Silly Mommy Part II

Note to self: this is why we take a bath and put on our pajamas after dinner. And, this is why when mommy rolls out pizza dough, she should make sure that little boys have been removed from the table before turning around to put the pizza in the oven...

...Silly mommy...

Chores

So, we've been thinking for a while that Cohen has had like 14, almost 15, months of free room and board. I mean, we're all about him feeling welcome and all that, but we want the kid to grow up to be a man... so, we're going to get started on the whole chores thing. Vacuuming first...

(sorry, couldn't get the video to rotate)

Ahh...Fall...

For the ten years that I have lived in this country, I have tried hard to maintain my South African identity, knowing that I would probably eventually live there again. Sometimes this has involved resisting 'absorbing' too many American traditions, or having too much of American culture rub off on me. This is not because I dislike America, or any of my American friends, but simply because I want to never forget where I have come from and the traditions and cultures that have shaped my identity as a South African citizen.

Having said that, though, one American tradition that I have no intention of resisting... the annual fall trip to the pumpkin patch. Now that we have a son, this is even more. I love the hay rack ride, the pumpkin picking, the hot chocolate, the petting zoo, all of it. Last fall we took Cohen on his first trip to the pumpkin patch and since he was 6 weeks old and it was about thirty degrees outside, it was not a resounding success.

This year, however, was a different story. It was a beautiful autumn day outside, seventy degrees, and now that Cohen is 14 months old and walking around (and apparently adores animals), this year was wonderful fun. Enjoy the pics...

This Just In...

Baby Senkbile number two is due February 2009. Last Friday we found out that Cohen is going to have a little sister. I must confess, I am more excited about the news than I thought I would be...always thought I would be a boy mommy, but obviously that's not the case. So, we will gladly be accepting any or both of the following:

1. Advice on how to be a girl mommy
2. Girl names. Our list of boy names is enormous, sadly not the case with girl names

Little Smasher

Today was Cohen's first birthday party, which we are sure we enjoyed more than he did. Not because he wasn't having fun, but more because we think he was completely oblivious to the fact that we had gathered in his honor. One thing to which he was not oblivious, though, was his 'little smasher'...his own personal birthday cake. Words cannot describe, so we've just included a video clip - enjoy!

Two Birthdays

August 4th marked one year that Cohen has been a part of our lives and we have had fun, this week, reflecting on his birth, our first time meeting him and all the 'firsts' that we have enjoyed over the last 12 months. This child has been a true joy and we feel blessed to be his mom and dad. There has been much room for sanctification along the way and we have certainly been made aware of just how 'us'-centered our lives were prior to this gift of a son, but there has been much more room for joy, fun and laughter. This kid is a riot and we couldn't imagine life without him!

Here he is in his first football jersey...Thanks Uncle Chris and Aunt Amy!



Our second 'birthday' of the day was celebrating Michele's first day as an American citizen. We were sort of bummed when we got the notice to say that Michele's federal interview and American History exam were on the same day as Cohen's birthday, but as the day unfolded, we started to see how this could be sort of cool - every year we'll celebrate two birthdays on one day!



Oh, yeah, and there was a swearing-in ceremony that happened to fall on Monday, too, meaning Michele got to complete the process in one day, which almost never happens...boo yah! The coolest part about this: with all the countries in which Michele now claims citizenship, she has more passports than Jason Bourne.

Wobbly World of Walking

It seems our little guy discovered his legs in a new way this week. For a while now, I have thought that perhaps Cohen would just crawl into Kindergarten, but it would appear that he is going to walk, as others had suggested. Don't get me wrong, I am not typically one of those parents whose child has to perform certain tasks at certain milestones to be assured that he is normal. In fact, my desire for him to walk was entirely selfish - I can no longer carry him without feeling like my arms were going to fall out of their sockets. Those of you who know Cohen, know that looks are deceiving and while he does not look much bigger than the average 11-month old boy, he did in fact, reach 30 pounds by the time he was 2 weeks. (okay, slight exaggeration)

So, back to the walking. I was pleasantly surprised at how awkward this looks. Those of you who have kids are probably thinking this is old hat, but it never occurred to me that Cohen would not think to bend his knees, at first. The result is what looks like an attempt at a Mixed Martial Arts demonstration...much kicking into the air and showing us that, lest we have not noticed, he truly is big man on campus now...