I can hardly believe that Kyle is turning 4 on September 3 of this year. I used to laugh at all those other moms who would tell me "oh, enjoy it now because they just grow up so fast". I would think, right, I am up to my armpits in nursing, changing diapers, spit up and no sleep. Yep. Please, please, please let this go on forever! However, it does all end too fast and before you know it you cannot even remember what your son looked like as a baby and when you do pull out the infant pictures, you think wow, was he really that small? his eyes that blue?
So, here we are embarking on a new chapter with Kyle. He is now officially a big boy...and will correct me when I call him my baby. Oh no, he is NOT the baby (Todd is). Time is coming for real school, school buses, bikes with training wheels and full conversations where I understand every single word he says. Even though I rarely call him my baby anymore to his face, I still know he is when he asks for hugs and kisses every day when I drop him off at school and before he goes to sleep at night. I pray he never stops.
For everyone's enjoyment...pictures of Kyle's 4th birthday party that we just had for him Sunday at the park. He had a ball and even told Kevin..."Daddy, that was fun!" We had a somewhat pirate theme party with a really cool treasure hunt (Thanks Auntie Paige!), water balloons, fish decorating, a pinata, play in the water park, lots of fun with cousins, 2nd cousins, friends and family.
Today is quite the sad day for me. Upon our return from Gainesville and Tallahassee (respectively) I learned that my Dopey had passed away. I am not sure when or how but I do know that I miss him terribly. For those who do not know the story, Dopey was a stray that I got in 1995 when I was still in college. He came up to me one night when I was going to the library to study. I of course started talking to him, petting him and told him I had to leave but that if he was still near my apartment when I got back I would see about getting him something to eat. Of course he was not there when I got back later that night. However, the next morning he was outside of my window crying as loud as he could. Woke me up. The thing about this was that I originally saw him in the front of my apartment in the parking lot. My room was in the back of the apartment on the complete other side of the building. When I let him in my apartment he came right up to me, jumped up in my lap, curled up and went to sleep. He chose me to be his person and I was happy to take on the job. Dopey was spoiled to excess by my father and generally loved by all who met him. He was quite the cool cat. My house does not seem the same now that Dopey is not waiting by the front door when I come home or sitting on the side of my chair as I sit and type this. He was my protector and will be greatly missed.
