Stormy Sunday

I remember exactly where I was this time last year on this particular Sunday. I had gone early Sunday morning to see my aunt and uncle after my cousin, their son, had passed away. While I was there, I got the call that Buttercup's mom was in labor, so sister Susie and I packed it up and headed home. About this time of the evening Buttercup was born. It is always miraculous to me.
Today we celebrated.
Happy 1st Birthday Buttercup!

1st Lt is taking over command of a new post in INDY and was out of town this weekend for the changing of the guard. Ceece had to shoot a wedding, so Handy Man and I entertained Bugg and Bean.
I guess Bean has no memory of ever wearing anything sleeveless. This week his Oma bought him a shirt with a way cool dinosaur on the front, but alas, no sleeves. When he put it on, he told his mom, "Isn't this kind of inappropriate, having your arm pits stick out?" Ha, ha, ha, cracked me up.
Later, while Bugg and Pap were doing some very serious shopping with Bugg's new birthday cash register, Bean whispered in my ear, "Will you take me out to swing?" We snuck out unnoticed. This is necessary because the beloved baby dolphin swing is still a hot commodity at Gramerly and Pap's house. Bean is bright enough to know, if Bugg knew, she'd want to swing and his time would be shortened accordingly. First of all, I can't believe he can still fold his five year old self into that swing. Secondly, I noticed he must have grown a foot since school started, because two more inches and his feet will drag the ground. How, in the wide world, did he get so big so fast?
Bean too, still calls for a song or two or ten, during each swing session. He told me this summer that he was over that baby Twinkle, Twinkle song. So I sang:
Twinkle, twinkle, little Bean,
Cutest boy I've ever seen,
With his armpits sticking out,
He's the best and there's no doubt,
Twinkle, twinkle, little Bean,
Cutest boy I've ever seen.
He laughed so hard, I thought he would fall out of the swing. I remembered when he first started that belly laughing. It remains some of sweetest sounds I know.
No worries, Bugg went two rounds in the swing before the day was done.
I wouldn't mind having a hundred dollars for every hour I've pushed that swing these past five years. I'd take a long vacation. But, each swinging time is a mini vacation for me and the gramerlings, and I'd pay to get to do it if I had to.