Xavier's First Words
Greetings to everyone.
I realized the other day that I had not chronicled Xavier's first words. This afternoon, Xavier used his growing language skills to give me an opportunity to do just that.
Xavier has several words at his command. He has had "Daddy" and "Dada" and "Daaa!" for several months. Just a few days back, Xavier surprised both Rebecca and me with one we had not heard before. He came racing around a corner and excitedly called out "Mommy!" It rang loud and clear.
Xavier knows "yes" and "please." We are working on him with "thank you," but he has not picked it up, though the "thank" part may be close.
Xavier has used "oh-oh" for a very long time, and always in the correct context. He knows "Ooo!" when seeing something cool and "oh" as a mild way of saying "oops, something is not right."
He also knows "doggie" which he often slurs to something which sounds like "auggie". (Xavier loves his dog, our Dalmatian, Lena).
He also can use the word "shoe" in a single-word sentence, especially if he is able to point at one.
To date, we have only heard single words (which may be why "thank you" is not there yet). That changed this afternoon. What he said stunned me; my head snapped around and did the stereotypical double take. Where he heard it, I didn't know. After relating the story to Rebecca, we think he picked it up from her (the dog, after all, can be very annoying with her incessant barking).
This afternoon, the weather had warmed enough to make it comfortable outside (comfortable for Dad, Xavier doesn't care unless there is wind blowing in his face). With Mom out shopping, Dad told Xavier to "go get your shoes." Xavier raced to his room, Dad close behind. Once shod and coated, Dad, Xavier and Lena headed out back to enjoy the mid afternoon.
Xavier explored the yard, made his rounds to check for an open gate or an open door to the tool shed and to the barn. Lena ran around the yard, chasing rabbits and sniffing out their trails, and generally keeping her distance from Xavier.
After determining the yard was secure, and no doors were open for him to play in the various structures, Xavier took his car out for a spin. Lena found the other end of the yard to stand in. This because Xavier will often chase her relentlessly. It brings him giggles and laughter to see his "auggie" sprint across the yard at high speed, which she does when he pokes her on the flank.
Separated by half a yard, Xavier drove his car up and down a sidewalk, enjoying the car coast down the gentle slope while he sat on it. When it came to a stop, he pushed it back up the walk and let it roll down again. In the background, Lena's barking softly echoed off the north fence. (what she was barking at is still a mystery; an invisible squirrel perhaps).
Xavier must not have thought her barking that soft. In mid push, he got off his car, took two steps in Lena's direction and yelled angrily "Shut up!"
Happy Second Easter
Greetings to all.
One of the nice things about combining Easter-time liturgical calendars is often getting to celebrate the Resurrection twice. This year was just such a year.
Aunt Chellie brought Xavier an Easter basket last weekend; Rebecca and I saved ours for this Sunday. It contained several books and toys, plus a few Xavier-sized chocolates.
The first thing that caught Xavier's eye was the flashing scepter. After beating the stair with it a few times and watching it blink, Xavier returned to see what else the basket held.
Peering in, he recognized something and he drove his hand in to get it! It was a metalic mint-green colored GTO Hot Wheel, his first to own, but not to play with. Once Mommy liberated it from its blister pack, it became "the toy." Even the white bunny which shot Styrofoam balls out its nose did not interest him as much as the car. It was the only toy he found which elicited an "Ooo!"
While Mom found the length of track and strung it together, Xavier discovered some of his chocolate. A small intermission in track assembly took place to unwrap the rabbit ears.
With chocolate chunk in mouth, Hot Wheel GTO in hand and Hot Wheel track ready to go, Xavier spent much of the rest of the morning figuring out ways to drive his car.
As a family, we did little else today. We attended church from 11:30 PM Saturday through 2:30ish Sunday morning. Dad was already fighting a significant cold which gained a foothold late Thursday. Mom was feeling tired as well, so we all took it easy. Xavier followed suit; when he went down for his nap, he had his GTO tightly in hand.
Christ is Risen!
Xavier's Red Hat
Greetings to everyone.
Some months ago, Xavier got a touristy red hat advertising Yellowstone. It was a gift from his grandma. Xavier is not a hat kind of kid. He pulls them off faster than you can put them on.
That changed somewhat during the cold snaps we experienced recently. Xavier decided he really likes his knit hat when snow, wind and rain accost him. Still, when the weather shines, he opts to got hatless.
Over the past week, the Denver area enjoyed a few days of late-Spring weather. That meant Xavier wanted outside, and he wanted outside bad! So where's the downside? Xavier has his mother's fair skin, and goes as red as his hat if left exposed too long.
Of course, we apply sunscreen. But, we also introduced the red hat to Xavier again. He wore it for a wagon ride around the yard and then around the block. He didn't fidget with the hat or pull it off.
Later, we took a family walk along the nearby river, Xavier in his wagon wearing his hat once again. He kept it on most of the time.
Now, when Xavier sees his red hat he'll bring it to us with a wide smile filled with hopefulness. If either Rebecca or I pick the hat up, Xavier gets excited. It has become a sign he gets to go outside, so he has no problem letting it stay on his head.
Happy Easter 2015
Hello to everyone, and Happy Easter!
Jesus is Alive! What more proof of this truth than Xavier's story?
We enjoyed a quiet Easter this year. During the Lenten Season, we decided to keep things simple. With few exceptions, we ate only what we had on hand, whether off a shelf or from a freezer or refrigerator. The money saved on the budget is purposed to a missionary outreach here in Denver.
We ate turkey and ham. The turkey was from a post-Christmas clearance, a bargain Rebecca could not pass by. (It's one of the nice things about having a large freezer and two refrigerators; you can hoard things for such times) We decided this was the time to cook it up. We also found a ham in the freezer. The house smelled wonderful from 8:00 PM Saturday through Sunday evening.
Xavier's Aunt Chellie came down and joined us in celebration. She has not seen Xavier in many weeks. He's a different boy than she remembers! He's no longer a toddler, but a little boy, with all the activity and business that goes with it. She brought Xavier an Easter Basket. Baskets are a Braaten tradition, and Aunt Chellie continued it with Xavier.
We did not think Xavier was ready for an egg hunt. Even if he was, he is still too small to be eating the little candies. We tested him out with a few; he's not ready to be turned loose with a basket filled with such items.
He did understand the basket, however. The floppy bunny (which is as tall as Xavier) and the blue bunny bubbles were his favorite. He loved playing with the bubble wand, throwing a tantrum when Dad put it away (he was making a mess). He frequently found his bunny (to be named later) and hugged it. It's very soft, and Xavier has a penchant for soft items. He likes to bury his face in them or sleep in or on them. And, really, who wouldn't?
Great is our God, Whose Son rose from the dead for our justification!