Welcome to my home life, enter only if you can stand seeing pictures of other people's kids. There's some lines to read while you're waiting for the photos to load.
said Lauren to daddy
What, dreams in your head?
No, dreams in my bed
Are you scared of the dreams?
No not a bit
I've got old Teddy
to help me with it
But I want big hug
and I want pick up
I want blankie on
and I want a big kiss
I want to jump up
go way up high
I want a big hug
I want a big kiss
Daddy there's dreams in there
Nice dreams sweetheart?
Yeah
nice dreams
I want blankie on
big kiss
night night.
-Nov 25, 1995
Here's Lauren at the cottage this summer. She didn't want her picture taken while she was fishing.
I reach to turn off the light
and realize
I can hear the clock
Not since you were born
have I heard that tick
and the quiet that surrounds it
As I stand listening
you stir
under your covers
I stand
arm stretched toward the switch
and listen.
-May 7, 1997
.
when I feel like quitting
giving up
and running
just as fast and as far
As I can
I come home
and stand, watching
as you sleep
I see you now
and when you ride your first bike
and when you go off to school
your first date
your new driver's license
your graduation
your marriage
your children
I see it all in your sleeping face
and I go off to bed
Knowing
that in the morning
I'll get up
and go on
-Nov 28, 1995
Life is full of wonder and mystery
Somehow, I'd forgotten that
But watching you discover the world
In a sandpit
Watching you find the ocean
In a bathtub
Seems more worthwhile
Than all the vain huffing and puffing
Of my last thirty years.
-Jan 4, 1998
Not often these days
it startles me
to see the creases in my forehead
Where did all that worry
that stress come from
how did I get this old
Looking down at my new son
Sleeping in my arms
I can't help but think
I was like that once
perhaps a year or two ago
Now it hurts my cheeks
when I smile back at him
when did I get this old
But as I sit here
unable to sleep
thinking of what I have to do
this year
and the next
It occurs to me
that carefree face
those unlined thoughts
are mine
Stolen by this babe
And with that thought
comes instant forgiveness
and even joy
to know that
for a while at least
his life
will be reflected in that face
A few creases in the forehead
a pain or two in the stomach
a sleepless night spent planning
are a small enough price to pay
If I can watch
once in a while
that sleeping face
-Jan 1, 1996
They help each other get into trouble, then Lauren yells for us, but in this case Liam got into mom's sock drawer all by himself. Incidentally, Brenda designed and built that wall unit herself.
The fighting the biting
the crying the lying
the yelling "I'm telling"
The banging the clanging
the noise
oh
the noise
But late at night
when I've turned off their light
and all should be right
It seems somehow wrong
the minutes too long
Just a little too quiet
am I missing the riot?
-April 7, 1998
Here's the story of How the Chickadee Got His Cap, it was inspired by watching the birds at Grandma's place. Written by Kim Taylor, Illustrated by Edith Emerick (Gramma). Liam Peter Edwin Duyf Taylor wasn't here yet so it wasn't dedicated to him, it is now of course.
You'll have to wait a while for this page to load so be patient.
The next story is The Princess and the Dog. I've been told it's a rather sad story but I wrote it to try and explain to Lauren why I spend so much time training in the martial arts.
I can't help but see the kids growing up much faster than they are. I hope they learn what's truly important in life. The Picnic at the Beach sort of captures how I think kids can grow up in spite of what we parents try to teach them.
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