Goodnight Moon

Today is an anniversary that I’d rather not remember. But I do. It was a year ago today that my Uncle Gene passed away, leaving us with a huge hole and wonderful memories.

In addition to those wonderful memories, there is also a reminder of him in your bedroom. It is your book, Goodnight Moon. Every time I see that book or read it to you, I think of Gene and remember the night that I learned Gene had passed as if it were yesterday. That day, a year ago, I had been on the phone with grandma and grandpa getting updates on Gene’s condition. Just before you were headed to bed for the night, we received the call that Gene had died. With that news, I took you upstairs to put you to bed and I read the book Goodnight Moon over and over again.

For anyone that has read the book, you will understand it’s strange significance to that particular event. To this day, I cannot read that book without crying and it will always be powerful, symbolic and sentimental.

One day, I will explain why I cry when I read you that book and you will understand. Last night, all you could do was look at me quizzically and reach out to touch my tears with your little finger.

Your Big Boy Little Chair

Several weeks ago, we took our Mecca to Babies R’ Us to pick up supplies. While there, we happened upon the children’s furniture area. You’ve never been so excited to see a chair. It was like the clouds had parted and there in front of you was a chair MADE. FOR. YOU. After sitting in several different models, you selected this one:

It has Tigger on the seat of it, so when you stand on your chair, we started saying “No, sit on Tigger.” Now every time you sit on your chair, you call out “Sit on Tigger” – which in reality sounds like “Shit on igger”, but we know what you mean.

You’re not the only one, however, excited to find wee furniture:

Various States of Undress

Need I say more?

And, yes, we’re quite aware that this looks like the baby version of a Chippendale’s dancer. But we’ve titled it “Real Men Wear Bibs”:

Trying on new “hats”

The infamous bucket is still used as a hat on a regular basis. Thing is, you’ve accidentally stepped on it so many times that both sides have been taped repeatedly to keep it together. You have several buckets we keep in the backyard for you to put rocks in… and of course, try on as hats:

A real “Kaboom”:

Two of Mommy’s absolute favorite pictures of you. This is the quintessential “Asher look”:

And this is just adorable, even with boogers and dirt:

Random Play

Your daddy has been very good about taking the camera out when you guys go off to play. You go to the park almost daily with Alyssa and on the weekends, you like to poke around the playground at the school up the street.

There’s lots of hills at the school yard and when you go up a hill, you like to say “up up up up” and then as you’re traveling down the hill, it’s “down down down down”. Alyssa said you will spend a good 10 minutes of every walk going up and down the same hill over and over.

Rocks. The other favorite toy:

And, you can now do these stairs without hanging onto the pole:

Back in January

These pictures were taken back in January. It was one of the first excursions we went on with our new camera and the photos are just wonderful. This is only a select few of the hundreds we took that day: