ALL BOY

So, I have said it over and over and I will say it again...I LOVE being the mom to a little boy. Why you say? Well, let me just share a couple of stories with you and then you will know why I love being the mom of a little boy.

We sent Nate off to Papa and Grandma's house on Friday night because Jeremy and I both had to work on Saturday. We called my in-laws after dinner to say Good-night to Nate and my mother-in-law said that Nate and Papa had been outside 'slaying dragons'. Nate came to the phone to confirm this grand adventure and then proceeded to say that he killed a dragon and then peed on it. I absolutely LOVE Nate's creativity and personality. And, this is why I love being the mom of a little boy.

After spending the night and most of Saturday with Grandma and Papa, Nate came home with a surprise! Grandma had bought him his first pair of boxers! When I came home from work Nate was very excited to show me his new underwear. He ran down the hall and said, "Mommy! I have a magic trick for you!" He said, "Abracadabra...." and then he pulled out his 'you-know-what'. The look on his face was priceless...he was SO proud of himself for figuring this out. He said, "Clap Mommy!!!" And, as his mommy, I clapped...and then laughed my head off. I love watching this little boy beam when he does something that he is so excited and proud of. And, this is why I love being the mom of a little boy.

And to top it off...do you know what Jesus, Star Wars, Toy Story pajamas, and airplanes have in common? Well, they just all happened to be part of Nater's prayer tonight. He was all over the place with his prayer but it was truly genuine with the childlike faith that we should all strive to have in our life. As I was closing his door at bedtime he said, "Mommy I like you. You're my best friend." I love his sensitivity and listening to him talk. And, these are just a few stories of why I love being the mom of a little boy. :)

FINALLY!!!!!!!

Nate is FINALLY potty-trained!!!!!! This is soooo exciting to us and we are enjoying EVERY minute of it. No more diapers, no more changing of the diapers, and no more diaper bag. We feel soo free!!!! And, so does Nate...in fact, he feels so free that on several occasions he has dropped his pants outside and proceeded to pee on whatever his target was...be it a tree, a pole or a bug. Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go! Especially when you are newly potty trained. And, when you are a little boy you have that advantage to go wherever you are (outside of course)! Unfortunately, I have not had my camera with me for these human fountains but maybe I will get lucky one of these days. I can only imagine the wonderful 'momma bribery' that a picture like that can hold. After all, that is a right to being a 'mom', and we are going to need all the help we can get when he is a teenager!

A tribute to my Grandpa Tayloe

(Nate with his Great-Grandpa Tayloe, Spring 2010)

After Jeremy and I went to St. Louis to visit my Grandpa in the hospital and to 'take the fair' to him, we left under the impression that he was going to be okay. However, I had a funny feeling when I was walking out of his room that it would be the last time I would see him. I shrugged that thought off thinking that it was impossible...my Grandpa just couldn't die. We were relieved when we kept getting the reports that he was doing better and it looked as if discharge was going to be soon. However, during the morning of Friday, August 6th, my Grandpa suffered another heart attack in the hospital and they were unable to revive him. The news was unexpected and quite emotional. We made arrangements in our schedules and got on the road to Owensville with Nate and Maverick in tow. My mom was generous enough to pick up Nate on Sunday to watch him since we knew it would be hard to tend to Nate during the viewing and the funeral. The funeral was on Monday and even though it was difficult, it was a very nice service, including a full military salute. Over 700 friends and family stopped by to pay their respects to my Grandpa. He was quite the man in Owensville...he helped out everyone and was a member of every club. He would always give us grandkids a quarter when we saw him and so us grandkids (and some of the great-grandkids) went to the gravesite before everyone else and threw quarters in his grave. It was a special moment for all of us and the weekend was sentimental to say the least. Despite the circumstances, it was nice to see extended family and share stories of Grandpa Tayloe and memories of the past. I wrote a poem (which is presented below) and read it at my Grandpa's funeral.

Willard O. Tayloe

1922-2010

There was only one Willard Tayloe,

there's no doubt about that,

with a toothpick hanging from his mouth,

decked out in his cowboy boots, belt, and hat.

There are so many memories,

that I will hold close to my heart,

like playing hide and seek between appliances,

and the summer fairs at Owensville Park.

Taking the boat out on the lake,

swinging on the front porch at night,

he even taught me my first cuss word,

much to my parents dislike.

He'd fall asleep after every meal

in his favorite rocking chair,

and I'll never forget the trip to Disney,

my Grandpa liked to travel and drive everywhere.

I viewed him as invincible,

such a strong man was he,

he had so many close calls,

including the shot he took in Normandy.

He was stern and hard-working,

and a reliable friend to all,

whether he was delivering a Maytag dryer,

or decorating with the Lions Club at the VFW hall.

Us grandkids always joked

that we should have saved up,

with a quarter from every visit,

we could've taken a trip to the World Cup.

I thought he was too stubborn to die,

but God must have shown him one of heaven's scenes,

a fair that lasts forever,

complete with fish sandwiches, beer, and ice cream.

So Grandpa, enjoy the streets of gold,

and catching up with loved ones you held so dear,

even though we will be apart for awhile,

in our hearts, you will always be near.

by Stephanie Dulin

The 'FAIR'!

Enjoying a fish sandwich with my Grandpa

Little Miss Giggles the Clown is here!

The fair is not complete without award-winning homemade goods and BINGO!

Playing BINGO-it was good seeing a smile on Grandpa's face!

We make a good team! :)

Unfortunately, my Grandpa had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital. And, it happened to be the same weekend that the fair was going on in his hometown. He was super bummed out to miss the fair as he has not missed it in 62 years!!!! SO, I decided to bring the fair to him in the hospital! I dressed up as a clown, took balloons, animals for the farm (stuffed animals), award-winning homemade beer bread, BINGO, and fish sandwiches! Definitely things that the fair would not be complete without! We had a very nice time hanging out with Grandpa and I was very happy that we were able to spend time with him. He wasn't sure what to think of me when I walked in as a clown but once we got the BINGO game out we saw a smile emerge! Please continue to pray for my Grandpa as he is still in the hospital. His heart is weak but miracles do happen and if I know my Grandpa...he is too strong and stubborn to let this stop him! I think he has already blown through his first 9 lives!