I am having to get used to this little voice in the back seat of the car that keeps piping up recently. A few weeks ago I was driving along and had to hit the breaks pretty hard. After recovering from the jolt I hear a "whoa" from the back. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. My own backseat driver! Suddenly we have a little person that interacts with us and it is making life so much sweeter.

So we were out driving the other night and I pointed out the beautiful full moon to Dean. He became obsessed with seeing it, which became difficult as we turned corners and drove behind trees. So as a result, we heard his first sentence. He said so clearly, "Where da moON doe?". I mean, he has said things like "bye-bye daddah" but that is the only intelligible sentence we have heard until now. John grabbed his iphone and recorded it because we couldn't believe it. Such a cute little voice from the back seat just talking about the moon. Hopefully I can get it converted and posted here soon.

Dean has suddenly become obsessed with his "garrrr". He will put it on and then ask for daddah and point to the TV. He loves to watch the dvd's of the church service and tries to mimic what he sees John and the other band members do. I have seen him raise his hand to praise God while he plays because he saw Wayne (the bass player) doing that on the video. It is really cute. He has yet to shred the electric guitar just from watching Chris, but we are thinking any day that is going to click in his head. Any day.... When I ask him if he wants to take off his guitar, he shakes his head no and makes a frowny face. Then he will just walk around the room ramming in to everything because he doesn't realize how far it sticks out. The only way to get him to take it off is to give him his drum sticks! His daddy sure is proud that he can hold it correctly and is happy to see his little guy so interested in what he does. I love it!

This weekend we went to the circus with John's family. As we made plans to go, I couldn't help but think of what I remember the circus being like as a child. My memories of the circus include strange looking people that smelled weird (both in the audience and working at the show!), a hot, humid, giant tent, and elephants that had huge chains around their feet. The whips cracking, tigers snarling and the strange feeling that someone (including myself) could die at any moment all overwhelmed me. Needless to say, it wasn't a very pleasant experience for me. With this in mind, I wondered if I was subjecting my son to something that would scar him for life by taking him to the circus. And then I realized that this is the big city and things are done a little differently here. For one, this circus is actually in an air conditioned facility, something that should be required for all events like this in Texas. Secondly, our seats were in the upper section of the American Airlines Center, which would be a safe distance from the stampeding elephants (if such a thing were to occur). Yes, I am crazy and think about these things.... And so, after showing Dean some youtube videos of clowns to prepare him for the circus (I know, I really am crazy), we headed to the Greatest Show on Earth!

And what a fun night we had! The best part of the whole night was watching Dean. He clapped and cheered with the rest of the audience, his face lit up with excitement when the elephants came out, and he never shed a tear because he was afraid of a clown (thanks youtube!). For me, it was also an enjoyable experience and completely different from my childhood memories. The costumes were bright and clean, the performers were actually talented (and looked as if they also had good hygiene), and the animals looked healthy and happy as well. So I am now a big fan of the circus. Although I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to enjoy my favorite thing of all, cotton candy! I just wasn't willing to shell out $12 even though it included a brightly colored top hat that would come in handy if I ever needed to dress up like Willy Wonka...or Elton John...or Flava Flav.

Dean and I loaded up with Melissa and enjoyed a long weekend in Lubbock recently. There is nothing like going to grandma's house or in my case, Nanamaw's house. The familiar smell greets me when I walk in the door. It is the neutral smell of a house, a family, a person. Every house has a smell and this smell just seems right. My eyes quickly sweep the room and realize that the furniture is still in the same place. There are two long sofas, two large recliners, a large console TV, and Nanamaw's blue lift chair that is situated in the back corner of the room. How all this fits in the tiny living room is a mystery to me, but it is necessary seating for all the family gatherings that happen here. The sound of the Ranger's game on TV almost drowns out the sweet voice that greets me and if it were any other way, it wouldn't be right. The decorations on the walls and the lamps on the tables are all decades old and remain unmoved, silently remembering past trends...for some reason this comforts me. And the same open arms that have hugged me for thirty years are once again there to embrace me. I love my Nanamaw's house.