Questioning Socks

Hey Benji, what’s the deal with socks? Lately everybody keeps putting socks on our feet. I don’t like socks. They taste like foot. Socks are slippery and make it difficult to stand. When I’m barefoot my feet can grip the floor better. Socks are hot and make my feet sweat. I don’t like that. My feet like to breathe. Socks also get in the way of my toe sucking. Every chance I get, I pull them off, but there’s always some do-gooder slipping them right back on my feet. Are we trying to make some kind of fashion statement? Are bow-ties next? Hey Mom, every day is casual day for babies. Could you stop with the socks and please turn up the heat on the thermostat? My feet are cold.

Thursday with the Grands

Back in the 1960’s, bowling was a popular pastime. I remember my parents, Grandpa and Grandma Edds, belonged to two leagues. What made those bowling nights special to me was my grandmothers’ babysitting. I would go to Great Grandmother Edds’ house on Wednesday nights and to Great Grandmother Embry’s on Saturday nights. These regular weekly visits provided precious one-on-one time and bonded us like no large family gatherings ever could. Echoing that tradition, Trey Davey and Benji have recently been spending Thursday nights with Grandpa and Grandma Edds. This began five weeks ago when Daddy Dave started a class and Sandy Mama had to work late. Since then the foursome has had a regular weekly dinner date. Given this arrangement’s popularity, it looks like future Thursday nights will be free for Sandy and me. Maybe we’ll join a bowling team.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 11 months

The boy’s weight is this month’s benchmark big news. For the first time Benji weighed in more than Trey Davey, although truth be told, had Daddy changed their diapers prior to putting them on the scales the result may have been even. Only four ounces now separate the two with Benji weighing 24 lbs 15 oz (86 percentile) and Davey 24 lbs 10 oz (83 percentile). This represents a 1 lb 4 oz gain for Benji this month and a 9 oz increase for Davey. Both boys also grew a half inch taller last month with Davey maintaining a one inch advantage over his brother. He now stands 31.5 inches and remains in the top 5% percentile of 11 month old boys. Benji now measures 30.5 inches and gained 1 percentage point to enter the top 15% tallest among his peers. With their increased activity level and nearness to walking, we anticipate their weight stabilizing soon.

First Election Day

Today is the boys' first Election Day, and it is a presidential selection year. If the voting age remains 18, it will be the year 2028 before Trey Davey and Benji will be eligible to cast their first presidential ballot. The candidates on that future ticket may well be running in their first election this year, starting on a school board or county council with long-range plans to rise to the highest level of government. Our boys are so fortunate to have been born in this great nation where they have the privilege to choose their leaders. Sandy and I took them with us today as we exercised our right to vote. We hope that they will never take this freedom for granted.

Peak Color Weekend

The fall weather has been wonderful. Last week we experienced our first cooler temperatures. Bare feet had to be covered and our shorts were exchanged for slacks. When autumn days are mild and the evenings are cool and crisp, but not freezing, the conditions are ideal for colorful foliage. On Wednesday the weather girl surprised us by announcing that this weekend would be the peak for fall colors and the last we’d see of highs in the 70’s for this season. It seemed necessary then to enjoy the boys’ laughter on the park swings one more time on Saturday before winter. Afterwards, we took a drive through the country to view God’s fall color extravaganza.

Trick or Treat

We started and completed Trey Davey and Benji’s first Halloween early. Daylight savings time was pushed back a week this year, so the afternoon sun was still shining when we again donned our mascot costumes. Because it had been a warm day, the twins’ wore only a diaper under their outfits to prevent overheating. Unlike the day before, the boys quickly adapted to their get-ups and sported happy faces. One of our first stops was Tommy and Marguerite Bell’s home nearby. They are my friend Al Bell’s parents and have been mighty prayer warriors for us since before the boys were born. After several more stops we headed for Grandma and Grandpa Edds’ home, where healthy puff treats awaited.

New Reader Poll: Thanksgiving Television Tradition

The boys’ arrival to our home has turn our world wonderfully up-side-down. With all this change we have begun establishing our own family traditions, mixing those of the Edds and Roe’s with some of our own. Since this will be the boy’s first Thanksgiving, and the television and the turkey go hand-in-hand, we thought we might try and establish a traditional TV program that our family can watch annually each fourth Thursday in November. This should be a family bonding event, so the program should appeal to both men and woman and also to boys and maybe girls (someday). Searching the internet I found the most popular Thanksgiving Day programs varied from a cartoon, to sports, to cooking, to parades, to a fashion show. Check out the poll on the right and vote for your favorite.