Bubs 1 Turns 4

Bubs 1, mom and Grandpop Bernie

Bubs 1 turned four years old, two Sundays ago. He understood the birthday-concept thing this year too. His mom and I kept the celebration low key, because he's not a big on crowds. At least we don't think that he is. Maybe he'll surprise us one day, but from what we've seen thus far... he seems to function more comfortably in intimate settings.

Bubs 1 about to blow out his candles

Bubs 2 observed. He's learning a lot about life by simply watching his big brother. Their age difference is just over three years, so this automatically makes Bubs 1 a role model for Bubs 2. From what I've experienced so far, Bubs 1 is more of a teacher to Bubs 2 than both their mom and me put together. Bubs 1 must fall within Bubs 2's zone of proximal development simply due to his closeness in age. Being so close in age must make Bubs 1 a more meaningful teacher. His mom and I are just too darn old (and uncool) to be taken seriously. :)

Oh, birthday cake, I can't wait to eat you!

In a few of the pictures, we see the bubs' grandpop Bernie. He makes the trip up to the house, along with grandma Helen, twice a year. They travel up from Lynchburg, VA, where the bubs' mom was born. Grandpop Bernie grew up in Wisconsin and later, Oregon. Grandma Helen was born in the Phillipines and made the journey over to San Fransisco, with her family when she was a little girl. They made their way to the states on a Naval ship, courtesy of her grandfather who never returned home after serving with America during the Spanish American War. He decided to stay in the Phillipines. Apparently, the military honors their return trip no matter how long we wait. Grandma Helen is also a member of the DAR, Daughters of the Revolution. She has ties back to the Revolutionary War. Her grandfather was from the northeast.  She visits the historical archives, in the New York area, whenever up here. She spends a lot of time and works hard to learn more about her American heritage. At the same time, it must help her learn more about herself.

Grandma Kathy circa 1970

Bubs 1 blows out his candle

Bubs 1 was excited when he heard that his grandma and grandpa were coming up. It was exciting for me to watch his excitement. Last year, he was still seemingly unaware. However, this year held noticeable progress with his understanding of what was going on. Now that he's more aware and vocal, it makes me miss the time taken away from my mother, his grandma Kathy. She never had the opportunity to meet Bubs 1, because she passed away 18 years - almost to the day (Oct 4th) - before he was born. It's unreal to write that my mother died "18 years ago" and that instills in me a responsibility to keep her memory alive on this blog, so that both bubs can visit her anytime. This blog can serve as an artifact for them to get to know who she was, while allowing me the opportunity to write about her from post to post. Although I plan to be around a good long time and be a pain-in-the-ass for both these bubs, I'm sure that'll they'll learn a thing or two more about me after reading this blog.

I continue to learn more about myself with every post.