Tuesday, July 12, 2011

terrible blogger

Remember me? 

Hey y'all.  Nope, haven't forgotten about the blog.  I'm just that lazy.  Really, after the first month of missing regular posts, I got overwhelmed with the idea of catching up.  But a sweet little birdie in Tallahassee reminded me to check back in.  So here I am!

Our absence from The Internets is due to much activity over the last few months.  Warmer weather means Team Turner is rarely inside.  Or home for that matter.  I could recap everything we've done for you but that could get majorly boring.  And remember the post about avoiding mega-blogs?  As my mom says, I'll just give you the "Reader's Digest" version.  In pictures.

Someone got his first "I'm not a baby anymore" haircut:

Got lost at the Carolina Cup and threw a tantrum:                                    

 Dressed for success:

Helped Mommy in the yard:

Went to church as a family:

Hung out with our sister from another mister, Avery:

Went to Atlanta to play with Jack:

Watched this and many others bloom:

 Grew and ate these:

Fed him:

And him:

Watched a 4th of July parade with a cousin:

Went rootin':

Turned 7:

 

 8:
 and 9 months old:

And lots more.  We just got back from a week-long trip to the mountain compound where lots more pictures were taken and family fun was had.  In fact, we've been home so shortly that my camera still hasn't come in from the car.  Lots of Mimi, Poo-Poo and auntie love was had, four wheelers were driven, and lbs were gained from neverending plates of food.  A typical Turner get-together.  And with just enough time to catch our breath, do some laundry, and pay some bills, we are heading down the mountain for our annual beach trip.  It's like a week in the mountains but with less dogs and more sand.

There has been no shortage of milestones in this house since we checked in last.  Another hero has joined Ben's team to help him with occupational therapy.  We started a few weeks ago and in that short time, he's done all kinds of new activities we never thought we'd see him do.  Ben is now master of the stairs, the playground slide, and the ball pit.  Never thought I'd be so happy to have my kid swim around in dirty plastic balls, germs, possibly urine and who knows what else.  He took his first trip to the mountain amusement park, Tweetsie Railroad, and was brave enough to scream through a few rides.  I like to think of it as immersion therapy.  His OT might think it was a Mommy Dearest move.  Either way, he clapped for himself when he was done being tortured.  His speech is continuing to improve, and Jacob and I are kicking ourselves for not videotaping his sessions from the beginning.  It's amazing to think that this is the same Ben as the kid who only said five words this time last year.  Five prompted words.  The same kid who doesn't stop talking and singing now.  He's also turning into somewhat of a musical savant.  He has near perfect pitch, can keep time, and seems to understand basic music theory.  We recently rescued a beautiful antique player piano from a neighborhood estate sale and have enjoyed watching Ben stand there, hammering out notes while singing the song in his head.  He definitely isn't hitting the correct notes, but he's almost in key and keeps pretty good time.  Piano lessons are in his very near future. 

Beckett is almost ten months old.  Beckett eats solid foods.  Beckett sometimes sleeps through the night.  He has come a long way.  His little personality continues to develop and he continues to prove that he is just like his Mommy.  He is intense and laid back, funny and serious, cuddly and squirmy and so on.  A living paradox.  With big brown eyes and a smile like you've never seen before.  He laughs like Beavis of Beavis & Butthead fame and grins at everything.  He loves his big brother like no one else and seems okay with the fact that he takes all of his toys away.  Ben calls him Dougie.  He can't or won't say Beckett, so he calls him Becky.  But in Ben speech, it sounds like Dougie.  When you ask Ben what his own name is, he tells you it's "Hents."  Not sure how Ben became Hents but it has been suggested that the name of this blog should be changed to "Hents and Dougie."  I bet that domain name is available.

So if you looked at the pictures and scrolled to the bottom, here's the summary:
1.  I'm a crappy blogger.
2.  We've done some fun things this summer
3.  My kids are growing up and I'm proud of every detail

I'll try to do better, y'all.  No more polite excuses.  Fewer three-month time lapses.  Deal?  Deal.