Last Day with the Kiddo

Ben and Kelli should be landing at SeaTac as I write this, and will be here in the morning to fetch their son after a week's vacation sans child.

I have to say (again) how much fun it has been having Nicholas here this week. I thought I'd be exhausted by now, but I'm not. He is so easy going ... must be the Kaufman personality overriding the Hesse part, which would have held a grudge at being left behind and become grumpy. As it is, he's only been really unhappy when I bring him in from outside when he's not ready to come in yet (no matter how red his little nose and cheeks and fingers look), and he actually asks to go to bed or nap when he's tired (by fussing and going upstairs to the crib). I've never seen such a little kid do that before!

But we fear we have made their parenting job harder -- Nicholas is now used to daily trips outside to see the pigs, ride the Manitou with GreatPapa or ride the 4wheeler with Papa or Grammie, drive tractor,

or just pet the dogs and run 'round and 'round in the winter sunshine squealing with delight at the pigs --



This is what it's been like "following" Nicholas on our walks outside...


you can see he doesn't really believe in "walks," but rather runs full speed, falling on his face once in a while but not being bothered by that at all. How he can run the equivalent of "miles" and not be the least bit winded is amazing to me.

Too bad I missed taking a video of his bath time -- he literally swims the length of the bathtub, sliding on his belly kicking and splashing and having a great time. The acquatic center pool will be a favorite of his very soon.

But his very most favorite thing to do is ride the 4 wheeler -- Lets GO! He could spend hours right here:




On Wednesday Lou said to me, "He's pretty fun -- maybe we should get us one."
Uh, I don't think so, but I do think we'll be seeing a lot more of this one out here. That little house in town will be pretty confining this winter and into next spring when he knows there are machines with big engines out here where Daddy goes to work each day.