Bergen Hawkeye
Anyone can slay a dragon . . . but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. That's what it takes to be a real hero.
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sometimes I say yes
My children ask a lot of questions. And sometimes I get to answer “yes”. “Will you cuddle longer this morning Momma?” “Can I eat this entire pomegranate by myself?” “Will you read another chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with me?” “May I help you make breakfast?” “The next wedding we go to – can I wear this vest with my favorite shirt?”
Keep Reading . . .
this train of thought ….
the weekend ramble (it’s back)
back of a book, on the porch
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long enough .
And I would sit here by this gravel path all morning with my Hawkeye. I would watch the sun grow high and the sun fall low with my boy, And it would still not be long enough.
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Man Trip 2012
It happens once a year. Or something like that. Man Trip. The last one involved Great Wolf Lodge and a giant tub of cheese balls. Kevin and our friend Tyler and Bergen and Tyler’s son Baylor get together for a little dude time. This year’s man trip didn’t have such a grand destination. In fact, the front yard was about as far as they ventured. But the front yard is plenty far enough when you add a campfire, some hot dogs, s’mores and camouflage. Oh – and when you allow the two younger boy siblings to have their first inaugural Man Trip experience.
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Keigley CAMPaign: Hamilton Branch
After we came up with the idea back in May, our first camping trip was to the lovely Lake Jocassee. (Seriously picturesque mountain views on this lake. Truly crowded camping experience because those views are so lovely.) Somehow Bergen received the luck of the draw and was allowed to choose our next camping destination. You know he loves birds so when Hawkeye read that Hamilton Branch State Park was well known for its unique bird sightings, his mind was already made up. The drive down closer to the Georgia state line was a bit farther than the drive across Highway 11. (And not nearly as scenic.) But the campsites were…
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No kidding!
Maybe it’s the lack of sleep. Or school being in session here at Wildwood. Or just everything. But I think my boy Hawkeye said it perfectly. I was waking him up one morning recently. He was stretching, fighting the idea of the day’s beginning. He yawned. Rolled over. Pulled the blanket over his head. Pulled it back off. Looked at me through half-opened, sleepier than you can imagine eyes and asked, “What in the world happened to yesterday?”
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toy wedded bliss.
Kids get attached to specific toys. Growing up, my younger brother and I had our favorites. We loved Cabbage Patch Kids and we loved these two plastic Care Bears we carried in our pockets everywhere. My Buddy and Kid Sister were popular pals for us (anyone remember their theme song?) and we had two koala bears that accompanied us on many adventures. (We cleverly named them KB and Willie. KB for Koala Bear – get it?) Our children are just the same. And for reasons only totally understood by them, the five youngest of them have become strangely attached to a series of toys called Beanie Boos. We didn’t know…
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six flags over georgia.
Summer reading programs abound. In fact, I often lose track of them. Suddenly it’s September and I realize that I missed out on the chance to get three free books from Barnes & Noble. Six Flags offers a year-long reading program that we took advantage of last school year. For reading the required number of books, each child receives a free ticket (and one teacher ticket too!) to the Six Flags amusement park of your choice. We chose Georgia. And yesterday. Thanks to my kind friends Hannah and LIndsey, Otto and PIper were well cared for all day so that they did not have to wait in long line and…
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don’t stop singing
The kids and I were all doing some grocery shopping recently. Everyone was walking beside the cart, chatting amicably and helping me gather our necessary purchases. Hawkeye, however, seemed to have a higher level of energy than the rest of us. Somehow he kept appearing on either side of the cart and he seemed to be continually emitting a higher volume of steady sound than anyone or anything around us. They weren’t unhappy noises, but the volume level was increasing and my tolerance level was decreasing. “Hawkeye,” I touched his shoulder. “Can you please, um, stop making all those sounds?” He froze, turned his whole body toward me. “What? You…
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the simple beautiful. some more. eureka.
A few facts you may already know: Hawkeye loves birds. Our family is in a season of life where money is . . . uh . . . not free-flowing. God provides in wonderful ways. We have been blessed by having truly generous friends. We have lived in many homes in our sixteen-almost-seventeen years of marriage. (Seven homes. Three states.) And our friend base is rather far-flung. I believe in the simple beautiful. And here’s where I fill in the blanks: Last week a package was delivered to our door step. (Really. Right to our door step. The mailman in his black Jeep feels just fine about pulling up in…
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Tricks of the Trade. 2.
Clearly, after my questions post yesterday, it is evident that I am still treading water most days in the parenting realm. But, like any profession, there are a few bits and pieces I’ve picked up here and there that seem to be working – at the moment. And those are the types of morsels I’m sharing in this Tricks of the Trade posts. Here it is . . . . Consider carefully what posters/art/decorations you hang around the bed of your sweet child. It’s subtle – but those wall hangings will probably be etched on their brains and as familiar to them as the sound of their own nickname when…
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book reviews, other blogs, helping hands
I’ve been singing the praises of our favorite children’s museum for as long as we’ve been living in South Carolina. We’ve been visiting Hands On! with friends and alone for years now. And I’ve often joked that they should pay me to support them. In fact, I make that joke a lot with any company/brand/organization of which I am overly fond. (Keen. Nalgene bottles. You name it.) But this time, my joke is sort of working out. I’ve been partnering with Hands On! since February to help promote the museum through social media. (Yep – be my pal and hop over to their Facebook page and like them. And, if…
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Yesterday.
I couldn’t just talk about Hawkeye on one day only. The kid’s so cute, he deserves a day or two, right? We had a plan for his birthday – we really did. Bergen asked to go on a hike and we were only too happy to oblige such a simple and sweet request. However, the rain had other plans for us. And so did the strep throats that three of our chaps were sporting. Instead, we postponed the hike for Saturday and spent the day being a lot more flexible. At the breakfast table Bergen was served his breakfast of choice – waffles with homemade cream, topped off with one…
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april 18
Happy Birthday Bergen Hawkeye. Every morning when you wake up with your moppy blonde hair sitting directly over your keen blue eyes, I think to myself – I could not love you any more than I do right now. My heart is virtually bursting with affection for you. And then the day passes. And every night I tuck you into your bed, quilt underneath, quilt on top, shaggy hair still a rowdy mess, eyes still piercing blue, I think to myself – I love you even more tonight than I did this morning. You are amazing. Happy Birthday Seven!
