rees genre

In some company, this question might seem preposterous or even rude. It might make someone blush or politely hide their nose behind a perfumed wrist. A more juvenile group might think it is hilarious, a question that can't be completed without goofy snickers. Some might even be relieved to say that they don't have gas, at least not anymore. At the moment, I would like to say that I do have gas but unfortunately that is not true. We are having a small crisis because of a gas shortage in the area. It caught me completely unaware. On Wednesday, I made an unnecessary trip to get out of the house, drove to a store that was farther away than the one I normally go to, and I wasn't successful in purchasing what I had intended to buy because of a couple of grumpy boys. I made a wrong turn and ended up taking the long way home, burning extra fuel. When I got home, the tank was nearly empty but I didn't give it a second thought. To my dismay, I learned of the shortage problem here...

Davin decided to dress himself today. He is wearing his orange "baseball" shirt, pants that are too small, socks that don't match, and two different shoes on the wrong feet. This kid is a trendsetter!

Rowan, Davin, and I recently discovered a new park: Latta Park in the Dilworth area in Charlotte. The park has a great play ground and a darling splash yard. Davin loved wheeling his trike on the bike trails and over the charming bridges. We have a great time playing on the swings. I can push both boys at the same time when they are side-by-side in the swings. I guess I'll have to grow another arm if we have another child.

Rowan has been moving backwards a lot, which doesn't mean that he has been regressing. It is one instance in which moving backwards is making progress. However, he has now progressed to a forward scoot, which is not quite a crawl but it at least projects him to a desired object in front of him. While he may not be a crawling prodigy, he is developing pretty impressive eating skills. He can navigate a pile of food on his high chair tray with acute dexterity, vacillating between a thumb and index finger pinch and a two-handed shovel directly to the mouth. Rowan used to scream a lot at dinner because I couldn't feed him fast enough, but if I keep food on his tray, he'll usually stay happy and occupied. When he isn't working on moving and eating, Rowan lets his tongue hang out for blowing raspberries and plenty of drool. Rowan loves to laugh and is easily tickled, but watch out for those teeth! He has five sharp teeth in front and he loves to bite me. Of course he isn't...

The flower vendors are my biggest temptation at our local farmers market. Tuberoses are among my favorites because of their intoxicating smell, but I was mesmerized by these green branches and their strange fruit. I don't know this plant's name, so if anyone else knows it, let me know. The vendor sold me the entire bunch of flowers for $6, making this a find indeed.

We recently made a short trip to Charlottesville, VA; Chris had business at UVa's Darden School of Business and I took the opportunity to see friends and work at my office as well. After a fun afternoon and evening with the Carrolls and Patchetts, I drove to our hotel to stay the night. Davin fell asleep in the car on the way. As I was by myself (Chris was still busy with recruits and coworkers), I had to get a sleeping three-year-old, a baby, and our luggage into the hotel. I put Davin and Rowan into the stroller and managed to gather the essentials onto the handles. Davin stayed asleep as I wheeled him and Rowan to the lobby, checked into the hotel, and rode the elevator to our room. Rowan started to fuss when we got into the room, so I decided to put him in the bath; Davin was still asleep, so I left him in the stroller. In the middle of Rowan's bath, the hotel fire alarm started to sound. Trying to stay calm, I wrapped Rowan in a towel and wheeled Davin (who was still aslee...

Davin started preschool this year and it has been a learning experience for both of us. We are learning that there are a lot of rules at school, both for Davin and for me. Davin learned that he needs to listen to his teacher and not climb on the furniture. Mom learned that she needs to cut grapes when she puts them in Davin's lunch. Davin learned that he should share with the other kids in his class. Mom learned that she needs to read the newsletter and attend the open house so that she knows what is happening in class. We are figuring out how to navigate preschool and I think that we both like it. On Davin's first day, he went into the class and hardly looked back to say goodbye. The house seemed very quiet without him and I was very excited to pick him up again. He crashed later in the afternoon, worn out by all the excitement.

September is a great month for this family as football season is in full swing. Chris put together a viewing spreadsheet for me so that I would know the football schedule. I think he is enjoying this year in particular because of creation of his man cave. He has a hd lcd tv and a dvr, so he is prepared to catch every moment while erasing commercials in between. Unfortunately we'll be watching games at home as we are a little far from major college teams here in Charlotte. We took Davin and Rowan to a local high school football game this weekend. It was a lovely evening, perfectly fall-ish. The crowd was a mix of parents cheering for their kids and students too busy flirting to notice the field. It was like a step back in time, especially as the team's fight song was the same melody as my high school fight song. The boys had a great time at the game; Davin jumped and cheered most of the evening.