson and his older cousin, Connor, playing with monster trucks

Developmental updates:  Jackson is counting now and can say his numbers one through ten, but still needs some prompting as to which one comes next.  He can even count backwards from three to one and then say, "Blast off!"  We are noticing that Jackson is listening better to directions and cooperates with us much more during the morning routines.  He is still unsure about being left at nursery in the mornings, but three times this week, he did not want to stop playing at the end of the day so I think that's a good sign.  Jackson seems to love the bigger play space and mingling with the older children.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Loving Every Day

On the radio Thursday, a clothing designer was talking about the feedback he gets at the end of his fashion shows.  He said that when he used to walk out, he would hear floods of applause and let the praise sink in, savouring the moment.  But now, at the end of his shows, it is completely silent (but well-lit by mobile devices) because everyone is holding up their phones, recording the finale.  He went on to say that even in art museums, spectators take a photo of a piece of art, move on to the next one, take another photo, and repeat whereas they used to look, wait, stare, look closer, possibly have an emotional reaction to the artwork, and then move on.

And I thought how true this was in my life and how much I have changed in the past ten years since the dawning of Facebook and the emergence of Youtube and other media sites.  I do find myself now just snapping photographs as fast as I can--even taking panoramic shots to capture my entire surroundings--so that I can load them on my computer and review them later.  But, I never do.  They just sit in the invisible land of the Internet, which I trust to hold all of my memories.  I hardly ever print them out to share with friends who visit or display lovingly in my home.  The last time I made a real photo album was 2006; now, the only albums I possess exclusively exist on screens.  Furthermore, reflecting on the fashion designer's comments:  I only half-listened to what he was saying because I knew that I could listen to the conversation online later--but I haven't and I probably won't.

Sadly, my great-aunt recently passed away and her funeral was on Friday.  She was one of the nicest, funniest, most lovable little ladies I ever knew.  And she was little standing sweetly at only 4' 10".  My Aunt Diane never failed to send me a birthday, Christmas, or anniversary card even when I moved away to England.  Every Christmas, she made her own chex mix and my first Christmas here, she sent a huge bag of it.  Her other holiday specialty was peanut butter fudge made using marshmallow fluff.  Aunt Diane's house was always immaculate and although the decorations never changed at least for 30 years, I appreciated the pristine cleanliness and how house-proud she was.  Also, for at least 30 years, she always wore the same perfume and it became her scent.  It was so sweet yet strong and I told her every time I saw her that I loved it.  She never wasted a day and set a great example for how to live life to the fullest.

My adorable little aunt died from cancer.  Stupid cancer.  She was so hard-working and always had at least three jobs at once.  It's so unfair that someone so special and pure and good can be taken by something that just sneaks its way into the body and attacks and ruins everything.

The last time I saw her was in August back in Ohio.  I wish I would have spent more time with her.  My Aunt Diane was the last link to someone who grew-up with my grandma--who passed away when I was seven.  I wish I would have asked more questions about her childhood, gathered more stories about her past, and taken any life advice she learned along the way.  I didn't want to put a strain on her, making her recount things that maybe she didn't want to talk about; but, now I wish that I would have just asked.

With these new reflections, I hope to take more in from each moment and to pass along the old ways of experiencing life (pre-social media) to Jackson.  Saying something funny to get a smile out of someone else, or even looking someone right in the eye, catching the full-of-life glint that you can't see through a lens.

Pre-game chat

The new technique of carrying a ball and dribbling one at the same time.  So inventive!

Throw-in from the sidelines

Tuckered out after practice

A lovely English stroll through the village--and, Jackson being the coolest again.

Developmental updates:  Jackson's new word of the week was 'okay.'  I think he has said it before, but now he is using it to respond to questions of, "Are you okay?" and in the context of agreeing to do something like if I ask him to bring me his bottle.  He has also started saying, "Oh rats," more frequently and with great expression when he drops a toy or his 'choo choo' comes off the track.  We noticed a big improvement in his soccer (football) skills yesterday at his practice and he even tried to position himself next to the coaches as if he was instructing all of the other children.  When they got in a circle, he sat right beside the coach and laughed at everything he said, copying all of his actions.  During the second circle time, he did a dance in the middle and then started some sort of soul train, swerving in and out of the parents along the circumference.  Other than that, he also showed impressive dribbling skills and good control of the ball--for a nearly two-year-old.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.