This Is Your Childhood

Tommy, it's St. Joseph's Day, as you well know, since he's the patron Saint of our family 'n all. While you were at schoolo, Joey was very busy. With his girlfriend, Becky, he walked down our street, up Grace, down Vine, down Main and back to our street without huffing or puffing. Daddy and I had to go to a meeting about you, you see, so Becky played with Joey in the 70 degrees. Then I pulled Joey in the wagon up to St. Joseph's church and prayed with him. He was very good (without your being there.) I think he likes to show off to you. I thought for sure he'd fall asleep in the wagon, but nope! he was too excited. Next, we came home, and he fell into a deep sleep with little struggle. Now you should be getting off the bus...gotta go!

Posted by Mommy at 03:59 PM | Permalink

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This is what you look like after school on St. Paddy's Day 2010: just precious.


My three handsome green fellas.


I like this picture of your daddy and your little brother. Do you?


All righty then. This is what happens when it's mommy's turn to have pictures taken with her boys. Suddenly, the camera isn't so interesting.


Do you know what a 'mama's boy" is, Tommy? Well, I think you 'n Joe are two uvem!


This is what Joey and I did whilst you were in schoolo. Open gym, baby, for babies! You can go when schoolo gets out. You'll love it! I think.


This is the bus that comes to get you in the morning. I took it through the window, because if I didn't, you'd be really upset and would probably cry all the way to schoolo.

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Tommy! Tommy! I got pictures of you today with hardly a struggle! Amen! Praise the Lord! And look how proud you are of your fossils. Today you turned 33 (months).


You are such a big boy goin' to schoolo 'n all!


You made this all by your self (and with Teachers L, A, and J--hehehe)


Joey thinks he's a dinosaur.


This is Joey looking for treasures.

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My little sweet potatolove, Teacher Linda sent these great pics of your fingerpainting session from last week.

Oh, uh, how come you ain't comin' after their camera like ya come after mine? Just wonderin', punkin. Is it 'cos you're busy finger paintin' er somethin'?

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Well, my little prince, you are in schoolo right now. It has been very very very difficult to get any new pictures of you due to your wanting to play with the camera. It's not your fault but you do have an obsessive personality. Having such an attribute can be a very good thing for whatever God wants you to ultimately do with your life, so I'm not criticizing you my any means. It just makes for extremely difficult photo sessions. When I put the camera away, you pretty much freak out and don't stop freaking out for a long time. So that I don't miss a beat of your little life, I've been sneaking videos with the ipod nano (which looks like a Skor candy bar and you don't know what a Skor bar is yet). Still, life is too crazy for me to have time to upload them on demand. Perhaps I'll get some still shots of you while you are sleeping tonight. I am writing this for you but also for your fans out there who get sad when there's no new pics of you and Brudder Joe.

Oh, while you were at schoolo today, Joe figured out how to climb the pub table. He rolls the kneeling chair to the pub chair, climbs the kneeling chair and then the pub chair and then up to the table. You never did any of this, so it's new to Daddy and me. He's very fast, and I'm a nervous wreck. Be nice to Teacher Linda if you can read this!

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This is you after getting home from school. Do you want to be an investigative reporter?


Ah, there's your happy face! I saw an Olympian with a similar hat and found this one for you so that the sun won't bother your little eyes so much.

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This is you praying with your hands clasped that Gramma wouldn't leave. You even woke up at 5:00. Did you want to see her off? Well, you even went to the airport with her. It was so sad that she had to go home, but Grampa was happy. We were having too much fun to take many pictures while she was here, but here's one.

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You love school. You love leavin' and you are happy when you get home.

Gramma helping you get your backpack off.

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This is you and Gramma V.H. after Mass at the basilica in DC. The sun was in your sweet little eyes, hence your face down:'-(.


And there you are getting to know your shadow?


Here's you with G-ma back at home pretending to talk on the phony phone.


You are just precious.


Poor Joe was so tired. Do you like his little hairs?

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Gramma V. wanted to see your classroom and meet your teacher, so we did that today. She was very happy to see where you are learning and now she has a picture of it in her head so when she thinks of you at schoolo, she knows what it looks like. She thought Teacher Linda was pretty cool, too. She is, huh?

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This is your new favorite thing in the whole wo0rld: Mixed Doubles Luge

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Recently, your funny Grampa G. took a trip to Alaska where he made a new friend. Do you think Gramma is jealous? Nah.

This is you and Marilyn Moose two years ago when you were both babies.

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...to trike outside.

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This is you and your brother out for a quick ride to see the snow and ice and to tire you before naps. You look tired to me, but it took four more hours to actually get your eyes and brain to relax enough to reach REM.


These are some icicles growing off our neighbors' building. Don't they look totally tubular and scary? They fall off readily in the afternoon, so we have to be really careful not to stick our heads out the windows. I know, I'm no fun.


These are your awesome curls sticking out of your awesome hat, which is, of course, perched atop your awesome head.


This is our back alley a couple days after a couple major snowfalls. I get claustrophic driving down this alley these days.


Oh, and this is the walkway between our place and the next-door-neighbors' place. The snowblower boys gave up on it after awhile.

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This is what our old street looks like, Kid! I wonder how Dino the mailman will get the mail out tomorrow!

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Here's "Auntie Angie" (Joey's godmama) after her Benedictine oblation at Mt. Angel in Benedict, OR. L to R= Dr. Clare, Miss Somebody I dun't know, Auntie Angie, and Miss Barbara (Auntie's cousin).


Here are your old friends from cenacle: BACK from L: Miss Eden, Mr. Terry, Miss Toni - FRONT from L: Godmama Lynne, Miss Maureen, Auntie Angie, Godpapa Tommy (I bet Mr. Willie is taking the pic)

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Daddy's car getting unwrapped.

Daddy beginning to dig a path to China.


The neighbors' Bug even looks cute when you can't really see it.

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This is one of your gifts, Tom. I don't know anyone else who can play the piano in this position! This photo would explain, though, why I am a nervous wreck of a mom most of the time. Meanwhile back at the Hall of Justice, it's snowin' cats and dogs outside. White ones. And the lights they are a-flickerin'.

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This is one of your favorite activities--opening and closing the pantry doors. Notice there's no food on the first three shelves. You and Joe love to take everything out and spew it about the house. Doesn't Joe look like he could star in a Charlie Brown special? I love your plaid PJs!

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You two boys are slowly mending. I still dunno that you'll make it back to schoolo on Monday, though. Pray, kid, pray! They say they really miss you. And I know you really miss them!

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Joey: Am I in trouble again, Ma?

Joey's got a weird new thing that he does with his teeth and they're getting little white marks on 'em.

If you look closely, you can see a little snot hanging out around the nostrils. Joey's getting much better though. You are another story...

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Gramma and Auntie Carol were here from Vancouver for two full days. They left this morning for DC. Auntie Carol is so much fun. She loves you so much that she even washed, dried, and poofed up her hair just before this pic was taken.

Gramma didn't want to be photographed for some reason, but she really was here and gave you plenty of kisses on your foreheads. You two little boys are really sick, so you don't look very happy. Hope I'm not embarrassing you!

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If we would let you, you'd carry this guitar (or is it a cello?) around with you all day and it would be like your Linus blanket. An uncomfortable one but one nonetheless. Say, today is your Uncle Pauly's birthday. Did you want to call him and play "Happy Birthday to You" for him?

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This is your brother Joelia in the kitchen.


This is your brother Oscar making his mama grouchy by getting into the garbage!

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We took the bandages off Joe's tea-burned hand tonight. The burn happened ten days ago. Below are pics from a week ago.


This is a poorly focused view of Joey's burn on January 9 (3 days after burn).


Another view. Poor baby.

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This is you coming after the camera. Lately your plog only has recent photos of dear ham brother Joe. This is my desperate attempt at getting one of you. Tonight we walked up to Mass, you and me. When we got home I realized I'd dressed you in your little brother's (newish) clothes. At first I couldn't figure out why your sleeves came almost up to your elbow and seriously thought it might be the latest boy style. Not the sharpest knife in the block, am I.

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And here you are with Daddy, Bubba, and Nana Kathy who was in town for a conference and paid us a visit. You hadn't seen her since her CMA conference in Atlanta when you were just four months old, so she said she wasn't sad that you didn't remember her.


Tommy, I've been having a very difficult time getting you to simply have your photo taken. This is what you look like when you are trying to get to the camera. Frantically get to the camera.

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You are officially obsessed with the camera (you take after your godfather Tom indeed), and this is the result of my giving up, giving in. This is your first shot.


And your second.


You get better with each one--here's your third...

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This is what your brother looks like when he's been caught playing with the wires behind the armoire. Guilty!

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This is Joe after he'd gotten off his shift at the shop.

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I think you're cute even when you're mad at me for not letting you toss the Rebel around the house. Oh, that's Uncle Evan in the background wishing you'd just stack blocks with him. No, you're a photographer, a real artiste. All you want to do is create, create, create. Oh, Bruno.


Joe's not as obsessed with the camera; this is him with Uncle Evan.

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Yo, your brother, Baggadonuts, yeah, him. Well, the plastic surgeon said his "moderate second-degree burns" will heal up just fine.

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He won but it was brutal. Thankfully Becky was here to break it up.


Joey's intimidating glare at the opponent.


And here he is offering a gentlemanly handshake. Tomorrow we'll see a plastic surgeon who'll look at the second- degree burns under that wrap caused by his getting Uncle Evan's kettle-hot tea! Mommy hurts more than baby Joe, but Uncle Evan hurts more than any of us. I'd put a thick sweater on him so his chest was not hurt. How often do i put thick sweaters on you boys, Tommy? Never. But today I did. Guardian angels at work once again.

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This is what your sweet little brother looks like on the day he turned 13 months.

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Your first bubbly.


Joey watches what you do.


2010: who cares!

Joe: Good-bye 2009, good'a knowya.

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Grampa G. picked out this beautiful choral top for you and your brudder. It arrived via UPS this morning and you two couldn't get enough of it!

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Your aunt and uncle and grandparents v. sent a bundle of clothes to you and your bro for Christmas and today they arrived. These are my favorite--your golf pants and bright shirt. And it appears that Phyllis would like to be your happy caddy.

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Joey's new game is Connect Four. He looks like he knows how to play, but he doesn't have a strategy just yet.

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This is your new pet, Phyllis the pony. She is chomping on your fingers in this photo. You like it. It makes you laugh.


Joey's used to be really scared of Phyllis, but now he likes her. Doesn't he look like a baby Santa Claus with those rosy cheeks!

You liked the idea of feeding Phyllis our asparagus, but in the end Mommy and Daddy got to eat it. We're afraid Phyllis might poo on the carpet if we start feeding her yummy veggies.

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We're all a bunch a sick pups this Christmas Day in Virginia. You and your brother have noses that drain, Daddy's getting a sore throat, and I'm hacking, hacking, hacking, draining and without voice. But it is still Christmas.

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The Wise Men are on their way.

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Poor Joey was so hungry and tired and his ears cold since his hat wouldn't stay on and his gloves...


Ah, and here he is happy after a hot-buttered rumja.

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Whilst you snooze, I went for a walk and took these pics so that later when you wake up, you'll know what you missed. Just tons of snow, Kid. It's windy and cold too.

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This is Joey practicing his mountain climbing skills on the stairs. He's now climbing them like you, a big boy. His little legs are barely the length of each step but he steps just like his big brother. When you are at school, he doesn't know what to do with himself. He clings to me. We miss you during the day a lot, Tommy.


This innocent little face later decided to run quickly back to the stairs after Daddy's brought him up and then took a dive down 'em. Daddy dove after him, catching him in mid air and then tumbled down only half of the stairs so that neither of them got hurt. This is why we pray to your guardian angels so much!

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It's your little brother's golden birthday--one on the 1st. We're going to have a tiny party for him tonight, since most of our friends and all of our family live a zillion miles away. Stay tuned...

Joey likes birthday cake.

But he got bored with it pretty quickly. Your diets aren't so full of sugar to begin with, so, thankfully, Joey dun't like it much. You really don't like it much either.

You boys much prefer meat 'n potatoes. Er, pasta!




Look at Joey go. He's pointing at you, you silly boy.


This guitar was given to us by our new neighbor who has the same exact name as your Great-Gramma Sue. For a kid guitar it has real swell sound!

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Well, today the doorbell rang and it was Mr. Postman leaving Joey birthday gifts from Gramma, Tawny, and your Godmama Angela. He is reading the new book that Godmama sent, wearing the groovy glow-in-the-dark Space Needle tee she sent too, and holding a puzzle piece from Auntie Tawny and G-parents V. Bent up like a rag doll is the Raggedy Andy in the background. Gramma V. made it for Joey Andy and it is just precious!

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You better call your Godfather today; it's his birthday!

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Well done. You love the adult-sized fork and not the "baby fork" that your brother uses.


You loooooove olive fingers!


Gobble, gobble. We just wanna gobble you up!

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Poor Little Brother Joe
some fool put atop his head a bow
and now his muscle he does curl
so that we know he is no girl.

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You helped make your own hatmajig at schoolo today. It was very serious business.


Seriously fun!

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Tommy, I can't come into your classroom anymore, but I wanted to let your relatives and friends know that Teacher Linda said you did very well and that you were very happy and smiley and giggly. I dunno why she was surprised, as that is your usual disposition, but I'm so happy that you're doing well at schoolo. Mom
Wait just a minute! Teacher Jason took these yesterday and had them sent to me:-). You look like you're having a great time, kiddo!

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This is you with me, your mom. I only look crazy, because I'm trying not to be too sad leaving you with strangers. Oh, I suppose they won't be strangers for long, eh.


This is what you look like when you are totally upset that your mommy is leaving you for several hours in a strange school.


And here you are again, crying your head off unable to do anything but throw a major fit.

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Tomorrow is your first day of schoolo, so we thought we would see if we could muster up a proper backpack for you; instead, we found this nifty jetpack. Now you won't have to wait for that silly yellow bus, just press those buttons, kiddo!

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This is your new school. Your first day will be Monday, November 23.


This is the playground at your school. I've never seen such a playground at a school. Whatever happened to basketball hoops and hopscotch? I'll explain later.


This is Teacher Linda. She will be your new girlfriend, I'm sure.


This is Teacher Jason; I'm sure you two will be great pals.


This is Teacher Alma. She's very cool.


This is Teacher Anita; she is a speech therapist and will teach you to talk to me.


Oh, and this is, well, your cute brother Sir Joseph.

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