19 Months and Counting

We spent last week in one of our favorite places:  Charleston, SC, at the Inn at Middleton Place.  It adjoins Middleton Place Plantation, on the Ashley River; and one of the perks of being guests there is plantation privileges.  It is an 18th century place, with house and farm and 200 acres of gardens and land.  The farm is a working one, with crops, demonstration craftsmen like a potter, blacksmith, and best of all:  farm animals!  Since John and I, Johnny, Devereux, and Barrett, and Dev's parents Terry and Valerie were all there, we had a whole entourage of folks making the daily, sometimes twice a day, trek through the woods from the Inn to "the animals," as Barrett said. We all had fun, but most of all Barrett.  Getting to spend a week with that little guy was awesome for all of us.  He is 19 months old and just plain old fun...delightful in every way.  He's at that sponge stage of toddlerhood:  he just soaks up words, information, everything he sees and hears.  We have loved every moment of being with him, from the moment he was born.  But I believe this age is just about the best yet.

Here are a few of the things I learned from - and about - being 19 months old:

- Piggies are our favorites; they make funny noises and like to lie around on top of each other and their mama.  Their daddy isn't allowed in the pen as he might squash the piggies :)  One of the piggies was sick, and all the brothers and sisters licked him and tried to make him feel better.
 - Pushing a toy lawnmower is fun, fun, fun.  It gets stuck on tall grass, so you have to carry it some, back onto a flat surface, like the path or driveway or sidewalk.
 - Alligators are not always big or scary, but we still have to be careful not to get too close.  They might bite!
 - Chess men are fun to play with, especially the horses.  Same thing with checkers, even if you don't know how to play for real...but you cannot put checkers in your mouth!  You might choke.
 - It's fun making new friends, even if you're a little shy at first.  Before you know it, you can give them a token of friendship, like your lawnmower...or part of a banana...or maybe one of the chess horses!
 - Mosquitoes sure like to bite sweet little boys...and their bites sure do itch!
 - If you aren't sleepy at naptime, you can still talk to yourself (or the adult watching you while you nap) about the piggies and the moo cow and the peacock...or you can suggest that you need a diaper change, even if you don't, because the adult might just "wake up" and check that diaper...and that might just get you out of a nap :)
 - Kittens are fun to play with, but they scratch and you have to be careful around them.
 - Horses are big!  Really big!  Some of them weigh one ton...and they have great big feet and wear shoes!
 - Water buffalo have funny horns that go down, then up, like flipped up hair!  And they like to swim in the big pond with green stuff on top.  They help the farmer in the rice fields.
 - When it rains, it's still ok to go outside, if you wear your rain jacket and have an umbrella.  It's kind of fun!  Except when it thunders.  Then you have to stay inside.
 - There are lots of stairs at Middleton Place Plantation.  So Daddy and Granddaddy and Granddad had to carry the stroller up and down lots of times.  They didn't mind!  I think they liked doing it.
 - Getting to walk Phoebe the dog and hold the leash is fun.  She can run fast, though, and it's hard to keep up sometimes.  It helps having a grandmother along to help!
  - Before we ate our meals, we all said "God is Great, God is Good," and it was fun all saying it together and waiting for "Amen, Amen!," my favorite part.
 - In downtown Charleston, we got to take a horse and carriage ride, and our horse was named Luke.  He did a good job pulling the carriage and even knew when the guide turned down the wrong street.  Did you know Luke had to wear diapers, just like me?!  The ride made me sleepy, so I took my nap while all the grown-ups learned all about Charleston and got to see all the pretty houses and churches.
 - It was hot and humid so we got to eat lots of ice cream; it was very yummy!
 - Hammocks are fun; you can lie down or sit up or swing in them!
 - Plantation shutters are fun to open and close, open and close, open and close!
 - Croquet is a fun game.  It's fun to try to hit the ball with the mallet, but it's kind of hard because the mallet has a big, long handle...and it's also fun to pick up all the wickets after Grandmommy put them all around in the grass.
 - The big house looked like it would be a fun place to visit...but it wasn't for a little guy...so Grandmommy and Granddaddy took me back to see the animals so all the visitors could listen and learn the history of the plantation.  I might like the house tour better when I'm older.
 - I loved singing "Twinkle twinkle little star" over and over...and I can almost sing all the words now!  And playing pattycake is more fun than ever, since I can say the words and do the motions.  We "mark it with a B and throw it in the oven for Barrett and me."
 - They have really good cheese at the Inn.  I was really hungry, and it wasn't quite time for supper.  So it made a great snack for me.

Yes, there is nothing quite like getting to spend time with a little guy who is so wonderfully made...who is so sweet and charming.  Thank you, God, for the gift of grandchildren.  They are some of God's greatest treasures; they are a gift of love.  Seeing the world through their little eyes, with all the wonder and novelty that comes with first-time experiences, is the way to go.  May we adults keep on learning from these little ones, for You have said that such is the kingdom of heaven.  I believe that; for being with him is just a little piece of heaven on earth. 

A New Beginning

Well, it's a new beginning in the world of writing down my thoughts, experiences, dreams...After several years of writing in email form, I'm taking a big step (for me!) into the world of a true blog.  Thank you for following along with me in this journey.  Hopefully this will be a more user-friendly form, for writer and reader as well!

A word about the title:  Concord Chronicle.  By definition, "concord" is a state of harmony, agreement.  That's my desire, for myself...and in a larger sense, for the world in which we live.  I believe we can, with some help and effort, live this way.  Sure, it's a large order.  Our world is far from the peaceable kingdom.  But, if I can take little baby steps toward that end...and to encourage others to do the same, then perhaps I am using my God-given gifts in a positive way.  So, as I continue "chronicling," it is with the desire to bring a little peace...hope...and love to a world that could use a little more of the same.

So...here goes!