Back in the land of baby...where time stands still

I was in North Carolina- next week Josiah turned 1 ! How did that happen so fast?  Years ago as the new mom living in this same area of eastern Carolina, I thought time crawled by.  My first baby was born one day after we moved into our first house in the town of Jacksonville. I remember thinking my whole life would consist of crying, spit up and endless diapers.

 Now that baby boy's a dad.

My son bonds with his daughter

So now I'm a grandmother- soon, these cute little people will call me Bebe.  Everyone has a grandparent name now and I think it's cool.  I didn't grow up with any ethnic, interesting roots or none that anyone treasured enough to tell anyway. Grandmothers weren't Oh-ma or Ah-mah.  There weren't a host of Bubbes or Grand-meres or Nonnas. They were Grandmothers or Grandmas.  My own grandmother didn't like ma anything so Grandma was out.  Granny was especially taboo, for some reason. I don't think the Clamppetts had yet made their trek to Hollywood when she was musing gran-motherhood.


But suddenly women my generation are choosing or making up names and I am Bebe. Long story- it's loosely based on a favorite movie combined with a website questionnaire and the of course, there's the cute sound. Two long Es.  bEE-bEE.  Love it- I feel like I invented a new identity and that's something new for me.  How many times can you do that? Legally....

So Bebe was there playing hide and seek with Josiah, sharing her morning banana or maybe reading a page or two of a book before he's up and away again. And trying to take pictures. This entire blog should be done in blurry pictures. This kiddo rarely sat still!  Always on the move.  So here's some "on the move" pictures ....

Loving the corn hole game. 

I WILL get that bag out...

Although bending over and stickin your arm through the hole is pretty tough -
at any age!

And back in- again.

That face just says determined!

Check out the baby "Birkenstocks" - just like Daddy's.
(Thrift stores are addictive)

Off to a playground. Toss out all the blurry pics....

At this age, everything is a toy- this is a step.

Finally, he's still for a moment. Of course, he's on the ground. 

He insisted on trying to walk up the slide. He is persistent.
And look at the red in his hair in the sunlight!

Down, but never out. He just kept at it -over and over.
I can't wait to see what kind of a boy he will be.
Busy, strong and perseverant.

Not a bad combo.

I can flash forward and see him as a young man.
My sons were this age...just last week.

Is that the gift of age?
Looking ahead as easily as you look back?

There's something precious about my visits with these little people. Now I recognize how quickly the time will go.  I remember how easy it was to focus on my own children and think life wouldn't ever change- what? that somehow my life would be the one that made time stand still?  How foolish to miss my own shortsighted attitudes.

How do you pass wisdom on to the next generation?  Can you ever learn the hard lessons of life without experiencing them for yourself? Would I have?  Or do we just react to life as it comes, embrace the lessons or have the opportunity to repeat the mistakes until it sinks in?

Thank you, Lord that You give us time on this earth - to enjoy grandchildren, to create memories, to slow time down.

If only in our hearts.